Boston Red Sox History: A Look Back at the Career of Jason Varitek

Jason Varitek isn’t a Baseball Hall of Famer, but his contributions for the Boston Red Sox will never be forgotten. His grit made him a fan favorite.

One of my all-time favorite Boston Red Sox is catcher Jason Varitek. Tek, the Captain, 33. His leadership was second to none and he played with a grit that all Bostonians admired.

Jason Varitek came to Boston via trade with longtime teammate Derek Lowe in 1997 from Seattle.

Tek then spent his entire major league career with the Red Sox. He played in just one game in 1997 with a single in his lone at-bat. Varitek split time with Scott Hatteberg in 1998, appearing in 86 games. He hit .253 with 56 hits and 7 home runs.

The Captain broke out in 1999. He belted 20 home runs, drove in 76 RBI and hit .269. The Red Sox reached the ALCS but ultimately lost to the New York Yankees. In the ALDS against Cleveland Varitek was 5 of 21. He was 4 of 20 in the ALCS.

2000 was supposed to be another big year for the catcher but the fans were terribly disappointed. Tek hit just .248 with only 10 home runs and 65 RBI. The Red Sox failed to reach the postseason. Despite a down season, Varitek signed a 3-year $14.9 million deal prior to the 2001 season.

Varitek began the year on fire, hitting .310 in May. He homered three times in a single game. On June 7th, Tek dove to catch a foul ball and he broke his left elbow. He missed most of the remainder of the year.

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When Varitek returned for the Red Sox in 2002, he struggled to find his rhythm at the plate. This is when his preparation and knowledge came into play. Pitchers and coaches took note as Tek began taking total command of his pitching staff.

After three straight seasons where the Red Sox failed to make the postseason, they turned things around in 2003.

Tek had his best season to date in 2003. He was selected to his first All-Star game as fans got him in on the final vote. Varitek finished the season with a .273 average, 25 home runs, and 85 RBIs. All of those numbers were career highs.

The Red Sox earned a Wild Card spot in the postseason but again lost to the Yankees in the ALCS in devastating fashion. We do not need to relive that Game 7.

Breaking the Curse

Varitek hit a career high .296 in 2004. The Red Sox turnaround moment of the season came in July when he shoved hated New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez. The bench-clearing brawl that followed gave life to Boston. The Sox rallied from behind and won 11-10 that day. Boston had the best record in baseball following the brawl.

The Red Sox reached the ALCS once again but found themselves down 3 games to none against their biggest rivals. Behind David Ortiz, the Red Sox came back to win four in a row. They’d made the greatest comeback in MLB history and were headed to the World Series.

Boston swept the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series for their first title in 86 years. They broke the Curse of the Bambino.

Varitek was then a free agent again. He signed a 4 year $40 million contract to stay in Boston. Tek was also officially named the captain of the Red Sox.

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Tek was only the third captain in Red Sox history, with Carl Yastrzemski and Jim Rice being the others.

2005 was solid for Varitek as he went to the All-Star game for the second time while winning his first Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards.

In the 2006 offseason, Varitek was chosen to play for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic. He appeared in just three games but had a grand slam in a loss to Team Canada.

Varitek and the Red Sox returned to the World Series in 2007. The Sox swept the Colorado Rockies for their second title in four years.

The 2008 season saw Varitek catch his fourth no-hitter, an MLB record.

In 2009 Varitek became the backup at the All-Star break after the Red Sox traded for Victor Martinez. He remained a backup, but still an important player for the remainder of his career. Tek was able to help Martinez, and later Jarrod Saltalamacchia, handle the Red Sox staff.

Life After Baseball

Jason Varitek officially retired from baseball on March 1, 2012, during a ceremony at Jet Blue Park in Fort Meyers. That September the Red Sox brought Varitek in as a special assistant to the general manager. Tek’s role would include “major league personnel decisions, evaluations, and mentorship and instruction of young players.”

Varitek has also been a special assistant to President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski.

In October Varitek signed a new 2 year deal with Boston, and it’s believed he will have a more hands-on day-to-day role instead of a front office role with the club.

Varitek is a regular so far in spring training with the team.

Next: Marco Hernandez Should Begin 2017 in Boston

Jason Varitek was elected to the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame in May 2016, and his play will never be forgotten. The Red Sox won two titles with Tek, and that’s one of the greatest accomplishments in Boston sports.

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