Jason Varitek, Boston Red Sox Catcher, to Retire
Red Sox catcher and captain Jason Varitek will announce his retirement soon, according to reports by the Boston Globe.
The 15-year veteran did not show up to Red Sox spring training in Fort Meyers, Fla., leading many to believe he would not be coming back. Varitek is expected to officially announce his retirement on Thursday.
Before going pro, Varitek also made his mark at Georgia Tech, where he helped lead the Yellow Jackets to the College World Series title game with teammate (and future Red Sox short stop) Nomar Garciaparra.
Varitek is the only Georgia Tech baseball player to have his jersey number, 33, retired.
After being drafted by Seattle in the first round of 1994's draft, Varitek was traded to Boston in 1997. He played his entire major league career with the Red Sox, catching four no-hitters, making three All-Star teams, and winning two World Series.
Varitek was also named the Red Sox captain at the end of the 2004 season. This was only the third time the Red Sox had named a captain since the 1923 season, putting Varitek in the position previously held by Boston greats Carl Yastrzemski and Jim Rice.
In addition to being a leader in the clubhouse, Varitek was part of the religious center of the Red Sox. In a 2005 article, the Boston Globe detailed how Varitek and eleven other Red Sox players were all evangelical Christians.
One of those evangelical teammates, pitcher Tim Wakefield, also announced his retirement earlier this offseason.
Although Varitek was not as outspoken about his faith as teammates Curt Schilling, J.D. Drew, or Bill Mueller, he frequently joined with other evangelicals on the team for pregame prayers and gave back to the people of Boston through community service.
