Jason Varitek

Jason Varitek

Jason Andrew Varitek ( /ˈværɨtɛk/; born April 11, 1972) is a former American professional baseball catcher. After being traded as a minor league prospect by the Seattle Mariners, Varitek played his entire major league career for the Boston Red Sox. A three-time All-Star and Gold Glove Award winner at catcher, and a Silver Slugger Award winner, Varitek was part of both the 2004 World Series and 2007 World Series Championship teams. 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 two players in the history of the sport to have played in the World Championship game of the Little League World Series, in the National Championship game of the College World Series, and in the Major League World Series (Ed Vosberg is the other). Varitek stands alone as the only baseball player in history to have played in the three aforementioned World Series along with playing in either the Olympic Baseball team or in the World Baseball Classic (he actually played in both the Olympics and the World Baseball Classic). 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. He allowed 992 stolen bases, more than any active major league catcher at the time of his retirement.