Dennis Eckersley’s message in penultimate game brought Red Sox Nation to tears

It’s been raining off and on in Boston, but that’s not the reason there isn’t a dry eye in Red Sox Nation this week.

On Wednesday afternoon, Dennis Eckersley will do his last game in the Red Sox booth before he retires. He and his wife are moving back to the Bay Area, eager to fill their days with the company of their twin grandchildren.

But as excited as Eckersely is about being a full-time grandpa in person, parting, as they say, is such sweet sorrow. He wants to go, but he also doesn’t want to leave, we know that. And on Tuesday evening, early in his final night game, the emotions boiled over. As he attempted to profess his love for this city, team, and fans, Eckersley became choked up several times and tears welled up in his eyes.

Looks like Jimmy Dugan was wrong, there is crying in baseball.

You’d have to be a robot (or a Yankees fan) not to get emotional when Eck did. I am neither, so I was one of many who took to Twitter to condole.

Dennis Eckersley’s tearful tribute to Boston had Red Sox fans in tears

The news of Eck’s retirement has been public for months, but that hasn’t made the impending goodbye any easier. Within the last calendar year, Sox fans have mourned the passing of Jerry Remy, and will now say goodbye to his booth mate. It marks the end of a golden age of lively, comical, delightfully unique Red Sox coverage, and it feels impossible that anyone who follows will ever live up to the standard they set.

His departure has been one of the only reasons to dread this season’s end. As disappointing as this year has been, part of me didn’t want Game 162 to ever come, because what comes next is Boston baseball without Eck.

With his unique terminology and genuine love for the game, Eck ferried fans through some of the worst times in recent franchise history. He’s a former ballplayer, but more than that he’s a true baseball fan, so when he rejoiced with us during the good times (so good! so good! so good!), he really reveled. And he helped us get through the most unbearable games, making us laugh when all we wanted to do was throw things on the field at whichever reliever was blowing a save that night.

Above all, Eck never minced words or conformed to be anything other than himself, which made him so perfect for Boston. He loves this silly, chaotic team as much as we do, and he held them accountable with us. He’s right, as usual: he is a Boston Red Sox.

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