My Absolute All Time Favorite Red Sock Retires

"As I walk away from this game, I can look at the man in the mirror and be proud that I gave everything I could to this game, this organization, my teammates," -Jason Varitek

In 1997 Varitek made his entrance into the Majors signing with the Boston Red Sox, and has played for the Red Sox ever since. Tonight Varitek announced that he will be retiring from the game of baseball after 15 seasons with his Boston family.

2012 would have made his 9th year as captain of this beloved team, and with his career coming to it's end- Varitek finished his run as Boston's all-time leader in games caught with 1,488. Among some of Varitek's other achievements, the three-time All-Star caught a MLB-record four no-hitters. Varitek helped lead his team towards ending its 86-year World Series title drought in 2004 overcoming the St. Louis Cardinals, and saw victory again winning the World Series in 2007 defeating the Colorado Rockies.

This switch hitter won the Gold Glove Award at catcher and the Silver Slugger Award. Varitek is one of only two players in the history of baseball to play in the World Championship game of the Little League World Series, the College World Series, and the Major League World Series. Adding to that he is the only player to also have experience playing on the Olympic Baseball team and the World Baseball Clinic.

Varitek has always been my absolute favorite Red Sock and I will greatly miss watching him rally his team together through the season. He is a fiercely loyal teammate, and the organization will be hard pressed to find a player to fill his shoes. No player could ever replicate what Jason Varitek meant not only to his team, but his fans.

Varitek couldn't have expressed his retirement in any better way,

"The hardest thing to do is to walk away from your teammates and what they've meant to you over the years."

& The MLB Knuckleballers are down to 2

After an incredible 19 seasons in the majors, 17 of those spent wearing a Boston Red Sox jersey, 45 year old Tim Wakefield announced his retirement today in a press conference held around 5pm ET. A phenomenal run, Wakefield finished his career with 200 wins, 186 of those wins for the Red Sox. Third all-time on the Red Sox wins list just 6 wins behind Roger Clemens and Cy Young who are tied for first. Wakefield helped the Boston Red Sox to win two world series in both 2004 and 2007. One of the only two knuckleballers still active in the MLB, Wakefield finished his career with an overall 4.41 ERA and 2,156 strikeouts.  


Wakefield is the longest tenured member of the sox, representing Boston sports pride since 1995. Recognized for his work both on and off the field, in 2010 Wakefield won the Roberto Clemente Award which is given annually to the MLB player who "best exemplifies the game of, baseball, sportsmanship, community involvement and the individual's contribution to his team." In regards to Wakefields tremendous charity efforts- it is important to mention his uninterrupted involvement with his partnership to the Franciscan Hospital for Children in Boston, brining patients to Fenway Park to share time with him on and off the field since 1998. 


Since Tim Wakefield first stepped onto Yawkey Way, and took to the mound wearing the Boston jersey at Fenway Park he has completely become a part of the infamous Red Sox tradition. Fenway Park won't be the same without him, and he will be greatly missed by his team. Jon Lester, starting pitcher for the Boston Red Sox was quoted today saying, "I don't think anybody could see him in any other uniform. I think that's why it kind of came down to this. He didn't want to pitch for any other team. I'm just glad that he did it the way he wanted to, and that's all that you can really ask for. It's kind of one of those bittersweet things and sad to see him go, but I'm glad he did it the way he wanted to." 


I couldn't have said it better myself, no Bostonian could ever imagine Wakefield in any other uniform- It's a sad reality that his career has come to its finality, but at least he's retiring a Red Sox. Like anything else Red Sox related though, Wakefield will remain a tradition for years and years to come as part of the Boston sports pride that surges through the city.