Jason Andrew Varitek (/ˈværɪtɛk/; born April 11, 1972), nicknamed "Tek", is an American professional baseball coach and former catcher.

[8] Varitek attended Georgia Tech, where he helped lead the Yellow Jackets baseball team to the 1994 College World Series title game, along with future Red Sox teammates Nomar Garciaparra and Jay Payton (they lost to the University of Oklahoma).

When he finally did join the franchise, Varitek was sent to the AA affiliate Port City Roosters where he first met pitcher and longtime teammate Derek Lowe.

[17] Looking forward to building more success from the year before, the 2000 season was a disappointment offensively, producing a .248 average with only 10 home runs and 65 RBI, as the Red Sox failed to qualify for post-season play.

Varitek and the Red Sox entered the 2003 season with a renewed fire to reach the playoffs after missing in the previous three years.

Varitek instantly became a leader in the clubhouse which management tried to portray as working class, featuring new faces such as Kevin Millar, David Ortiz, Bill Mueller, and Todd Walker along with original players Trot Nixon and Lou Merloni.

The Red Sox earned a Wild Card berth and their first playoff appearance since 1999, before losing the 2003 ALCS to the Yankees.

Boston culminated the season with its first World Series championship in 86 years, after being the first MLB team to overcome a three games to none deficit, doing so in the ALCS against the Yankees.

[21][22] At the time, Varitek was one of just three captains in MLB (the others were Derek Jeter of the New York Yankees and Paul Konerko of the Chicago White Sox).

On July 18, 2006, Varitek played his 991st game at catcher for the Boston Red Sox, breaking Carlton Fisk's club record.

Varitek received a standing ovation from the sellout crowd at Fenway Park for a few moments before play resumed.

He was presented with a special award by Hall of Famer Carlton Fisk, who held the Boston club record with 990 career games caught before Varitek surpassed it.

Reports in the Boston Globe suggested that his agent, Scott Boras, was using New York Yankee catcher Jorge Posada's four-year, $52.4 million deal as a benchmark for negotiations.

He eventually became the backup catcher when the Red Sox acquired All-Star Victor Martinez on the July 31 trade deadline.

On December 2, 2010, Sports Illustrated reported that Varitek signed a one-year, $2 million deal to stay with the Red Sox for the 2011 season.

[33] With the addition of Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Varitek usually came off the bench during the 2011 season, playing in 68 games, hitting .221 with 11 home runs, 36 RBI, with a .300 on-base percentage.

After the 2011 season, Varitek became a free agent once again, and was offered a minor league contract, with an invitation to spring training, by the Red Sox.

On March 1, 2012, at Jet Blue Park in Fort Myers, Florida, Varitek officially announced his retirement.

[34] Ryan Lavarnway, fellow catcher and teammate of Varitek in 2011, listed the Boston veteran as his favorite player growing up.

[36][37] In that role, Cherington said Varitek would be involved in areas such as "major league personnel decisions, evaluations, and mentorship and instruction of young players.