Varitek gets a Breather

July 8, 2008 | MLB.com | By Ian Browne

 

BOSTON -- When Jason Varitek's name is not in manager Terry Francona's lineup, it's usually safe to assume that Tim Wakefield is pitching. But Tuesday marked an occasion when Varitek was given a night off for different reasons.


With Varitek stuck in a prolonged slump and Wednesday's afternoon game following Tuesday evening's contest, Francona simply thought the time was right.


Naturally, Varitek didn't agree.


"I talked to Jason before [Monday's] game," said Francona. "The one thing I've now learned after almost five years is you can't ask 'Tek, because he wants to do whatever is right. In his mind, that's never saying 'No, I can't play.' So I told him, 'You know what 'Tek, I'm going to pick tonight or tomorrow, because you're not going to catch both.'"


Francona referenced the recent schedule more than Varitek's hitting woes in the reason for giving him the break.


"When you play a tough series and you travel late and the ups and downs, we played a lot of one-run games," Francona said. "We all felt more tired coming home. It's just reality. Your emotions are [high], you feel it sometimes after a game. It's up and down and it wears on you a little bit. I thought it was in his best interest. We'll sit him tonight. If we need to later, we'll put him in. Then we'll catch him tomorrow and we have a day off on Thursday."


Varitek took early batting practice before Tuesday's game and returned to the clubhouse a few hours before the game with his shirt drenched in sweat. That is the type of work ethic that has the Red Sox so confident that Varitek will break out at some point.


"I think Jason is in a slump. He'd tell you the same," said Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein. "He's had a really tough month. Do I think this is his true level of performance, the way he's performed lately? Not at all. I think he's going through a pretty dramatic example of the natural ups and downs of a season, and I think there are plenty of hits stored up for the second half of the season that we're going to benefit from. He's a worker, good times and bad, and that will help him grind out of this eventually. I'm sure nobody wants it to happen sooner than he does. Sometimes you have to be patient and let these things run their course."