Jason Varitek doesn’t care where it comes from. If there’s any piece of information or data point that can help his players succeed, he’s interested in learning about it. That’s nothing new for the longtime player-turned-coach, who back in his playing days was studious, even in his downtime.  

“While he was losing money playing cards [on road trips], he had his scouting report at the same time,” said Red Sox manager Alex Cora, who played with Varitek in Boston from 2005-08. “He’s relentless in what he does. One of the best catchers I [have] ever played with, and for him to be part of the day-in, day-out process that we have has been a plus.”  

Varitek has been part of the Red Sox's organization since his first game in 1997. In 2012, after retiring as a player, Varitek began working as a special assistant with the team. Last season, he was also the catching coach, but in 2021, he has taken on a formal role on the coaching staff for the first time as a game planning coordinator.  

Primarily, this role entails working with catchers to prepare for individual hitters and strategize adjustments when needed. His work is conducted in concert with Cora, pitching coach Dave Bush, bullpen coach Kevin Walker, catching coordinator Chad Epperson and more.  

In other words, it takes a village to process data and observations, and then disseminate that to the players on the field. Varitek is just one piece of Boston’s strategic puzzle, but he’s proving to be an important one.  

An example of Varitek’s influence is the one-knee stance that catchers Christian Vazquez and Kevin Plawecki have deployed. Varitek spent time “going through the metrics” to determine its efficacy before he and Epperson introduced the technique last spring.

“Not [as] a mandate, but something that [if] you’re interested in it, we’ll work in all capacities and all stances, and find out what works best for you,” Varitek said. “It’s not the same for everybody. Not every hitting mechanism works for every hitter. You morph it and see guys’ strengths and stuff, but there’s some attributes of [the one-knee approach] that take a little pressure off that position.”  

Varitek’s blend of game experience and analytical acumen make him a valued member of Boston’s staff. Someday, it might help him fulfill his goal of becoming a manager, too.  

“I said that in Spring Training. I’ll say it again today, and I’ll say it tomorrow,” Cora said. “He can run a team. He can run a team, and he can impact a team. I’m glad that he’s still with us here. Obviously, I know he has his goals. We talked about it last year a little bit. And for him to become a big league manager, he really wants to.  

“But at the same time right now, he wants this organization to win a World Series … He’s a big part of what we’re trying to accomplish.”