Gammons has an aneurysm

ESPN icon placed in intensive care

By Gordon Edes, Globe Staff  |  June 28, 2006

ESPN baseball analyst Peter Gammons, whose Sunday notes column in the Globe had a seminal impact on the way the sport is covered, came out of surgery and was in intensive care last night for a brain aneurysm. Gammons, who had planned to be at Fenway Park last night, was stricken near his home on Cape Cod and air-lifted to a Boston hospital, his wife, Gloria, told the Globe's Bob Ryan. Indications were he will remain in intensive care for 10-12 days, his wife said. Doctors are being cautiously optimistic on his recovery.

Gammons, a native of Groton, Mass., and a 1969 graduate of the University of North Carolina, primarily serves as a studio analyst for ESPN's ``Baseball Tonight," but he also does regular spots for ``SportsCenter," ESPNEWS, and ESPN Radio and contributes to ESPN The Magazine. He is a columnist and writes a popular blog for ESPN.com.

He was the recipient of the J.G. Taylor Spink Award for outstanding baseball writing during the 2005 Hall of Fame induction ceremony July 31 in Cooperstown, N.Y., and is popularly known around the game as the ``commissioner" because of his ubiquitous presence. Recently, Gammons worked an ESPN ``Sunday Night Baseball" game in Los Angeles, took a red-eye home, and was at Fenway at 9 the next morning for the Sox' Patriots Day game.

With a story in which he shared a byline with Ryan (on whether baseball should be played after Robert Kennedy was assassinated), Gammons began his career as a summer intern in 1968 for the Globe, where he developed his weekly notes column of information, anecdotes, trade rumors, and gossip into a must-read in the industry. Gammons, who also worked for Sports Illustrated covering the National Hockey League, college basketball, and Major League Baseball (1976-78, 1986-90), has been cited as the inspiration for a generation of sportswriters who followed.

Born April 9, 1945, Gammons had just finished recording a CD, scheduled for release July 4, in which members of the Red Sox, including GM Theo Epstein, contribute, along with many of his friends in the music industry. The CD is entitled, ``Never Slow Down, Never Grow Old," and is to be released by Rounder Records.

``Our thoughts are with Peter and his family," ESPN spokesman Nate Smeltz said last night.

Sox outfielder Manny Ramírez is leading all players in balloting for the American League All-Star team, with a deadline of 11:59 p.m. Thursday for balloting on mlb.com and the 30 team websites. Ramírez, a nine-time All-Star, has 1,936,373 votes, just ahead of fellow Dominican Vladimir Guerrero of the Angels, who has 1,932,366 votes. Seattle's Ichiro Suzuki is third among outfielders. Sox catcher Jason Varitek leads by fewer than 43,000 votes over Ivan Rodriguez of the Tigers. Sox designated hitter David Ortiz has a huge lead over Jason Giambi of the Yankees in balloting at first base; DH is not listed on the ballot . . . First baseman J.T. Snow, designated for assignment June 19, was given his release by the Sox. Snow is now free to sign as a free agent with any club -- San Francisco, perhaps? -- but could opt to retire . . . Meanwhile, lefthander David Wells is not yet ready to give up on playing. Manager Terry Francona said Wells, 42, who has told club officials he is working out and has begun to do some throwing, intends to rejoin the club next week in St. Petersburg, Fla., when the Sox play the Devil Rays. Wells's knee problems have limited him to 8 1/3 innings this season.

Matt Clement, on the disabled list since June 15 with a strained shoulder, said he had an encouraging side session yesterday. ``It was nice to throw without feeling [any discomfort] in there," he said. Clement is expected to require at least two or three rehab starts before he is restored to the rotation . . . Outfielder Wily Mo Peña will start his rehab at Single A Greenville (S.C.), instead of extended spring training, Francona said, before heading to Pawtucket . . . The Sox extended their errorless streak to a club-record 14 games. The AL record is 15, by Texas in 1996 . . . Surely it was just a coincidence, but one sharp-eyed observer in the pressbox noticed that the revolving ad behind home plate was for Viagra when 47-year-old Julio Franco was at the plate in the fourth inning.

IMAGES AND INFO For a gallery of photos from last night's game and news updates heading into Pedro Martínez's return to the mound at Fenway Park tonight, go to www.boston.com/redsox.