Long distance dedication

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- If Manny Ramírez strolls into camp today, he might have time to say hello to Jason Varitek but not much more.

Varitek will be off to Arizona tomorrow to join his Team USA teammates for the World Baseball Classic.

This is not the best thing for the Red Sox. They can afford to let a Ramírez or a David Ortiz go off to play in the tournament. They're everyday players, but their primary responsibility is to hit the baseball. They can do that here, in Scottsdale, in the Dominican Republic, in Australia.

But Varitek is in a different position. Not only is he the team captain, one who would love to get to know his new teammates and help develop new chemistry in a clubhouse vacated by the ultimate clubhouse guys in Johnny Damon and Kevin Millar, but he is the catcher. He is vital to the pitching game.

On a team that's already lost pitching coach Dave Wallace -- likely for the season -- Varitek's presence seems even more important. But he will leave the team after a workout tomorrow morning and may not return until late March, or until Team USA is eliminated.

''I'll have to do a lot of catch-up," Varitek said yesterday after the team's workout at the minor league facility on Edison Avenue. ''Hopefully I can get with Hass [first base coach Bill Haselman] and he can keep me in the loop of what's going on. That's something I hope to do just to keep up to date with how guys are throwing and that kind of stuff."

It's even been suggested that the Sox might ship Varitek video of the pitchers throwing; a long-distance update may be better than nothing.

Varitek has represented his country before, as a youngster in the Little League World Series and for the US Olympic team. So he embraces the opportunity, yet he's torn.

''I think that was the thing in the beginning even when it all started," he said. ''You have a lot to deal with because you have a new team. It's kind of a double-edged sword. In the beginning, now and in the middle of it, there'll be something to deal with. On the other hand, it'll be fun because it's a great honor and a great chance to represent your country."

He also has reservations about how much to play.

''Not exactly sure how much I'll be catching," he said. ''We'll go over that more. We're going to split things three ways [with Michael Barrett and Brian Schnieder] quite a bit. I'm not sure if we're going to do two [catchers] a game or three a game. It probably depends on everybody's health.

''I'm looking forward to it, but I also have my reservations. I'm like everybody else. I want to be here for those spring training games and do those things, too."

As for predictions, Varitek said, ''It's funny because you don't know the level of how guys are going to be playing at that point. People playing winter baseball have a slight advantage."

Varitek insists that being away from the Sox won't hurt the team that much. He is a quick study anyway, and he'll have the last week of spring training to catch most of the pitchers before camp breaks.

''People have to understand that you also spend a lot of time in spring training away from each other," Varitek said. ''I might not play a game with David Ortiz for four or five days."

He's also done a lot of work in the offseason in anticipation of being ready to go earlier than usual.

''I'm going in stages," he said. ''I'm trying to get some strength back with my throws and doing all that. Am I in midseason form? By no means. I'm not even close. We just hope nothing happens [with an injury]. That's the biggest fear factor for anyone going in there with pitchers. To deal with that adrenaline right away might be tough."

And the other issue is Varitek's own well-being. He'll be 34 this season. He slumped badly at the end of last season and many believed it was because of wear and tear from a heavy workload. Now he's going into a competitive tournament right off the bat. Plus, Doug Mirabelli is gone, so the Sox are auditioning backup catchers John Flaherty, Ken Huckaby, and Josh Bard.

But being tired is a state of mind to Varitek. He says he's often amazed at how much fatigue he can overcome. He remembers being so sick one day that he didn't think he was going to play, yet he wound up hitting a game-winning three-run homer.

''I think I hit a little tired point, but that's no excuse," he said. ''I was productive with my workload. I hit a rough point. I still contributed and did my job and helped my team, and I really didn't think too much of it.

''I never go into a season thinking I'm going to catch this many games or feeling I need to catch a certain amount to stay fresh. It's a long season. You're always going to have your times when you're tired. You want to play as much as you can. You have to be smart about it so you don't hurt your team, but you want to play."

But he apparently never had second thoughts about the WBC. Nor did the Red Sox consider using their one-player veto to keep Varitek in camp, as the Yankees did with their catcher, Jorge Posada.

So it's hello Manny and goodbye Jason.

Varitek is out of here for most of March. He'll be representing his country, not Red Sox Nation. He'll team with Derek Jeter and yes, even Alex Rodriguez, the man he once fought with on the playing field.

''Yeah, that will be unique," Varitek said with a smile.