Jason Varitek
Varitek in gear
October 8, 2007 | Boston Herald | By Rob Bradford
Jason Varitek hit .182, struck out four times in 11 at-bats and drove in just one run.
And the Red Sox couldn’t have won without him.
Besides a couple of home run-trotting Dominicans and a few hurlers intent on soaking in the postseason atmosphere, there might not have been anybody more valuable to the Sox’ American League Division Series sweep of the Los Angeles Angels than the captain.
Sometimes, partly because of those numbers compiled when the catcher’s gear comes off, Varitek’s value is diminished. But then a few reminders will pop up, whether it’s in the form of a playoff series win or the kind words of those in the know.
“Jason was flawless today,” winning pitcher Curt Schilling said following Sunday’s series-clinching victory in Anaheim, Calif. “That was as well a game called as I’ve ever had.”
Who knew?
Evidently, there was a clubhouse filled with champagne-soaked players and coaches who needed no such reminders.
Every once in a while, you will hear the stories of Varitek’s importance, such as the instance last year when Jonathan Papelbon shook off the catcher for the first time - 73 games into the season - and the result was a home run by the Philadelphia Phillies’ Chase Utley.
It seems that every pitcher on the Red Sox has a similar tale.
The stories might be bathed in generalities, such as Daisuke Matsuzaka’s translated analysis.
“He is very, very observant,” Matsuzaka said, “and that is the only thing I’d say about ’Tek.”
It was Varitek who was there to constantly remind his pitchers of what each Angels hitter offered. Kendry Morales (1-for-9) has a hard time hitting soft stuff away. Pitching Howie Kendrick (2-for-10) low in the strike zone is preferred. Even such seemingly minute details as understanding that Chone Figgins has a propensity to swing at the first pitch in his third at-bat - see the leadoff hitter’s sixth-inning swing and miss against Josh Beckett in Game 1 - didn’t go unnoticed.
When it came to a tight spot in Game 3, Varitek’s influence again factored into the equation. The Angels were threatening to score the game’s first run, loading the bases with two outs in the third inning, and Schilling had gone to 1-2 on Reggie Willits when the pitcher sought out his catcher’s advice.
Varitek suggested a fastball on the inner half of the plate. Schilling executed the pitch, Willits popped it up, and the catcher fittingly made a difficult catch to end the threat.
“It was just a brilliant, right-on-the-money call,” Schilling said.
And this is far from the first time Varitek has somewhat clandestinely made his presence felt in a playoff series, as Red Sox bullpen coach Gary Tuck can attest. Tuck was serving on Joe Torre’s staff in New York in 2004 when the Sox pulled off their historic comeback, during which time the Yankees started to notice Varitek altered things a bit.
“We were up three games to nothing and he changed the whole deal on how he’s pitching us,” Tuck said. “He changed the approach, and things turned around. Instead of throwing sliders away, he’s throwing front-end sliders. He was going to different patterns, different zones. He had guys off balance.”
Now, as a member of Terry Francona’s staff with the Sox, Tuck further recognizes Varitek’s importance.
“I think the biggest advantage we have is with Jason Varitek . He is a computer,” Tuck said. “You just have to make sure you input the right pieces. His memory and recall is second to none. It’s incredible what he does. . . . Just locate the pitch, and you’ve got a chance of getting the out.”
Eighty-one outs down, eight wins to go. And somehow you get the feeling Varitek will have a hand in securing a vast majority of the outs needed if the Sox are to win their second championship with the captain behind the plate.