Peter Gammons: Surgery for Brain Aneurysm [J. Mark English]

BOSTON (AP) -- Peter Gammons, an ESPN analyst and a member of the writer's wing of the baseball Hall of Fame, underwent brain surgery Tuesday after he was stricken with an aneurysm near his Cape Cod home.

The 61-year-old Gammons was resting in intensive care Tuesday night following the operation, The Boston Globe reported on its Web site.

Gammons was taken to a Cape Cod hospital Tuesday morning and then airlifted to the Boston area. The newspaper said he's expected to be in intensive care for 10 to 12 days.

Several ballplayers called the press box during Boston's game against the New York Mets for updates on Gammons' condition.

"Peter is one of the Hall of Famers we have on TV, and everybody has a lot of respect for him," Mets pitcher Pedro Martinez said in the visitor's clubhouse after the game. "I wish him well."

On a personal level, I had the oppurtunity to meet Peter Gammons at the Delta Shuttle Terminal some years ago. He seemed a bit out of sorts and I asked him if he needed any help, he asked if I knew which gate his flight would leaving from. Aside from the aloofness, he could not have been kinder to me afterwards. We sat down for a brief moment and had nice conversation about the Mets and their series against the San Francisco Giants in the NLDS. Mr. Gammons was extremely humble and gracious. I hope he pulls through... And I intend to buy the CD he has just released...

More recently, Gammons has dabbled in music and next week is scheduled to release his first CD, Never Slow Down, Never Grow Old. The proceeds are designated for the foundation established by Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein, who appears on the album along with several ballplayers and professional musicians.