...the moment of critical mass, the threshold, the boiling point.

Mike:
Thank you, Jason Varitek.

 

---

Doug:
The Captain of Captains...

 

---

Al:
Quadzilla!

 

---

Mike:
The only playah in the world to have played in the Little League World Series, the College World Series, the World Series, the Olympics and the World Baseball Classic.

 

---

Al:
"Photographs of his fight with Rodriguez occupy prominent spots in barrooms across New England."

 

---

Doug:
As it should.

 

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Mike:
Talk about your tipping points...

 

---

Mike:
"One if by land, two if by sea."
"Don't shoot until you see that whites of their eyes."
and
"We don't throw at .260 hittahs."

The 3 most memorable lines in Boston history.

 

---

Doug:
I've got the goosebumbs ovah heah.

 

---

Comments

[David Pinto]

I also like A-Rod's words before the fight. "F-U, F-U Mother F'er. You want a piece of me?"

[Bob]

"Monsieur Rick, what kind of a man is Captain Veritek?"

"Oh, he's just like any other man, only more so.”

[Rob in CT]

My Varitek alternate home jersey shall now also be retired to a place of honor in the man cave. Suitably framed.

Oh Captain, my Captain! Thank you for everything. We'll not see another like him.

[HunterStars]

I hate to see Tek go, even though it's the right time for him to hang it up.

Hard to believe that it's only Youk and Papi left from the '04 team...

[Rob in CT]

Hmm. I'd forgotten about catching the four no-hitters. Shoulda been five, if only Schilling had listened to him and not thrown that fastball with one out in the ninth in LA.

Impressive resume. Hall-worthy?

[Sweet Dick Willie]

Throwing a punch with your mask on. Classy.

[Steve in MD]

So long Tek, and thanks for '04 and '07!

[Natalie]

So, when are they going to announce his coaching position? I refuse to believe he is gone from the organization....

[vermonter]

Fuck you Sweetcock.

[TJ]

Yes, about as classy as Arod slapping the ball out of Arroyo's glove on the way to first base, or the time he yelled "I got it!" while running behind Toronto's third baseman to cause the guy to let it drop, or running directly across the pitchers mound with Braden on it while running back to the dugout versus Oakland. Yes, very classy.

Sorry to see you go Tek, hopefully you stick around and help with the coaching staff - I have a feeling they will need you.

[Beth]

I still blame myself for the Schilling non-no-hitter. I had gone over to my parents' for dinner and my dad was watching the game. I walked into the living room and said (incredibly stupidly), "Oh hey, Schill has a no-hitter working!" At nearly precisely the same moment, he gave up the ground ball. FML.

[Harwich Rich]

Not sure he's headed to the HOF.I'd vote him in first ballot but sportswriters are funny people ;O

[pseudosanity78]

My hubby is positively inconsolable at this news, he's never lived in the pre WS win Red Sox world, so he just doesn't understand why these things happen.

I keep trying to tell him that these things happen and we should be happy about the things Tek did for the team, counting up his accolades and reassuring him that Tek will return to the team in some capacity, I just know it. Also, I kept reiterating how rare it is these days to have a player who plays for one team his entire career and we were lucky to have him.
He's not hearing any of it, and I can't even cheer him up by promising tickets to games at this year's Olympics because IOC geniuses decided that baseball wasn't good enough for London and took it off the schedule...bastards.

[Kaz Menino]

My favorite Varitek moment is when he split the uprights to win it all.

[Steve in MD]

Oh, and a special thanks to Heathcliff Slocomb for pretending to be good enough to be traded for Tek and D-Lowe! Best. Trade. Ever.

[Lc]

Cya. Liked you. Times a bitch

[Hwatney]

Yeah well.

[LarryE]

So long, Tek. We'll miss you. It was time, but you gave us all you could, which was aty times great and at other times, very solid. You swung at too many high fastballs from the left side, but we'll overlook that.

I'm sure the Sox will make him a coach.

[COD]

Glad he is going out with class, and not in July after hitting .143 for somebody while base stealers are 39/40 against him.

[pat]

Will miss Tek..always the rock that seemed to hold the team together....thanks for the memories...we'll be telling the grandkids about "whenVaritek was behind the plate" <3

[soxinsix]

Thanks for the memories, Tek

[Bob]

"Grandpa, who was Jason Vertitek?"

"He was the catcher who led us out of the desert, Timmy, and gathered up manna and milk and honey along the way. He caught 100,000 consecutive games for the Sox, and his thighs were as thick as Sequoias. He rode a big red ox named Champ, and he swung a 50-pound bat made of pure agar. He once shoved his glove into A-Fraud's face and if you visit the Hall of Fame, you can still see the vinegar and water Fraudriguez left behind on the leather. But most of all, he was The Captain, Timmy, back when that meant something more than inputting the lineup card into the Umpbot's hard drive."

[pseudosanity78]

Well said, Bob, but you forgot the bit where his goatee became a renewable source of energy.

[ponch]

Anyone else getting a Bull Durham vibe?

[Jeff in NC]

One of my top few favorite players of all time. Anyone who says "thats stupid hes not that good not a hall guy look at his numbers" just does not understand the game of baseball even a little bit.

I used to say I felt privelaged to be around when Roger and Manny were in their prime - then they proved that was not really a privelage. HOWEVER, to be around for the Varitek years and all that entails is a thing to be cherished. Future fans will have to listen to us the way many of us listen to Pesky stories.

Another Redsox legend takes his place in the gallery.

[Chip]

Tek is the manager-in- waiting for the soon to develop Bobby Valentine recall vote.

[RSN IA]

Pretty sure it was "quad-zilla"

[h.b.]

Yes! Quadzilla. No wonder I couldn't find the previous strip about it. Duh.

[Larry Here]

I'm totally with Chip on that...