Captains?

by Smmonroe2

Now baseball happens to be the tricky sport, as far as captains are concerned. Most teams in the MLB do not have an appointed captain. Some do however and they are actually a captain. These players are often the more experienced and seasoned veterans who always come up big or in a desperate time do something to turn the game around. Most of the time these players are leaders. For example: Jason Varitek of the Boston Red Sox. He spends time getting to know each pitcher and every pitch they throw. Now you may say well yea, he is the catcher that is kind of his job. Not just that however. Varitek always seems to make a nice defensive play or hit big homerun or get a big RBI when his team needs it. Varitek is also the guy the Red Sox count on to pick up his teammates when they need it. Then as much as I despise the New York Yankees and Derek Jeter, he is truly a captain. Just like Jason Varitek he always seems to spark his teammates at the right time whether it is a great play on the field or a big hit or maybe a kick in the ass to one of his teammates he gets the job done. Derek Jeter and Jason Varitek are truly captains. To read the rest of this article go to http://www.sportsbysam.blogspot.com

RawbeezeitzMajor Leaguer

797 days ago

Score 2

"Varitex" usually doesn't hit the big homerun, or get the big RBI. In fact, he usually is a disappointment at the plate in big situations. However, his value comes through with the way he leads that pitching staff. 3 no-hitters caught from 3 different pitchers, which ties an MLB record.

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RomiezzoLegend

797 days ago

Score 0

Exactly. He doesn't hit very well, and isn't clutch, but he does know how to control the field. When a batter is up, he knows exactly where to position the players, and where to locate the pitches in order to get the outs they need. He is a reason to why the pitchers are doing so well.

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JuTMSY4Legend

797 days ago

Score 0

did he catch Nomo's no-no?

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RawbeezeitzMajor Leaguer

797 days ago

Score 0

Yes, as well as a one-hitter by Nomo, Schilling's one-hitter this year, and a pair of Pedro one-hitters.

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RomiezzoLegend

797 days ago

Score 0

FYI, this is probably widely known, but he caught Lowe's no-no and, most recently, Clay Buchholz's no hitter as well.

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RomiezzoLegend

797 days ago

Score 0

You've got a point. I think it would be better if one guys is appointed a captain, but think of it this way: what happens when the captain gets injured. Did you realize taht when Varitek got injured, the Red Sox did really poorly. Yes, a lot of other injuries had to do with it, but there were still a lot of players that could help out. If you rely too much on a captain, a lot of pressure is on their shoulders, and I don't think many players, especially since they can always get traded or released, should be the captain, even though they DO pump up the players.

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