Tag Archives: Jason Varitek

January 25, 2013 · 5:46 AM

Spin Machine, Full Speed Ahead

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Let’s try and get this timeline in full effect. I want to make sure I don’t miss anything.

When Sports Illustrated published the exerts from Francona’s book, the same day the Red Sox announced they’d officially signed Mike Napoli. Funny it just happened to all come together more than two months after agreeing to a deal in principle and it just so happened to fall on the day that Francona’s book had some passages released? Hmmmmm…

Then the book actually comes out and sure enough the Red Sox announce that you can now buy tickets to summer games at Fenway. So as we’re listening to Francona and Shaughnessy make the rounds on all the sports radio and tv stations, the Sox are desperately trying to avert everyone’s attention.

I’m only two chapters in and I can tell all this bullshit that the front office is trying. So I wasn’t surprised at all to see more stuff on the news trying again to distract us from the Francona book.

First there was Jonny Gomes, David Ross, Daniel Nava, and Ryan Kalish all hanging out at Quincy Market just being good guys and handing out free coffee and Red Sox tickets. Don’t forget that Wally was there.

Then yesterday the final straw as the team brought in Pedro Martinez as a special assistant to the general manager. A position already held by his former battery mate, Jason Varitek.

This whole thing reeks of Lucchino. He’s such a slime ball. I’m not saying that he should just sit back and take what’s being dished out by the Francona camp but does he really think that the fans are that naive that a few free tickets, some crappy signings, sending out your 4A players to Quincy Market, or even bringing back the best pitcher I’ve ever seen pitch for the Sox is going to make us look the other way?

Not a chance. We all know the truth over there. It’s a Mickey Mouse organization more interested in selling TV ratings, bricks, and pink hats than winning baseball games. So excuse me Uncle Larry if I’m not paying attention.

If you guys need me I’ll be reading my Francona book.

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October 11, 2012 · 6:19 AM

Uncle Larry Being Uncle Larry; or Red Sox Being Red Sox

After the Red Sox fired Bobby Valentine the Puppet Ben Cherington said, “We want to find the right person first. We’d like it to take less time than we took last year. We’ve got to find the right person first.”

Meanwhile Uncle Larry is on a European vacation…

I’m not saying you shouldn’t have the right to take a vacation but really when the shit is hitting the fan at the office, it’s not the best time to take a vacation. That’s when you go home and tell your wife that it’s not the best time to head to Europe but after you get a manager in place you’ll be able to.

Farrell (right) seems to be #1 on the Sox wish list.

John Farrell is #1 on the Sox list. I know a few people are excited by this but I’m not. Really, you’re excited about a manager who’s 154-170 in his managerial career? A guy so great with pitchers that he saw the Blue Jays ERA get worse every year he was there? A guy that finished just four games better than a 93 loss Red Sox team, losing 89 games of his own?

Yeah, I’m excited.

Really this is the Sox just doing what they did last year starting with Tim Wallach from the Dodgers reportedly on Friday. They’ll interview most of the same people they interviewed a year ago when they won’t be given permission from the Jays to talk to Farrell. They’ll float names like Varitek and Bill Meuller through the press so fans will be interested, but at the end of the day it’ll be Uncle Larry’s call like it was a year ago and we know how that ended up.

Uncle Larry isn’t even in the country yet it’s his stamp that’s needed to get a new manager. So basically more of the same from last September till now. We’re in the dark times as Sox fans and this isn’t bringing any light to the situation.

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March 1, 2012 · 8:45 AM

So Long Varitek

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Well it finally happened. Jason Varitek announced his retirement on Thursday.

The writing was on the wall when the team didn’t offer arbitration. And we know how greedy the Sox front office is with their arbitration cases (David Ortiz).

I’ve chronicled this several times over the last few years but this is about three years too late. Varitek has had trouble even batting his weight the last several seasons.

There’s talk about wanting to retire his number. I’ll save you the suspense. No. But you know what you can retire? The stupid “C” from the front of his jersey.

The “C” was one of the dumbest PR moves in the history of this organization and the team doesn’t need to replace someone wearing the stupid letter.

And the people saying they should bring him back ASAP as a coach, stop it. Stop drinking the fucking Kool Aid.

Varitek was a serviceable catcher that had a couple of really memorable seasons. And quite a few more forgetful ones.

Heidi Watnet affairs withstanding, I won’t miss him. I think the Sox brass and media pumped this guy up way more than he brought with talent.

Thanks for the memories, thanks for punching ARod in the face. Now see you later.

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December 14, 2011 · 6:49 AM

So Long Tek

Thanks for the memories.

The Red Sox announced yesterday the signing, yet again, of Kelly Shoppach. Shoppach will fill the veteran void left by the assumed departing captain Jason Varitek.

Varitek who hasn’t batted his weight since 2007 has some how hung on in Boston on the mystique. That somehow he’s this super catcher that “calls a good game”. Calls a game so well that you’ll sacrifice a gaping hole in your lineup every turn.

So instead of looking at the mistake ridden last four years, I instead prefer to look back to the beautiful steroid infused 2004 Jason Varitek.

Part of me thinks that entire team was on steroids. How else can you explain to output? They weren’t testing in 2004. Not suspendable anyways. So you had guys like Varitek that hit 25 home runs in 2003, 18 in 2004, and then 22 in 2005. All of a sudden testing started in the spring of 2006 and Varitek sees his home run numbers plummet to 12, his average drop 30 points to a paltry .238 and he becomes a shell of his former self.

There’s nothing linking him to steroids other than my suspicion. I’m just pointing to the facts.

He was s sacred cow in this city. The catcher that got in A-Rod’s grill that catapulted the 2004 Red Sox to the World Series. Then there was the pop and circumstance when he was given the sacred “C” on his jersey. Ooooooooh. Another Uncle Larry publicity stunt. How effective was the “captain” this year as the team was imploding? Where was the accountability? Exactly.

This is the same guy that I ripped in 2009 for declining salary arbitration that would have netted him about $11 million. Instead he signed a two year $10 million contract with a player option for 2010 if the team declined to pick up the second $5 million year (which they did).

There was this false aura that he would be teaching the young catchers how to succeed. I never got that impression. I got the impression he was blocking one guy after another from getting a shot in the big leagues. He was an awful captain when the team needed one and will not be missed.

The A-Rod tussle will live in infamy, as will the two World Series victories. But truth be told, he was washed up four years ago. Don’t let the door hit you where the good Lord split you.

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August 3, 2011 · 6:22 AM

Sticking With It

Yesterday I decided to head up to Newburyport and run 10 miles for fun. I had signed up for the Newburyport Yankee Homecoming 10 miles race at the end of June and was told by so many friends that it is a tough course and would likely fall on the hottest day of the summer. Well, a little light rain before the race started cooled down the course so I was running in pretty comfortable temperatures. Officially a 1:51:26 good enough for not last place.

I bring this up because apparently the rain affected other sporting events in the area as well.

The Sox had a rain delay that had them start an hour and 35 minutes later than scheduled. When I got home from the race, showered, and took my spot on the couch it was only the sixth inning. Youk had just hit a home run that tied the game at two. At that point I had to make a decision to stick with the game or go to bed.

Needless to say, when you should be exhausted after running 10 miles, you’re actually pretty jacked up. I was pretty awake and decided that I’d stick with the Sox. Hoping of course that the game wouldn’t go to extras.

After the Sox got out of the ninth with Papelbon striking out the last batter and not allowing any hits I was pretty worried it may go to extras with Aviles, Varitek and Reddick do up in the bottom of the ninth. Sure Reddick may luck out with a solo shot but it was looking like we were heading to extras.

Or not.

After Aviles got out, Varitek singled. He was pinch run for by Saltalamacchia. You have to wonder how slow a guy is when the other catcher pinch runs for you. Well, Reddick singled as well and got Saltalamacchia up to second. That brought up Ellsbury who hit a bloop single and Saltalamacchia motoring all the way from second slid and was safe thanks to a wide throw.

Sox win!

There’s nothing worse than staying up and watching the Sox lose so it was great to see the team celebrate before I finally went off to bed.

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