Varitek expresses confidence in Beckett and teammates

October 18, 2007 | MLB.com | By Ian Browne

 

Jason Varitek tries to calm down Jon Lester during Game 4 on Tuesday night. (Al Behrman/ AP)CLEVELAND -- Sitting in the proverbial captain's chair, tucked away in the corner of the Red Sox's clubhouse, Jason Varitek succinctly summed up what is ahead for his baseball team.


There was no dramatic desperation in his voice on Wednesday, instead just perspective, which he hopes can help the Red Sox dig their way out of this 3-1 deficit to the Indians in the American League Championship Series.


Varitek has no room in his life for the "woe is us" attitude. He was too focused on getting ready for Game 5.


"It's exciting that we still have a chance and that we're still playing baseball," said Varitek. "We have a chance to play a game tomorrow. All we can control is that opportunity tomorrow. We have a tremendous amount of confidence in Josh [Beckett], obviously, along with a lot of our other pitchers. We do have a chance and it starts tomorrow."


And the chance, reminded Varitek, is nothing a team should scoff at. After all, 27 other teams have already packed up for the offseason.


"I don't think anyone is down," said Varitek. "I looked at the good things. We have a chance. We have a chance to still play baseball. There's not but one other team right now, besides the team we're playing, that has a chance to play baseball. So we have one more chance."


Varitek was one of many Boston players who came to the field for an optional workout on Wednesday.


"Just practice, keep the blood flow going," Varitek said. "Me personally, I'm better when my body stays active. Just go out, take some BP, do some things to gear us up and get ready to play tomorrow."


To Varitek, the reasons the Red Sox have fallen behind in this series hardly resemble rocket science. And neither is the cure.


"We need to command the strike zone, both sides of the plate -- work ahead," said Varitek. "If we're not ahead, [we need to] be able to make pitches behind -- allow ourselves an opportunity to have a quality start."


Varitek has been in frequent communication with his teammates about ways to get momentum back.


"We have talked," said Varitek. "Not necessarily I have talked. Things have been talked about. We have to handle them in there. It has to start from in here and work its way out and then through our fans. We need to set the tone in here first."

Will Varitek -- as the team captain -- call a team meeting before Game 5?


"[I'll] try not to let the cat out of the bag here," said Varitek. "Yesterday a couple of people said some things, we have been constantly communicating throughout games: in the dugout, in the locker room; it's just a trickle effect. Now our results haven't been there, but now it's time for the results to start coming in our favor."