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Port City Roosters official photo831 viewsTwo years before the Sox swapped Heathcliff Slocumb for Varitek and Derek Lowe, the catcher broke into pro ball for Seattle's Double-A affiliate in Port City, N.C.
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Port City Roosters614 viewsAfter spending his first pro season in Port City chasing balls to the backstop, Varitek repeated the level in 1996 and was named the Rooster's Player of the Year while leading all Southern League catchers in fielding percentage.
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Port City Roosters845 viewsDespite Varitek's grit, he realized that his future was likely with another club. Seattle had Dan Wilson - a backstop who anchored the Mariners pitching staff from 1994-2004 - entrenched as it's starter. For that reason, it came as little surprise that Varitek became a trading chip in 1997 as the Mariners made a desperate effort to find help for a bullpen that was hemmorrhaging runs at an historic rate.
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Port City Roosters595 viewsRed Sox general manager Dan Duquette liked Varitek, whom he had scouted - alongside Georgia Tech teammate Nomar Garciaparra - several times at Georgia Tech.
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1996 Port City Roosters365 views
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