FORT MYERS, Fla. — It was April 2, 1998, when Jason Varitek got his first start at catcher for the Red Sox. On the mound that day in Oakland was Tim Wakefield, whose knuckleball gave the young catcher a serious test right off the bat.
"I don't know if I was ever more nervous than then," Varitek said Sunday, not long after catching a throwing session by Wakefield in camp.
With Victor Martinez gone and Doug Mirabelli's police escort nowhere to be found, Varitek will once again figure into the mix when Wakefield is on the mound. He has caught Wakefield 147 times in their careers, but just one inning since 2005.
Given the fact that Wakefield will be used primarily out of the bullpen and manager Terry Francona doesn't want to have to think about making changes behind the plate each time he calls on the right-hander, it's imperative.
"That was the one guy we always kept him away from," Francona said. "We want both catchers to have the ability to catch Wake so that we don't feel like we're botched in if he comes out of the bullpen or something like that."
Francona doesn't see Varitek, or Jarrod Saltalamacchia for that matter, having any issues with Wakefield's dancing deliveries.
"When he was the everyday catcher he was catching so much that it was just the obvious day to give him off," Francona said. "And if you're not catching him, it's hard to do. [Varitek] can catch anything. That won't be an issue, it's just repetition."
Wakefield owns a 4.67 ERA in 476 innings throwing to Varitek, giving up three runs in 5 2/3 innings that first time they ever matched up. The knuckleballer did not throw to Saltalamacchia last season.
