Varitek has become a veritable slugger

February 28, 2000 | Sox Fan Magazine | By Kevin Brockway

 

FORT MYERS - They tell the story about the home run at the Red Sox minor-league complex that caromed off the side of the batting cages more than 400 feet away. Some say, no, the ball skipped once before bouncing off the concrete side of the building. It was an impressive home run, nonetheless. One of many fans throughout New England are expecting catcher Jason Varitek to hit this season.

Varitek arrived at Red Sox spring training a proud new father (his first child, daughter Alexandra Rose, was born Jan. 14) and an established power-hitting, big-league catcher. He belted 20 homers and had 77 RBIs in his second season while catching 144 games, more than expected after catcher Scott Hatteberg went down after shoulder surgery last season. Stardom is on the way. Right.

"You can't get too caught up in that kind of stuff," Varitek said. "It's a new year, a new season." Added Red Sox manager Jimy Williams, "People talk about potential. His potential is what he did last season, 20 homers, 77 RBI, then you build from there. But I think getting the playing time last season, getting comfortable with the pitchers, having the pitchers get comfortable with him, that really helped him a lot."

It's easy to get giddy about Varitek when you look into his past. As a 12-year-old, he played for Altamonte Springs in the Little League World Series finals. Then came three-sport stardom at Lake Brantley High School, where Varitek's first love was football, though he soon realized he didn't have the speed to go with his 6-2, 220-pound frame.

At Georgia Tech, Varitek was a star among stars, playing alongside future big-leaguers Nomar Garciaparra, Darren Bragg and Jay Payton. "Don't forget about Rigby," Varitek said, referring to pitcher Brad Rigby of the Kansas City Royals. "We had a special group of guys, played hard, played together, had a lot of fun together."

Three times, Varitek earned All-America honors at Georgia Tech and was named Baseball America's college player of the year in 1993. In June of 1993, he was selected in the first round by the Minnesota Twins, but turned them down to stay at Georgia Tech for his senior season. It didn't hurt him. Seattle picked him in the first round a year later. In the Mariners' minor-league system, he made the adjustment from aluminum to wood bats. "It wasn't really that big of adjustment," Varitek said. "The bigger thing really was facing a quality arm night in and night out."

Seattle, still in the hunt for the AL West title in 1997 but desperate for some bullpen help, traded Varitek and pitcher Derek Lowe to the Red Sox for Heathcliff Slocumb on July 31. The trade ended up reuniting Varitek two former Georgia Tech teammates - Garciaparra and Bragg. He made his big-league debut in 1998, playing behind Hatteberg. Then came Hatteberg's injury in 1999, and Varitek found himself catching every day, learning how to work hitters, dealing with Pedro Martinez's 90-plus fastball one inning and Tim Wakefield's fluttering knuckler the next.

"It's something you can't really explain unless you've done it," Varitek said. "If you get the playing time, you get the chance to learn the hitters," said veteran pitcher Bret Saberhagen. "The biggest adjustments is getting the feel for how the pitchers want to work a batter. I think this year, he'll feel a lot more comfortable because he knows all the hitters throughout the league and now he can turn around and concentrate on the offensive end. Most good catchers though, first concentrate on receiving and working the hitters."

Teammate Mike Stanley, a former catcher who now plays first base, said Varitek came to him from time to time for advice last season. "His work ethic is probably one of the best on the team," Stanley said.