Editing Jason Varitek (section)

===1997&ndash;2004===

Varitek was called up for a single game on September 24, 1997, collecting a single in his only at-bat. During the 1998 season, Varitek split time with incumbent catcher [[Scott Hatteberg]], playing in 86 games.<ref name="bbr">{{cite web|title=Jason Varitek Statistics and History|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/v/varitja01.shtml|website=[[Baseball-Reference]]|publisher=[[Sports Reference]]}}</ref> Varitek showed signs of things to come in the season, and with a strong [[spring training]] the following season, earned the starting catcher position.

The year {{Baseball year|1999}} was a breakout season for the catcher. Varitek played in 144 games, hitting for a .269 average with 20 [[home run]]s and 76 [[Run batted in|RBI]]s.<ref name=bbr/> Varitek went 5–21 with 3 RBI in the [[1999 American League Division Series|1999 ALDS]] against the Cleveland Indians<ref name="bbr"/> and 4–20 with one RBI in the [[American League Championship Series|ALCS]] against the [[New York Yankees]].<ref name="bbr"/> During the ALDS, he set a postseason record by scoring five runs in a game.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Golen |first1=Jimmy |title=POSTSEASON BASEBALL: BoSox blowout evens series |url=https://products.kitsapsun.com/archive/1999/10-11/0033_postseason_baseball__bosox_blowou.html |access-date=21 October 2020 |work=[[Kitsap Sun]] |agency=[[Associated Press]] |date=October 11, 1999}}</ref>

Looking forward to building more success upon the year before, the 2000 season was a disappointment offensively, producing a .248 average with only 10 home runs and 65 RBI, as the Red Sox did not qualify for post-season play.<ref name="bbr"/> Prior to the {{Baseball year|2001}} season, Varitek signed a three-year, $14.9 million contract with Boston. Varitek went on a hitting hot streak, having a .310 average at one point and on May 20, 2001, he homered three times in a single game before a broken left elbow injury sidelined the catcher for nearly the rest of the season, as Varitek dove to catch a foul ball on June 7. The play went on to be a top [[Web gem|Web Gem]] for the month of July 2001. Varitek finished the season with a .293 average, seven home runs, and 25 RBI in 51 games played.<ref name="bbr"/>

Varitek returned to the Red Sox lineup full-time in the {{Baseball year|2002}} season. The return did not go smoothly, however, as Varitek struggled to find himself at the plate. Despite not reaching his full offensive potential,<ref name="bbr"/> pitchers and coaches alike began to notice how much Varitek's preparation and knowledge of the game was helping the pitchers. His study habits and extra hours of work with pitchers would soon become his defining attribute. Varitek and the Red Sox entered the {{Baseball year|2003}} season with a renewed fire to reach the playoffs after missing in the previous three years. Varitek instantly became a leader in the clubhouse which management tried to portray as working class, featuring new faces such as [[Kevin Millar]], [[David Ortiz]], [[Bill Mueller]], and [[Todd Walker]] along with original players [[Trot Nixon]] and [[Lou Merloni]]. The 2003 season was Varitek's best to date and he earned his first All-Star selection after the fans voted him in with the [[All-Star Final Vote]]. He was hitting .296 with 15 home runs and 51 RBI<ref>{{cite web|title=2003 Varitek, Jenkins are All-Stars|url=http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/mlb/news/mlb_news.jspymd=20030709&content_id=417344&vkey=allstar2003&fext=.jsp}}{{Dead link|date=May 2021}}</ref> going into the All-Star break and finished the season off with a solid .273 average, 25 home runs and 85 RBI,<ref name="bbr"/> all career highs. The Red Sox earned a [[MLB Wild Card|Wild Card]] berth and their first playoff appearance since 1999, before losing the 2003 ALCS to the Yankees.

In {{Baseball year|2004}}, Varitek compiled a career-high .296 [[batting average (baseball)|batting average]] with 18 [[home run]]s and 73 [[Run batted in|RBI]]. During a nationally televised game on July 24, Varitek shoved his glove into the face of the Yankees' [[Alex Rodriguez]] after Rodriguez was hit by a pitch and gestured towards pitcher [[Bronson Arroyo]], causing a bench-clearing brawl. Though he was ejected (along with Rodriguez) from the game, the Red Sox, spurred on by the fight, came back to win 11–10.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Shaughnessy|first=Dan|date=July 25, 2004|title=Red Sox win slugfest with Yankees after brawl|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2004/07/25/red-sox-win-slugfest-with-yankees-after-brawl/fqUMuoJC7mdZUW93gHKy0J/story.html|access-date=May 17, 2021|website=[[Boston Globe]]|language=en-US}}</ref> It is also sometimes regarded as the turning point in the Red Sox' season, as they posted MLB's best record after the melee. Boston culminated the season with its [[Curse of the Bambino|first World Series championship in 86 years]], after being the first MLB team to overcome a three games to none deficit, doing so in the [[2004 American League Championship Series|ALCS]] against the Yankees. Varitek went 3-for-4 in the crucial Game 6 (the "Bloody Sock game" of the ALCS which Boston won 4-2).<ref>{{Cite web|date=October 19, 2004|title=2004 American League Championship Series (ALCS) Game 6, Boston Red Sox at New York Yankees, October 19, 2004|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA200410190.shtml|access-date=February 19, 2020|website=[[Baseball-Reference]]|language=en}}</ref>

At the end of the year, Varitek became a [[free agent]] and signed a four-year, $40-million contract with the Red Sox.<ref name="40Mdeal">{{cite news|date=December 24, 2004|title=Varitek to make $40 million over four years|work=[[ESPN]]|agency=[[Associated Press]]|url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/news/story?id=1953052|access-date=February 3, 2009}}</ref>