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Jason Varitek: ‘Quit looking at their faults’ and ‘get behind’ Josh Beckett and Jon Lester 07.22.12 at 1:15 am ET
By Mike Petraglia


Jason Varitek doesn’t live in a vacuum. He knows full well that Jon Lester and Josh Beckett have been bearing the brunt of frustration from Red Sox fans.

The man who knows the two struggling Red Sox pitchers better than anyone in the current clubhouse has a message for the fans: Show the two pitchers love – not hate – and they will respond in kind.

“I’m just a believer that they need, they need Red Sox Nation to get behind them, quit looking at the faults,” Varitek said. “What hasn’t happened, hasn’t happened [yet]. They have a chance not only at the wild card but they’re still [9 1/2 games] out [behind the Yankees]. A lot of baseball left. They make a difference, and have made a difference, both positively and negatively. If they gear that toward the positive side, they can propel this team because this is a good team.

“I don’t think they’re that far off. Start before last, Josh had a great outing. You live in the moment, OK, he hasn’t had one of those in a quite a while, if I’ve been paying attention enough. But, to do that, and to live in that [bad] moment doesn’t allow them to get behind a Josh for his next outing because you live in his next outing because you can’t do anything about the one before.”

Varitek did not sound like someone concerned that the Red Sox are now 13-22 in the 35 games started by the two would-be aces of the staff.

“I think they’re fine,” Varitek said. “It’s just a matter of them executing what they can do. Sometimes, all of us face difficulty. There’s time. Lester has got probably another 10-plus starts left this year, same with Josh. I think they perform pretty well in a lot of outings. But to live with one or two outings, or one out of three or whatever it is … just get behind them.”

What was interesting Saturday night was the admission by Varitek that not being in the clubhouse on an every day basis has reduced his credibility to say something direct.

“My advice came most when I’m able to do what I do and see from a certain angle and do certain things,” Varitek said. “You’re not completely involved to allow yourself to give that same advice. You have to be in tact, more involved. You can always help with a personal relationship with people and what they’re going through. It’s about being real with people and the communication.”

Varitek believes this team is still a good team, capable of making a quality playoff run in the final two months of the season.

“I think this is a good Red Sox team,” Varitek said. “They’ve faced a lot. They’ve faced a lot of adversity, missing a lot of pieces, parts throughout everything. They’ve pitch well. They have the ability to do what they did the other night. They stayed in the game pitching and can win a game late. They’re going to have plenty of offense, especially when David gets back and it’s a good team.”

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  • http://www.facebook.com/gpearsoll Gregory Pearsoll

    Varitek has been drinking too much of the ownership’s Kool-Aid.. a bad series vs. the Rangers and Yankees will make it near impossible for the Sox to catch up, especially considering how tight it is in the AL Wild Card.

  • Shane from Maine

    Full agreement, the fans have become an almost extra negative variable with this years team. Lets get behind the players for a change and beleive, all the hating hasn’t done much good. I unerstand being bitter about last year..contracts..etc, but the moral of the story is thats now a long time ago, we’re midway through the season do we really want this team to fail…?

  • Theo’s Folly

    Jason…its not 2004 and its not 2007…..its 2012…..

  • Theo’s Folly

    The fans at the park could not possibly be more behing the players..they regularly root for players loudly that have been failing miserably for 1 year now…you know the Becketts, Lesters…etc.  My point is you see stuff on the boards here and on talk radio , but at the park the support is outstanding.

  • The Oddsbreaker

    I was listening to Mut & Lou Friday before the start of Blue Jays series and was actually excited that The Sox where about to turn the corner.Lou so positively suggested that they should sweep Toronto and thinking Lou knew something, I bought it. Then the team took over and spoiled everything,man they are so schizophrenic.Will Pedroia come back to MVP form….

  • Jward23

    The “they’re going to have plenty of offense” cliche is getting really old. Every 5 days or so, they pound some stiff for 10 runs to pad their total. Otherwise, they have just enough to be a .500 team. When are folks going to get this?

  • redsoxfan from miami

    I know we have soo many problems in starting pitchers, but, whit 7000 diferents line ups, its imposible, come on bobby, don’t trie more whit Punto, don’t waste your time, now we have ciriaco, Crafford, Ellsbury, and not a lot of power whit papi out for a couple weeks, trie a different basseball game and run the bases whit all of this guys together, now pedey is back too and Adrian and Ross hitting well, please put the pussle togheter and the rest off the player are in the bench, Swenney had a good start off the season but now is over, and Midllebrooks is an every day player, or why u trade youuuk, come on, we still have a chance.

  • Sportschick

    Ahhh, what language are you speaking/typing????

  • Anonymous

    Lester got lit up big-time today. He isn’t propelling anything except his sorry butt out of town.

  • KC

    When is it time? It’s getting close to a year now that these two have sucked. Problem is the teams are stuck when these high price guys fail to produce over an entire season.  No accountability for the players. There is a DL list but there should also be a SUCK list so that non producers that teams are stuck paying for anyway can at least be suspended with pay and to make room to bring up someone from AAA.

  • aldinero

    I don’t understand how this is strange. you must be a fat jealous slob.

  • Karin

    LeBron is 28. Garnet is like 50. Nobody wants to see whats under there.

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