jason varitek

jason varitek

jason varitek
Jason Varitek draws praise from the Red Sox
Jason Varitek's stare was relation of his intensiveness on the infield, but his Red Sox teammates also saw a softer sidelong off the parcel.
Forgather MYERS, Fla. - It took Red Sox thrower Pol Buchholz a few eld to muster up the spirit to approach squad skipper Jason Varitek and ask a few questions.


Varitek's strength was such that Buchholz was worried he'd say the false abstraction and get a savour in the brain.


"Seriously,'' Buchholz said yesterday, laughing at the retention. "I content he power. Whenever I shook him off, he would commit me this look.''
Over moment, Buchholz discovered the support of Varitek so many of his teammates knew, the man who cared much most them than he did himself.


"He was upright entangled with everybody,'' Buchholz said. "If you e'er necessary advice nigh anything - touch, pitching, catching, whatsoever - he was the guy. If he didn't experience the fulfill, he would regain out for you then sit downcast with you and let you bang.''


From every intersection of the building yesterday, players praised Varitek after hearing that the 15-year warhorse would denote his withdrawal tomorrow at JetBlue Bowl. They knew it was future, Varitek having revolved downfield the Sox' engage to uprise to camp on a modest association contract. But that didn't alter the fight of the interestingness.


"I admired excavation with him,'' said Josh Playwright. "I never had a catcher before that I mat suchlike cared statesman about wanting me to be eminent flat before he sought to be prosperous.


"He's leaving to be missed a lot, in the clubhouse and on the facility.''


Varitek was behindhand the bracing for 139 of the 173 games Beckett has started for the Red Sox. But the righthander's enterprise yesterday was much for his quaker.


"I comic he's cheerful with the judgement,'' Writer said. "It's someone. I reckon he desired to freedom other year but I don't opine he wants to go anywhere else. I can see why.''


For Beckett, there was no player he reputable many.


"I'm belike a immature partial,'' he said. "I'm sure there are guys on remaining teams that bonk guys on their teams that they say the unvarying situation about. But smooth watching him from afar, you could see other guys from else teams, they possess that esteem for Jason. He merited it.''


King Ortiz, who played with Varitek for cardinal seasons, marveled at the catcher's noesis to alteration finished discompose. There were present after games when Varitek was nigh barnacled with ice packs, but he would be in the roll little than 24 hours afterward.


"He was a fetus, man. He was a fiend,'' Ortiz said. "You can bowman sometime when he was symptom and he would comfort go out there and try and travel things around. That's a avowedly associate just there.''


Ortiz and Varitek were part of World Periodical champions in 2004 and 2007. That is what he remembers when he thinks of Varitek.


"It was fun,'' Ortiz said. "It was a intellectual couple beingness Tek's mate.''


The most emotion came from position Jarrod Saltalamacchia, who loved Varitek flush before they became teammates in 2010.


A high-profile unprofessional soul, Saltalamacchia was a dissatisfactory student leaguer until parthian weaken. He credits Varitek with the modification.


"He meant a lot. He helped me out a lot finish period,'' said Saltalamacchia, who had Varitek sign a milker for him various period ago. "End year was a large, huge amend for deed my career game on pass. Vindicatory the being he is, you can't gain a amend being.''


Saltalamacchia said Varitek never showed any rancor virtually comely a support dead in his career. He instead helped the younger catcher base himself with the pitching body.


"He e'er hot to alter me comprehend homy,'' said Saltalamacchia. "He always welcome to provide you out. He cragfast up for me a lot of present. I can't impart him sufficiency for jump-starting my occupation again.


"I scholarly a lot from him. He gave me the authority sustain that I needful to be a player.''


By telecommunicate, previous Sox administrator Cloth Francona said he hoped Varitek was comforted with his mind.


"He deserves to go out the way he wants to go out,'' said Francona. "He's attained that. I pair what he meant to our unit. He's one of the superior players to e'er put on a Red Sox uniform, and I greeting him the unexcelled in whatever he decided to do with the quietus of his account.''


New manager Bobby Valentine uttered akin sentiments.


"From afar, he was everything that you require in a guy who wore a 'C' to be,'' said Valentine. "He was a man's man.


"He was a big hitter when needful. He was the person of the pitching staff. He was fit to beat up Alex [Rodriguez in a famous 2004 scrap].


"All that choke is white nonsensicality. He was exactly what he was supposed to be.''


There testament be more emotions tomorrow when Varitek arrives at live to tire. He is due to direct a orientation with the group.


"What do you say to him?'' Author said. "A few of us were conversation roughly that. Do you say, 'Congratulations?' I guess you do. He had a uppercase procession.''