Jason Varitek: Difference between revisions
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==Early professional career== |
==Early professional career== |
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Varitek played two seasons in the [[Cape Cod League]] with the Hyannis Mets. In 1993 he won hit .371 while winning both the league batting championship and MVP. He was drafted 21st overall in the first round by the [[Minnesota Twins]] in 1993{{ref|twins}}, but opted to return for his senior year of college. Varitek was drafted by the [[Seattle Mariners]] in the first round of the 1994 amateur draft, with the 14th pick overall{{ref|CapeHOF}}. A pioneer of the loopholes in the draft process, Varitek signed with the [[St. Paul Saints]] in the independent [[Northern League (baseball)|Northern League]]{{ref|draft}} before agreeing to terms with the Mariners, and consequently did not enter the Mariners' [[minor league]] system until [[1995 in sports|1995]]. When he finally did join the franchise, Varitek was sent to the AA affiliate [[Port City Roosters]] where he first meets longtime teammate Derek Lowe. He was traded with [[pitcher]] [[Derek Lowe]] to the Red Sox during the [[1997 in sports|1997]] season, in return for [[relief pitcher|reliever]] [[Heathcliff Slocumb]], often cited as one of the best trades in the Red Sox's favor in recent history. |
Varitek played two seasons in the [[Cape Cod League]] with the Hyannis Mets. In 1993 he won hit .371 while winning both the league batting championship and MVP. He was drafted 21st overall in the first round by the [[Minnesota Twins]] in 1993{{ref|twins}}, but opted to return for his senior year of college. Varitek was drafted by the [[Seattle Mariners]] in the first round of the 1994 amateur draft, with the 14th pick overall{{ref|CapeHOF}}. A pioneer of the loopholes in the draft process, Varitek signed with the [[St. Paul Saints]] in the independent [[Northern League (baseball)|Northern League]]{{ref|draft}} before agreeing to terms with the Mariners, and consequently did not enter the Mariners' [[minor league]] system until [[1995 in sports|1995]]. When he finally did join the franchise, Varitek was sent to the AA affiliate [[Mobile BayBears|Port City Roosters]] where he first meets longtime teammate Derek Lowe. He was traded with [[pitcher]] [[Derek Lowe]] to the Red Sox during the [[1997 in sports|1997]] season, in return for [[relief pitcher|reliever]] [[Heathcliff Slocumb]], often cited as one of the best trades in the Red Sox's favor in recent history. |
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==Major league career== |
==Major league career== |
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Revision as of 12:46, 13 May 2006
Jason Andrew Varitek (born April 11, 1972 in Rochester, Michigan), is a switch-hitting catcher, and captain of the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball.
Little League career
Varitek played in the 1984 Little League World Series. His Altamonte Springs, Florida, team lost in the finals to Seoul, South Korea, by a score of 6-2[1].
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High school career
While in high school, Varitek was a third baseman and catcher for the Lake Brantley High School baseball team in Altamonte Springs, FL. The Patriots' usual catcher was Jerry Thurston, himself a major league prospect. In 1990, the Patriots won the state championship[2] and were later named as the number one team in the nation, by USA Today.
Collegiate career
Varitek then went on to Georgia Tech, where he played with future teammates Nomar Garciaparra, Darren Bragg and Jay Payton[3], and took part in the 1992 Summer Olympics. After his 1994 senior season, Varitek won three collegiate baseball awards: the Dick Howser Trophy, the Golden Spikes Award and the Rotary Smith Award, each recognizing the outstanding collegiate baseball player in America. He was the first baseball player in school history to have his number retired.
Early professional career
Varitek played two seasons in the Cape Cod League with the Hyannis Mets. In 1993 he won hit .371 while winning both the league batting championship and MVP. He was drafted 21st overall in the first round by the Minnesota Twins in 1993[4], but opted to return for his senior year of college. Varitek was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the first round of the 1994 amateur draft, with the 14th pick overall[5]. A pioneer of the loopholes in the draft process, Varitek signed with the St. Paul Saints in the independent Northern League[6] before agreeing to terms with the Mariners, and consequently did not enter the Mariners' minor league system until 1995. When he finally did join the franchise, Varitek was sent to the AA affiliate Port City Roosters where he first meets longtime teammate Derek Lowe. He was traded with pitcher Derek Lowe to the Red Sox during the 1997 season, in return for reliever Heathcliff Slocumb, often cited as one of the best trades in the Red Sox's favor in recent history.
Major league career
Varitek was called up for a single game in 1997 and played 86 games in 1998. He became the Red Sox full-time catcher in 1999, playing 144 games in that season. In 2001 he was sidelined for the season with a broken elbow after he dove to catch a foul ball on July 7. The play went on to be a top Web gem for the month of July in 2001.
In 2004, Varitek compiled a career-high .296 batting average with 18 home runs and 73 RBI as his team won its first World Series victory in 86 years. At the end of the year, Varitek became a free agent and signed a 4-year, $40-million contract with the Red Sox.
After Varitek's re-signing, the Red Sox appointed him to be the third team captain in franchise history, after Carl Yastrzemski (1969-83) and Jim Rice (1986-89). There are currently only three other captains in Major League Baseball, Derek Jeter of the New York Yankees, Paul Konerko of the Chicago White Sox, and Mike Sweeney of the Kansas City Royals.
According to baseball media, Varitek is valued as a catcher for his ability to work with pitchers, using scouting reports and video footage to plan each game. He also won his first Gold Glove Award and first Silver Slugger award in 2005.
Through the end of the 2005 season, Varitek has a career batting average of .272 with 119 home runs and 488 RBI.
In 2006, Varitek represented the United States in the World Baseball Classic. He made the most of his playing time, hitting a grand slam home run against Team Canada allowing Team USA to move from 8-2, to 8-6, Team Canada however, was able to hang on to the lead in the upset loss.
Awards, Records, and Achievements
Georgia Tech Records[7]
- Most career games played (253)
- Most career runs scored (261)
- Most career base hits (351)
- Most career doubles (82)
- Most home runs in a single game (3t)
- Most career home runs (57)
- Most career RBI's (251)
- Most career total bases (610)
- Most walks in a season (76)
College Awards and Achievements
- His number 33 is only number ever retired by Georgia Tech
- Baseball America's 1993 player of the year
- Named by Baseball America to "All-Time College All-Star Team"[8]
- 1994 Golden Spikes Award
- 1994 Rotary Smith Award
- 1994 Dick Howser Trophy
- Three time consensus All-American (1992, '93, '94) [9]
- Inducted into Georgia Tech Hall of Fame[10]
- 1994 College World Series runner-up
Early Profesional Career
- Inducted into Cape Cod League Hall of Fame
- 1993 Cape Cod Baseball League's Pat Sorenti Award as the League MVP
- 1993 Thurman Munson Award with the highest batting average (.371)[11]
MLB Career
- Two time All-Star (2003 and 2005), one time starter (2005)
- 2005 Silver Slugger Award winner
- 2005 Gold Glove winner
Notable Red Sox Milestones and Achievements
- Became 26th player to hit 100 homeruns for club on April 14, 2005
- First Red Sox catcher to ever win Silver Slugger
- Third Red Sox catcher to win a Gold Glove (Carlton Fisk and Tony Pena)
- First Red Sox at any position to win Gold Glove since Pena in 1991
Trivia
- In the 2004 World Series, Varitek batted against the St. Louis Cardinals' Jason Marquis, the first time two former Little League World Series participants have faced each other in the Major League Baseball World Series. Varitek had played for Altamonte Springs, Florida in 1984.
- In the 2004 World Series, Jason became the second player to appear in the Little League World Series Altamonte Springs, Florida 1984 runner-up, 1994 NCAA Div I runner-up Georgia Tech, and Major League Baseball World Series Champion Boston Red Sox 2004. Ed Vosberg was the first player to complete this triple.
- Varitek is the only player to have competed in the Little League World Series, College World Series, MLB World Series, on the Olympic Baseball team, and in the World Baseball Classic.
- Varitek lives in the neighborhood of Waban in Newton, Massachusetts.
- His agent is Scott Boras
References
- ^ History of Florida State Champions
- ^ The Sporting News History of Little League World Series
- ^ Georgia Tech letterman by name
- ^ Georgia Tech all-time records
- ^ Georgia Tech Archives
- ^ Varitek, Garciaparra Inducted Into Cape Cod Baseball Hall of Fame
- ^ Varitek, Seattle finally agree; MLB averts lawsuit
- ^ Inside Baseball at the College World Series
- ^ Jason Varitek player bio from RedSox.com
External links
- 2003 American League All-Stars
- 2005 American League All-Stars
- 2004 Boston Red Sox World Series Championship Team
- Boston Red Sox players
- Seattle Mariners players
- Major league catchers
- 1972 births
- Living people
- People from Michigan
- 2006 World Baseball Classic players of the United States
- Gold Glove Award winners
- Olympic competitors for the United States
- Baseball players at the 1992 Summer Olympics
- Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets men's baseball players