The praise began to pour in on Tuesday for Red Sox captain Jason Varitek, who will retire on Thursday in Fort Myers. (AP)

FORT MYERS, Fla. — With the news spreading of the retirement of Red Sox captain Jason Varitek on Thursday, the players he leaves behind in the clubhouse began to react on Tuesday.

Clay Buchholz:
“It was awesome being a part getting to play four seasons with him and being able to throw to a guy that everybody is going to remember as the captain of the Boston Red Sox. It was a good time for everybody. I hope his decision makes him and his family happy and they go with their lives and know that he was one of the greatest guys ever behind the plate.”

What he learned from Varitek:
“How to pitch. He’s a guy that you know when you’re on the mound and you shake him off and he sort of just stares at you, you’re like, ‘OK, I won’t throw that pitch. Don’t worry about it.’ Especially being a young guy coming up and you’re already intimated by just pitching in front of 40,000 people at Fenway and then you have Jason Varitek catching you.

“How to slow the game down, how to pitch to certain guys, how to get out of situations. He was a vocal part of my learning experience in baseball.

What he remembers about Varitek calling the no-hitter of Sept. 2, 2007 vs. Orioles:
“A couple of times, early in the game, I shook him off a couple of times and had a couple of missiles hit and they were caught but after that, it was like, ‘OK, I’m just going to throw what he puts down.’ The game started to speed up on me a couple of times. I remember him calling timeout, running out there and telling me to take a couple of deep breaths and throw a pitch wherever, down and away, get a ground ball and get out of an inning. That’s what I’ll always remember about him, he was always the guy that could always calm you down when he things were starting to speed up.”

Did he expect Varitek to show in camp?:
“He’s an animal. You see how every year he comes into spring training, what he looks like, how his body is a specimen. I was expecting Tek to play until he was 60. He was awesome behind [the plate] and still think he could be awesome behind the plate and have a job in baseball but that was his and his family’s decision.”

Jarrod Saltalamacchia:
“He meant a lot obviously. He helped me out a lot last year. The year before, he was trying to recover from injury so we didn’t get to spend a lot of on-field time together but still picking his brain a lot. But last year, [he] was a huge, huge help for getting my career back on track. And just the person he is, you can’t find a better person.

“Just the way he went about his business, watching him. Wasn’t even in the clubhouse, but I could just see from across the field how people looked at him, how people respected him. You definitely look up to a guy like that.”

What Varitek did for helping him lead the Red Sox pitching staff:
“I was definitely a little hesitant. I didn’t know how to act towards the pitchers. I always kind of looked toward him, ‘Get this meeting started, get this started.’ But he did an unbelievable job of letting those guys where I stood and where he stood. It was kind of overwhelming. I didn’t expect that, didn’t expect him to be so helpful and [tell me], ‘Hey man, this is your team.’ I said, ‘You’re the captain, it’s your team.’

“That’s the kind of person he is. He always wanted to make me feel comfortable. He always wanted to make me feel comfortable. He always wanted to help me out, stuck up for me and I can’t thank him enough for jump-starting my career.” Read the rest of this entry »

Mike Lowell

For the first time in his adult life, baseball season is starting without Mike Lowell. And he’s fine with that.

“I don’t think I feel the way I wanted to, so that has been a little comforting, I guess,” Lowell said from his Miami-area home. “I know I’m going to miss playing. But I’ve been entertaining myself in other ways, so it’s been pretty good. It’s been a good transition so far.

“I think I’m surprisingly happy. Plus, I think my hip has gone a little bit downhill.”

If there was any doubt creeping into Lowell’s mind of late, they were recently turned back after making a visit to Dr. Bryan Kelly’s office in New York City. While visiting Kelly, the former Red Sox third baseman was advised he may have to undergo another surgery on his already surgically repaired right hip.

“I went to New York last weekend, got an X-ray and they told me it has gotten progressively worse, so I got another cortisone shot and I think I might have to have a resurfacing surgery around September,” explained Lowell, who underwent surgery on his torn hip labrum following the 2008 season.

“Without medication or pain management I don’t think I can run 50 yards right now, I know I can’t. I don’t want to be taking meds to go about my day-to-day life. I feel like my quality of life is going down a little bit. I want to teach my kid how to run the bases in Little League instead of just standing there. It seems trivial but it bothers me that I can’t do it.”

Lowell has been able to work out using an elliptical machine, while also diving into the world of paddle-boarding. And the doctors informed the 36-year-old that with the surgery, his hip could hold up “15-plus years,” with the arthritic part of the hip healing instantly. (“That,” he said, “sounds exciting to me.”)

Yet, he still understands that a hip replacement is most likely inevitable, and that the planned operation wouldn’t exactly put him in position to play again.
Still, there are other priorities for Lowell these days and stepping on a baseball field – unless it’s his children’s Little League diamond – isn’t one of them.

And as far as how 2010 shook out, despite the struggles with his health, there were no regrets.

“I got through artificially with anti-inflammatories and pain medication,” he said. “I don’t know if that was the greatest thing for the hip, but I don’t regret doing it.

“But I’m excited to take my kids to a baseball game and instead of them watching me I want to tell them what’s going on so they can learn the strategy of what’s going on.”

According to Lowell, who has had offers from multiple national media outlets to serve as a baseball analyst, it is a progression that was put in motion well before he experienced problems with his hip.

He explained that when negotiating his contract following the ’07 season, he turned down a four-year offer from the Phillies for more reasons than just wanting to stay with the Red Sox. Retirement was already on Lowell’s mind.

“I think everybody’s decision comes at different times,” he said. “For me, my decision started about three years ago when I looked ahead and saw what ages my kids would be and what would bring me the most satisfaction as a person. I think circumstances made it easier to make the decision when I did. I’m still just as comfortable as the way I went out as when I mentioned throughout the season. If anything I had a chance to have a nice ceremony on the day of a game I ended up playing in. For me, that meant a lot.

“I told my agent after ’07 not to go crazy going for the four-year deal even though everybody would prefer it because I’m not sure I’m going to play after three. The money was there already. I wasn’t stressed about that. It was definitely in my thoughts. I really didn’t know how the year was going to pan out. Let’s say I went and had a great year [in ‘10], I still think I would have retired. I don’t think the numbers would have determined. I think the point in my life would have determined it.”

Rocco Baldelli, who spent the 2009 season playing in his native New England for the Red Sox, will announce his retirement on Wednesday. (AP)

Rhode Island native Rocco Baldelli, whose major league career appeared headed for stardom before an unusual illness prevented the outfielder from being able to stay on the field consistently, told the St. Petersburg Times that he has decided to retire from baseball at the age of 29. Baldelli had spent the last few seasons with the Rays and Red Sox finding a way to play through channelopathy, a condition that left his body in a state of profound fatigue.

But after Game 1 of the 2010 AL Division Series between the Rays and Rangers, it became clear to Baldelli that he could no longer contribute as a result of the condition. Baldelli went 0-for-3 with a pair of strikeouts in that contest, and experienced significant cramping and pain afterwards. That led to his removal from the Rays’ postseason roster, and helped convince Baldelli that it was time to move to a new phase of his career, a decision that will be formalized with an announcement on Wednesday.

“That was the first time where I couldn’t keep playing and look at my teammates and still be out there,” Baldelli told the Times. “I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t do it any more.

“I don’t anticipate ever playing baseball again. I’m retired. The paperwork will be filed,” Baldelli added. “And you know what? The only time I feel like it’s good to retire is when you’re happy to retire. And I’m happy.”

Baldelli will take a job in the Rays front office as a special advisor in scouting and player development. After the Rays took him out of Bishop Hendricken High School with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2000 draft, he blitzed through the minors before making a tremendous big league debut in 2003, finishing third in Rookie of the Year balloting while hitting .289 with a .326 OBP, .742 OPS, 11 homers and 27 steals as a 21-year-old. But injuries started limiting his ability to stay on the field the following year, and he played just 63 games for the Rays in 2007 and 2008 (though he did hit a pair of memorable homers in the 2008 postseason for Tampa Bay).

Baldelli signed with the Sox — the team he rooted for while growing up — for the 2009 season, hitting .253 with a .311 OBP, .433 slugging mark and .744 OPS along with 11 homers in part-time duty. He then returned to Tampa Bay, spending much of the year working in player development and the Rays front office before returning to uniform in September.

Baldelli concludes his career having hit .278 with a .323 OBP, .443 slugging mark and .766 OPS with 60 homers and 60 steals in 519 games.

Nomar Garciaparra capped his career by throwing out the first pitch Wednesday at City of Palms Park. (AP Photo)

FORT MYERS, Fla. — Nothing fancy, just the facts.

What started as a fairly innocuous spring training day turned into a memorable one at about 8 a.m., when the Red Sox announced there would be a press conference in the press box. Almost immediately, thoughts that the event might revolve around Josh Beckett or Mike Lowell were debunked, and not too soon thereafter the real reason for the presser came to light:

Nomar Garciaparra was retiring as a member of the Red Sox.

Our own Lou Merloni swooped in with news that his former teammate would be signing a one-day minor league deal and then retire. Merloni also revealed that Garciaparra had attempted to return to the Sox as a player a few times over the course of the past few years.

Garciaparra went to the podium at 10:30 a.m., accompanied by his wife, Mia Hamm, his daughters, parents, and former teammate Paul Rappoli. (Click here for the transcript.) He then went on the Dale & Holley Show to talk retirement, as well. (Click here for the transcript.)

By the way, our man Alex Speier points out that Garciaparra has the second-best all-time OPS for shortstops (.882), only behind Alex Rodriguez (who likely will soon change classifications, going to third base, leaving Nomar at the top of the list).

A little later on a few of his former teammates checked in:

David Ortiz: “Rake. Straight rake. That’s all I remember about Nomie. Rake. Nothing else but rake. He was good, man.”" Asked if Garciaparra was right there with Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez during the late 1990′s and early 2000′s, Ortiz responded “(Heck) yeah!”

Jason Varitek: “Sitting behind him, all the way back in college and playing intrasquad games, he was really a pain in the rear. He accelerated that from college into putting together some of the best offensive years people have seen in a while in that uniform. He was a pretty, pretty, pretty special player. Catching him and trying to get him out in an intrasquad game wasn’t fun.”

Tim Wakefield: “The best. He was a great teammate, and to have him behind you defensively and in the box hitting for you was truly amazing.”

Dustin Pedroia, who never played with Garciaparra, also chimed in. When told that Nomar didn’t cry at his press conference, and asked if he would be crying at his own retirement press conference, Pedroia said, “Legends don’t cry.”

For a retrospective of Nomar’s greatest moments click here.

- After talking about his former Georgia Tech teammate, Varitek explained the reason for recent absence from the team was due to his father’s illness. For more click here.

- Jon Lester was encouraged by his 2 2/3-inning outing — giving up an unearned run on two hits — having worked on fastball away, his changeup, and getting strike one. But what he really wanted to talk about after the game was the problem the game has with maple bats.

“Any time you step on the field, you’re in danger of something hitting you, whether it’s a ball or a bat or whatever. It’s just kind of part of the game. It kind of sucks that baseball hasn’t done a very good job with the maple bats,” said Lester, who said he has sat on one meeting regarding the subject. ” It seems like they tried to do something last year, but they just aren’t getting the results. They’re a danger to the game. They’re a danger to all the players and the fans. Hopefully they can do something about those bats.”

For more of Lester’s comments click here.

- Red Sox manager Terry Francona said the hope was to have Mike Lowell play in Monday’s game.

- The Big Three of the Red Sox’ rotation — John Lackey, Josh Beckett, and Lester — continued the get-to-know process by playing golf together Tuesday.

- Speaking of Beckett, Jon Heyman of SI.com reported that sources suggest the pitcher will agree to a new contract with the Red Sox in the coming weeks: Contract talks between the Red Sox and star right-hander Josh Beckett are said to be progressing, with growing optimism about a new deal emerging. Beckett and the Red Sox have an excellent relationship, and people familiar with the talks say both sides expect a deal to be reached in the coming weeks that will keep Beckett in Boston for years to come.

For Heyman’s story click here.

- Daniel Bard, who impressed with two strikeouts in one inning of work, was encouraged by the fact he struck out Tampa Bay outfielder Matt Joyce with back-to-back changeups. The reliever’s fastball had considerable volume on it, with the sound of it hitting the mitt being heard all the way up to the press box. “That,” Bard explained, “was the loudest glove I’ve ever thrown to.” The backstop was Bard’s former catcher at Single A Greenville, Luis Exposito.

Nomar Garciaparra said his treatment by Red Sox Nation made him feel special. (AP)

Nomar Garciaparra appeared on the Dale & Holley show Wednesday morning to discuss his reasons for retiring, his next career as a member of the media (following a sometimes-frosty dynamic with reporters during his playing days) and the events that allowed him to resume a strong relationship with the Sox following a departure in 2004 that was, at times, acrimonious.

Highlights are transcribed below. To listen to the complete interview, click here.

How did you decide on this?

I said there was one uniform I would love to wear. I talked about this when I came to Fenway this past year with Oakland. I always had this recurring dream, to put on that uniform. It was the first uniform I’d worn, and I dreamt it would be my last. Today that dream comes through, thanks to Mr. Werner, Mr. Henry, Mr. Lucchino, Theo and the whole Red Sox organization. I can’t thank them enough for allowing me to fulfill that dream. My first dream came true in a Red Sox uniform, and that was playing in the big leagues. Another dream gets to come true as well, finishing my career and retiring as a member of the Red Sox.

There are so many emotions going through me right now as I try to take it all in, but I think the way Red Sox Nation — the fans — have just embraced me throughout my career, not only as a member of the Red Sox but after being a Red Sox as well, I can’t tell you how many times I had people come up and say, “Thank you. We love you. We appreciate you.” That has stuck. The feeling has always been mutual. Hopefully, with today, I really show them that I was sincere when I told them that the same feeling was always there and I love them just as much. Read the rest of this entry »