Everyone loves a puppy, and in Boston, every fan loves Jason Varitek.
His deadline to accept or decline the Red Sox’ contract offer is swiftly approaching, and soon all will know if the captain is returning for his 13th season. Boston fans want the stalwart catcher back in a bad way, predicting the pitching staff will crumble without him and insisting last season’s subpar batting average was a direct result of the demise of his marriage. The Sox are interested, but only on their terms. The Boston brass will not bend or break to assure Tek’s return, and regardless of the contract’s details, a return would be advantageous for both parties.
A team of the Red Sox’ stature, one with expectations and a payroll higher than most organizations, should under no circumstances begin the 2009 season with platooning catchers Josh Bard and A Player to be Named Later. If Varitek resigns, the stability behind the plate remains, and Boston can retain the prospects potentially traded for that aforementioned Player to be Named. For Tek, he would play for a contender while having the opportunity to redeem himself for last year’s offensive struggles and then return to the market in a future offseason when the opinion of his game may be higher and the economic climate sunnier.
If Varitek declines, he will undoubtedly spend the twilight of his career with another team. Rest assured Red Sox Nation, the Earth will continue spinning. While many fans cannot imagine an Opening Day when Tek no longer dons a Boston uniform, let me warn you, that day is looming. And if it happens sooner rather than later, so be it. Sometimes, it’s best to just let go.
Bidding adieu to a beloved local sports star can be a barbaric torture. It’s similar to putting your old, sick dog to sleep in an odd way, and I’m obviously not suggesting the euthanizing of Jason Varitek. This is simply a metaphor, and it's immoral and illegal for that matter. Saying goodbye is a decision that years ago seemed unconscionable. It’s sad, and it hurts, but deep down in places you don’t talk about at parties, you know it’s the right thing to do. You keep hoping that tomorrow he’ll be better. He’ll be his old self again (and when I say "him", "he" or "he'll", it’s because I’m talking about a dog, and everyone knows cats are girls, dogs are boys, and when they die, they all go to Heaven). Time is cruel and harsh, but honest, and soon you’ll have a new dog. While they will never be able to replace your old, faithful friend, new memories will be made, and one day you’ll be able to look back on Fido and think about the good times when he wasn’t a shell of his former self and could hit a breaking ball.
My morbid tangent aside, it’s common to believe athletes live these sports clichés where they focus solely on the moment and are always in that mystical place called “the zone”. Still, it’s nothing but naiveté to assume something like a divorce would not affect his play. Varitek is human. He feels feelings. I’m not making excuses or insinuating his mind was on anything other than the baseball careening towards him last season, but I have to believe going through the tribulations of a divorce must wear on a man. What I am insinuating is that regardless of his personal life, Tek is still getting old and his better playing days are behind him.
If Theo & Co. based their level of interest in the aging catcher exclusively on the opinions of the team’s fervent fan base, Varitek would have received the contract his evil-genius agent Scott Boras thought he would receive after declining arbitration. Luckily, this is not how decisions are made. I want Tek back, and if you’re a Sox fan, you probably do, too. But take solace in the fact that if he doesn’t, it’s all going to be OK. A new puppy will be peeing on the floor and chewing your furniture in no time.
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Keywords: Boston Red Sox
