Unfortunately, I have only been able to watch part of the ceremony (I recorded MLB Network during the time the ceremony took place, but they didn’t show it….errr) and brief transcripts and reactions to it. From the part of the ceremony I was able to watch, I saw something I’ve never seen before. Jason Varitek was
tearing up.
I couldn’t help but think of a line from “Fever Pitch” where Jimmy Fallon’s character,Ben, was talking to a group of men about watching the All-Star Game in 1999. They were talking about when Ted Williams was wheeled out for the game and the crowds reaction. Ben’s words were:
“I was there. I was feet away from him… Old men crying… Tears. Tough old guys. I even started to lose it, you know.”
I know seeing Ted Williams at the All-Star Game is completely different than Jason Varitek retiring, but I had sort of the same reaction. For years, I’ve watched Jason Varitek man home plate, control the pitchers, be the “silent” leader so many people described him as. He always seem to be so “tough,” like when he got between A-Rod and Arroyo in the “incident.” He never backed down, and he always seem accountable.
Yesterday, I saw Jason Varitek tear up and wipe away tears. I had the same reaction as the movie: “… ‘old’ men crying… Tears. Tough ‘old’ guys. I even started to lose it, you know.” I have to put the term “old” in apostrophes, since Tek isn’t old by any means, though for a catcher, he was getting up there in years. I could tell that the Red Sox meant more to Varitek than just an employer or a baseball team. The Red Sox were his family.
I’ve been reading a few articles about different players, managers, and other Red Sox legends reactions to Varitek’s retirement. I thought that I would include their reactions in this piece (please note, all passages were borrowed from The Boston Globe unless otherwise noted.)
Josh Beckett: I loved working with him. I never had a catcher before that I felt like cared more about wanting me to be successful even before he wanted to be successful. He's going to be missed a lot, in the clubhouse and on the field.
Clay Buchholz: He was one of the greatest guys ever behind the plate. ... He's a guy that when you're on the mound and you shake him off, he sort of just stares at you. Especially being a young guy coming up, you're already intimidated by pitching in front of 40,000 people at Fenway then you got Jason Varitek catching you. He helped slow the game down. How to pitch to certain guys, how to get out of situations. He was a vocal part of my learning experience in baseball.
Jarrod Saltalamacchia: He meant a lot. He helped me out a lot last year. The year before he was trying to recover from injuries, so we didn't get to spend a lot of on-field time together. But still picking his brain a lot. Last year was a huge, huge help for getting my career back on track. Just the person he is, you can't find a better person.
Tim Wakefield: Tek epitomizes what a true professional should be. He's been a great teammate, but more importantly he's been a better friend. The way he prepared and led the Boston Red Sox over the last 15 years has been an inspiration to all who have watched. Although his leadership will be missed, his legacy in Red Sox history will be forged forever. It has been a true honor to have played with him for this long and I wish him nothing but the best as he starts a new chapter in his life. Congratulations Tek on an unbelievable career. I'm glad we've been able to share a lot of great memories together.
Nomar Garciaparra: Ever since I've known him, dating back to being his teammate in college, he has been a tireless worker. His preparation and endless work ethic has made him a true champion. Thanks Tek for all you have taught me.
Trot Nixon: It's tough to see Tek go. He was a class act in the clubhouse, a leader on that team. He epitomizes what a captain is all about. It was a pleasure to have the opportunity to play with him, I never saw someone worked harder. We all loved him, he was a quiet leader, but when something needed to be said he said it.
Mike Lowell: Tek was hands down one of the best teammates I ever had. I have never come across someone who would prepare for the game more thoroughly than him. His dedication to his craft, and work ethic, were always qualities that I admired, and he was a true captain in every sense of the word. I wish him nothing but the best.
Carl Yastrzemski: Congratulations to Jason Varitek on an outstanding career. As a former captain of the Red Sox, I can appreciate the way he approached the game. His leadership set a tone example for his teammates and the Red Sox organization.
Terry Francona: Tek was the captain seven out of my eight years with the Red Sox. The 'C' on his chest was just a formality, he was the leader of the team with or without it. I could say a lot of things about Tek, but the most important thing was he kept everyone going in the right direction.
Of course, there were many other people giving their reactions and admiration for Jason Varitek, but I liked these quotes for different reasons. Beckett and Buchholz were two pitchers Varitek recently had caught for, Salty saw Tek as his mentor, Wakefield had been Tek’s teammate the longest, Nomar played with Tek on the Sox and in college, Nixon and Lowell won different Championships with Tek, Yaz is a Red Sox legend and former Sox Captain himself, and Tito was Tek’s last manager.
Finally, I’m going to end this posting with some words from Varitek himself. Here is some of his memorable quotes from his ceremony yesterday:
After months of deliberating what to do, I've decided that it's best for me and family that I retire, that I retire a Red Sock. The decision to retire wasn't one that I took lightly in any sense of the word, nor did I want to do it more than once. This has probably been the most difficult decision I had to make in my career. But the opportunity to start and finish my major league career in one place is why I'm standing here today.
Being a part of the Red Sox organization of the past [15] years is something I will always cherish. I thank all of you for giving me this opportunity, because it's taken all of you to make this happen.
It's (leaving his teammates) what I'm going to miss most. The hardest thing to do is walk away from your teammates, and what they meant to you. Thank you.' Winning the World Series here is unbelievable. The uniqueness of [Jon] Lester's no- hitter. Clay's no-hitter.
What I plan on doing right now is going to a lot more soccer practices, mix in a few tennis matches for a little bit longer period of time. We're still discussing and as we continue to do this we'll hopefully find a role [where I can] stay involved.'
As I walk away from this game. I can look at the man in the mirror and be proud that I gave everything I had to this organization. And once again, I just want to say thank you.
Varitek, thank you for giving yourself selfishly to the game. You will be missed, and we hope to see you in the Red Sox organization in the future.
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