Geez, Louise, WTF is happening to my Red Sox?
First, Heidi Watney takes off for Cali and the LA Lakers.
Then, Tim Wakefield retires his knuckleball.
Then, Bobby Valentine bans alcohol in the clubhouse!
Now, Jason Varitek has decided to retire!!
V-Tek is expected to hold a press conference on Thursday at Boston's spring training camp in Fort Myers, Florida.
Varitek spent his entire 15-year career with Boston.
He caught 4 no-hitters, made 3 All-Star teams won 2 World Series titles.
He caught no-hitters from Hideo Nomo(2001), Derek Lowe(2002), Clay Buchholz(2007) and Jon Lester(2008).
He broke Carlton Fisk's record for most games caught in a Red Sox uniform and finished with 1,488 games behind the plate. He hangs up the mask with a career average of .256, 193 home runs and 757 RBIs.
Since 1923, the list of Red Sox captains reads like this: Jimmie Fox, Carl Yastrzemski, Jim Rice and Jason Varitek. Pretty illustrious company!
Catchers and pitchers reported to Spring Training.
I'm more than ready for sunshine, green grass and baseball.
So, in honour of the first day of workouts, the HBWHOF is getting a jump-start on Spring with Ernie Harwell's annual rite:
Song of Solomon 2:11-12 – The Voice of the Turtle
For, lo, the winter is past,
The rain is over and gone;
The flowers appear on the earth;
The time of the singing of birds is come,
And the voice of the turtle is heard in our land.
Geez, just as Spring Training is kicking-in, Wake is hanging up the mitt.
Tim Wakefield is retiring after 19 years in the Big Leagues.
Wake pitched his first 2 seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates and the last 17 seasons with the Boston Red Sox.
His career record is 200-180 with a 4.41 ERA. His Red Sox stats are 186-168 with a 4.43 ERA. Only Roger Clemens and Cy Young had more wins (192) with Boston.
The HBWHOF loves knuckleball pitchers. Sadly, there aren't many left...
Hall of Fame catcher Gary Carter passed away today.
Carter was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor 10 months ago.
He was an 11-time All-Star and 3-time Gold Glove winner.
He hit .262 with 324 home runs and 1,225 RBIs with the Montreal Expos,
New York Mets, San Francisco Giants and the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Carter was the first player enshrined in Cooperstown wearing an Expos cap.
Gary Carter was 57 years old.
