The Hall of Fame Case: Jason Varitek
The likes of Jeff Bagwell and Tim Raines -- and even first-timers like Vladimir Guerrero or Pudge Rodriguez -- shouldn't have too much trouble racking up National Baseball Hall of Fame votes. But there are plenty of other players on the 2017 ballot who require a little more voter-cajoling. Players that may not have the on-field resume, but deserve an impassioned Hall of Fame case nonetheless. Players like …
Jason Andrew Varitek. This year's class of first-time candidates on the official Hall of Fame ballot includes three of the most iconic catchers from the late '90s and '00s: Ivan Rodriguez, Jorge Posada and Varitek, or "Tek" for short. Although Tek may be likely to get the least support of this trio, it won't be due to his lack of an impact on baseball history or, more specifically, Red Sox history. Tek did help break a curse, after all. That fact alone may be enough for a bronze plaque in and of itself, but here are just a few more reasons voters ought to consider him on their ballots:
World Series? He's played in them all -- Little League, College, and Major League
Only three baseball players have played in the Little League World Series, College World Series and, the granddaddy of them all, the World Series: Ed Vosberg,
Another decade passed and Varitek once again found himself with an opportunity to win it all. This time, he and the 2004 Red Sox didn't have to settle for second place. They won the franchise's first title in 86 years and, just for good measure, Varitek and the Sox secured a second ring three years later.
Four No-Nos
Varitek was behind the plate for the second game of the 2001 season when teammate Hideo Nomo twirled a no-hitter against the Orioles. It was the first of four no-hitters Tek would catch. The others: Derek Lowe (4/27/02),
Pedro's Right-Hand Man
No catcher was behind the dish for Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez more often than Varitek, who was his teammate for the entirety of his seven-year stint in Boston. Martinez logged more than 2,800 Major League innings throughout his 18-year career and Tek was on the receiving end for 40 percent of them. When pitching to Varitek, Pedro logged a minuscule 2.45 ERA.
As you might expect, the two of them remain close, as evidenced by their embrace on the day of Pedro's number retirement ceremony at Fenway Park in 2015:
The Captain
Since 1940, four members of the Red Sox have received the honor of being named team captain: Jimmie Foxx (1940-1942), Carl Yastrzemski (1966, 1969-1983), Jim Rice (1985-1989), and Varitek (2005-2011). The three captains before Tek all went on to be enshrined in the Hall of Fame but, unlike Tek, none of those three helped the Red Sox win a title -- let alone two titles. Plus, he got to wear this super cool "C" on his uniform:
Red Sox Hall of Famer
Varitek spent all 15 seasons of his Major League career with the Red Sox and was the team's starting catcher for the World Series-winning squads in '04 and '07. This past season, the team inducted him into their Hall of Fame along with his longtime teammate Tim Wakefield.
Whether or not the Hall of Fame comes calling, it's only fitting that the Red Sox saw fit to honor the man who was at the center of so many incredible baseball moments from the '00s.
