FORT MYERS, Fla. –– Bobby Valentine never managed Jason Varitek.
But from his vantage point, the Red Sox manager respected all the assets the longtime captain brought to the organization throughout his 15 years of service, a tenure that will come to an end when Varitek announces his retirement Thursday.
"He was everything that you wanted a guy that wore a 'C' to be," Valentine said, referring to Varitek's role as team captain. "He was a man’s man. He was a big hitter when needed. He was a leader of a pitching staff."
For Valentine, there was one image of Varitek that truly embodied his toughness. Unprompted, Valentine laughed at how the catcher brawled with Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez in a 2004 game.
"He was able to beat up Alex," Valentine said. “All that stuff was good stuff.”
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