FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) - Jason Varitek spent 15 seasons as the stoic center of the Boston Red Sox, with an icy stare that never blinked and an iron jaw that never quivered. "My teammates," Varitek said, his voice shaking and his eyes welling, are "what I'm going to miss most. The hardest thing to do is to walk away from your teammates and what they've meant to you over the years."
Two world series, four no hitters, three All-Star games, 1,546 games (most for any Red Sox Catcher), in fact, first in home runs, hits, runs, rbi's, and white man flat-top hair cuts.
Imagery wise, there was the A-Rod shove, and the sight in 2004 and 2007 as Varitek jumped into the arms of Foulke and Papelbon respectively with all the excitement of a little leaguer who just won the league championship. In fact there was every comical meeting at the mound after another Papelbon save, Paps screaming and yelling, basically frothing at the mouth like a mad man after the sox won yet another game, Varitek calmly shaking his hand, same thousand yard stare he always seemed to have on.
But the one thing I'll remember most about Varitek? His song that played before every home game at bat, Kryptonite by 3 Doors Down. Released in 1999, fitting as it was the year Varitek took over full-time catching duties for good (playing about half the games in 1998), it had become a running joke over the past 5 or so years within my group of friends, each of us reporting back after attending a game to let the others know that Superman was indeed still Varitek's song.
Did the employee in charge of player music even bother asking if he wanted something else anymore? Had 'Tek really not downloaded ITunes or been to a Newbury Comics since 1999? Was the song also on repeat in his personal car (undoubtedly a Ford pickup truck, he's a Ford truck man if there ever was one)? Was his family sick of it? And most importantly, was he actually Superman?
I guess we won't get the answers now, and although I didn't get to watch his retirement speech live, I like to imagine just before he addressed the media, he marched onto the field one last time to his favorite tune. So long Tek, and thank you for all the hard work, the two world series', permanently putting A-Rod in his place, and for one inside joke that never got old. You'll be missed.
