Jason Varitek squares off against Troy Brown in the first round of Boston’s Biggest Sports Legend tournament.
Imagine it’s still July 24, 2004, and Jason Varitek has just shown Alex Rodriguez what a catcher’s mitt tastes like. Tek forever became a legend in Red Sox Nation at that moment. Forget the subsequent world championship, the contract extension and the accompanying “C” on his jersey. From the day he came to Boston from Seattle in a package with Derek Lowe, Varitek has been the one constant in the franchise’s jarring metamorphosis from losers to winners. The three-time All-Star has been the unheralded anchor of Boston’s pitching staff for 13 years, and he has caught the most games in franchise history, breaking Carlton Fisk’s record of 990 in 2006. He’s also the first Red Sox catcher to ever win a Silver Slugger and one of two players in baseball history to have played in a Little League World Series championship game, a College World Series championship game and an MLB World Series.
Troy Brown, the Patriots’ all-time leader in receptions with 557 career catches, has been a Patriot in every sense of the word since 1993, when the team took him 198th overall in the draft. Brown saw five Super Bowls, won three rings and owns the Patriots’ postseason record with 58 catches in 20 playoff games. In Super Bowl XXXVI against the Rams, Brown totaled a game-high six receptions and a team-high 89 yards. He also caught a key 23-yard pass late in the fourth quarter, getting out of bounds with 21 seconds remaining on a drive that ended with Adam Vinatieri kicking a game-winning, 48-yard field goal as time expired. Following that win — the Pats’ first Super Bowl win in franchise history — Brown was voted to his only Pro Bowl after recording 101 catches during the season for 1,199 yards and five touchdowns. In his 15-year career with New England, Brown served as wide receiver and punt returner, and recorded three interceptions as a defensive back in 2004. Not bad for an eighth-rounder.
« 7. Robert Parish vs. 10. Curt Schilling | 1. Bobby Orr vs. 16. Harry Agganis »
