Something is amiss with Varitek so far

BRADENTON, Fla. -- Jason Varitek has bigger issues than how many words of Japanese he may have picked up this spring.

The Red Sox catcher and captain would like to see some evidence that he hasn't forgotten how to hit.

"Yeah, I'm concerned," he said yesterday. "I've got to get my [stuff] together."

Varitek went hitless in three at-bats (plus a walk) in yesterday's 7-3 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates, dropping his spring average to .080. In nine exhibition games, Varitek has managed two hits in 25 at-bats, both singles. Batting in the No. 3 hole yesterday ahead of cleanup man Manny Ramírez, perhaps an attempt by manager Terry Francona to get him better pitches to hit, Varitek continued to struggle, the feeblest at-bat occurring when he popped out to rookie pitcher Tom Gorzelanny in the third inning.

Spring numbers are usually ignored, and for good reason. But last spring, upon his return from representing the United States in the World Baseball Classic, Varitek hit just .176 (3 for 17), which foreshadowed his worst season at the plate in the big leagues. He batted a career-low .238 with a dozen home runs and 55 RBIs. After straining a gluteus muscle at the start of the season, he limped to the finish, batting just .213 with one home run in 61 at-bats the last month after rushing back from knee surgery. He struck out a startling 13 times in his last 18 at-bats.

"I tried to make some changes," Varitek said at the start of camp, "and went into the tank."

Burdened by the challenge of helping Daisuke Matsuzaka make the transition from Japan to the major leagues, as well as having to learn what is essentially a reconstructed bullpen, Varitek does not have the luxury of focusing exclusively on his swing.

"I've gotten my at-bats," he said after holding another of his seemingly daily seminars on Matsuzaka, who pitched yesterday. "I've been making changes.

"I've been getting my work in. I try to make changes, I try to go back [to his previous approach], I'm trying to get it together."

Is there a risk to tinkering as much as he has?

"Yeah," he said, "there is a little bit. I've got to figure that out."

The Red Sox have a new batting coach, Dave Magadan. But the guy Varitek principally went to for advice in 2005, when he hit .281 with 22 home runs and 70 RBIs, was not batting coach Ron Jackson but Dale Sveum, who was Terry Francona's third base coach and, like Varitek, a switch-hitter. Sveum spent plenty of time throwing or soft-tossing to Varitek in the cages beneath the center-field bleachers at Fenway Park.

Magadan is still at the getting-acquainted stage with Sox batters, which makes it unfair to expect him to instantly provide an answer that would unlock Varitek's problems at the plate. What makes Varitek's struggles loom even larger is the fact he turns 35 April 11, and plays a position, catcher, that makes 35 feel like middle age. Only two catchers in Sox history, Birdie Tebbetts and Tony Pena, have had seasons of 400 or more at-bats after the age of 35.

Francona, apprised yesterday that Varitek had expressed concern, insisted he's not troubled by the absence of offense.

"Not as much as he is," Francona said. "He's a conscientious kid. He worries about his throwing. He worries about his game-calling.

"I think he's a little mixed up at the plate, but that will change. He's a good player."

There are two years remaining on the four-year, $40 million contract Varitek signed after the Sox won the World Series in 2004. Curt Schilling, among others, would tell you Varitek doesn't have to hit his weight in order to have a profound impact on this team. But with backup Doug Mirabelli coming off a season in which he batted just .193, the Sox can't afford to have the catcher's spot in the lineup turn into a black hole.

The one thing you can rule out, according to Francona, is that there are any physical issues involved with Varitek, as there were last year.

"Oh no," Francona said, "he's good."