Jason Varitek

Jason Andrew Varitek (born April 11, 1972), nicknamed "Tek", is an American professional baseball coach and former catcher.

He is the game planning coordinator, a uniformed coaching position, for the Boston Red Sox.

After being traded as a minor league prospect by the Seattle Mariners, Varitek played his entire 15-year career in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Red Sox.

Varitek played in the 1984 Little League World Series, leading his Altamonte Springs, Florida, team to victory in the United States Championship bracket in a 4–2 victory over Southport, Indiana.

Varitek was Lake Brantley High School's third baseman and relief catcher.

Brantley's first line catcher was Jerry Thurston, himself a pro prospect.

His Lake Brantley High School baseball team won the Florida State Championship his senior year in 1990 and was named the number one high school baseball team in the nation by a USA Today poll.

Varitek caught an MLB-record four no-hitters, a record which was later tied by Carlos Ruiz.

In 1990, the Patriots won the state championship.

In 1991 and 1993, Varitek played collegiate summer baseball in the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) for the Hyannis Mets.

Varitek was a member of the U.S. national baseball team at the 1992 Summer Olympics.

In 1993, he hit .371 for Hyannis, won the league batting title, and was named the league's MVP.

Varitek was drafted 21st overall in the first round by the Minnesota Twins in 1993, but opted to return for his senior year of college.

Varitek attended Georgia Tech, where he helped lead the Yellow Jackets baseball team to the 1994 College World Series title game, along with future Red Sox teammates Nomar Garciaparra and Jay Payton (they lost to the University of Oklahoma).

In 1994, he received the Baseball America College Player of the Year Award, and won the Dick Howser Trophy for National Collegiate Player of the Year.

Varitek graduated from Georgia Tech with a degree in management and is the only Tech baseball player to have his number (33) retired.

Following graduation, Varitek signed with agent Scott Boras and was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the first round of the 1994 amateur draft, with the 14th pick overall.

A pioneer of the loopholes in the draft process, Varitek signed with the St. Paul Saints in the independent Northern League before agreeing to terms with the Mariners, and consequently did not enter the Mariners' minor league system until 1995.

When he finally did join the franchise, Varitek was sent to the AA affiliate Port City Roosters where he first met pitcher and longtime teammate Derek Lowe.

He was traded with Lowe to the Red Sox during the 1997 season in return for reliever Heathcliff Slocumb, often cited as one of the best trades in the Red Sox's favor in recent history.

Varitek was called up for a single game on September 24, 1997, collecting a single in his only at bat.

During the 1998 season, Varitek split time with incumbent catcher Scott Hatteberg, playing in 86 games.

Varitek showed signs of things to come in the season, and with a strong spring training the following season, Varitek earned the starting catcher position.

The year 1999 was a breakout season for the catcher.

Varitek played in 144 games, hitting for a .269 average, with 20 home runs and 76 RBIs.

Varitek went 5–21 with 3 RBI in the 1999 ALDS against the Cleveland Indians and 4–20 with 1 RBI in the ALCS against the New York Yankees.

During the ALDS, he set a postseason record by scoring five runs in a single game.

Looking forward to building more success from the year before, the 2000 season was a disappointment offensively, producing a .248 average with only 10 home runs and 65 RBI, as the Red Sox failed to qualify for post-season play.

Prior to the 2001 season, Varitek signed a three-year, $14.9 million contract with Boston.

Varitek went on a hitting hot streak, having a .310 average at one point and on May 20, 2001, he homered three times in a single game before a broken left elbow injury sidelined the catcher for nearly the rest of the season, as Varitek dove to catch a foul ball on June 7.

The play went on to be a top Web Gem for the month of July 2001.

Varitek finished the season with a .293 average, seven home runs, and 25 RBI in 51 games played.

In 2002, he was inducted into the CCBL Hall of Fame.

Varitek returned to the Red Sox lineup full-time in the 2002 season.

The return did not go smoothly, however, as Varitek struggled to find himself at the plate.

A three-time All-Star and Gold Glove Award winner at catcher, as well as a Silver Slugger Award winner, Varitek was part of both the 2004 World Series and 2007 World Series Championship teams, and was viewed widely as one of the team's leaders.

In December 2004 he was named the captain of the Red Sox, only their fourth captain since 1923.

He was a switch-hitter.

Varitek is one of only three players, along with pitcher Ed Vosberg and outfielder Michael Conforto, to have played in the Little League World Series, College World Series, and Major League World Series.

He additionally participated in Olympic Baseball and the World Baseball Classic.