Jason Varitek Retirement Speech Very Emotional End to Red Sox Career
'The most difficult decision...in my career,' Outgoing Catcher Says
Jason Varitek bid an emotional farewell to his baseball career with the Boston Red Sox on Thursday, with the MLB star occasionally dabbing his eyes with a handkerchief.
The three-time All-Star Gold Glove Award winner and former captain of the team retired from his coveted position with his wife and three daughters by his side.
The long-time Red Sox catcher has been with the team for the last 15 years. Varitek has been one of the best players on the Red Sox team and has served as one of the best catchers in the league. He was moved to the position of team captain in 2004.
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"I am here to officially announce that I am retiring as a player." Vartiek said. "My decision to retire wasn't something that I took lightly in any sense of the word. This has probably been the most difficult decision I have made in my career."
Coaches, training staff, family and friends attended Varitek's emotional announcement at the team's spring training facility in Fort Myers, Fla.
Varitek was known in the MLB for his stoic presence became emotional during his speech, but ultimately proud to announce that he will end his career where he began it.
"I retire a Red Sox," the 39-year-old catcher who helped led the team to two World Series titles said.
"My teammates are what I'm going to miss most. The hardest thing to do is to walk away from your teammates and what they've meant to you over the years," an emotional Varitek said.
"You have not only been our captain, you have been our rock. You have personified the rugged, aggressive, fiercely competitive style of play that has characterized our club during your tenure," Red Sox Chairman Tom Werner told Varitek at the training center.
View the video below to watch Vartiek bid his farewell to the Red Sox.
