A Team Should Explore Making Jason Varitek A Manager In 2015
By Arthur Dowell
@a24dowell
Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
The season has come along quickly, and there are less than 50 games to be played for all Major League Baseball teams. The playoff picture is coming a little more to light as we see who the real contenders are as the pretenders start to drop off.
With the pretenders starting to drop out of the playoff picture, that means for some managers, their seats are heating up and they could be looking for a new job when the season is done. One former player who should be getting an opportunity to manage is former Boston Red Sox catcher, Jason Varitek.
Varitek served as the longtime captain of the Boston Red Sox and was a key member to the team that ended the franchise’s 86 year championship drought in 2004 and won another championship with the team in 2007. He was the genius behind the pitching, calling the game for all the great pitchers Boston has seen through his duration.
His knowledge was never questioned by some of the greatest including Pedro Martinez and Curt Schilling. The experience he gained during his playing days would come in great demand for a team in need of someone who is still in touch with the game and many of the players today as well as someone who is not known for being a push over.
Though Varitek does not have any major league coaching experience, it’s still not unheard of. Current St. Louis Cardinals manager Mike Matheny had no experience before his hiring and he managed to take the Cardinals to the 2013 World Series.
The Detroit Tigers did the same thing with Brad Ausmus. Both men stepped in after legends Tony La Russa and Jim Leyland stepped down from their positions. Varitek is still tied into the Red Sox franchise serving as an assistant to the general manager, and that too could be handy when it comes to developing younger players.
Many managers, including both Matheny and Ausmus are former catchers from the league. They are known for taking no time off between games, taking time to study the opposition, not only for their hitting, but to get an idea of the other teams’ hitters and get a feel for the game plan they will call with every pitcher.
Varitek serving as a captain for a major league team speaks for his dedication, and he is a born winner. After all, he is one of only two players in history to have played in the Little League World Series, College World Series and Major League Baseball World Series.
The man knows the game inside and out, and though it would be strange to see him representing a team not named the Red Sox, he should be getting a call from a major league team looking for a new manager in 2015. They should not be disappointed in the hiring.
Arthur Dowell is a Yankees writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @a24dowell, “like” him on Facebook, or add him to your network on Google.
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