New stance is on tap
After dismal '08, Varitek changes
FORT MYERS, Fla. - Dave Magadan first wanted Jason Varitek to alter his lefthanded batting stance two years ago, a notion met with resistance by a proud man. Varitek's style - tapping his front foot for timing, wiggling his hands high above his shoulders - had made him one of the best hitting catchers in baseball. There was no reason to change.
"I think it was just a matter of what he felt he was capable of doing," said Magadan, the Red Sox' hitting coach. "He felt very comfortable doing the toe tap. It was something that he had done for a long period of time."
Varitek hit the offensive nadir of his career last year, batting .220 overall, and .201 lefthanded. He met with Magadan after the season and offered a promise: If he remained with the Sox, he would follow Magadan's advice.
Varitek has spent the offseason and spring training dedicated to reshaping his stance, creating more consistency by eliminating his pre-swing ticks. His balance in the batter's box and vision of offspeed pitches already has increased, Magadan said. Even early in the spring - Varitek has a double (while batting lefthanded) in six at-bats - Magadan vouched for Varitek's progress.
"To me, this is the best he's really looked since I've been here," Magadan said. "If he continues to be patient with it and work as hard as he's been working, I think it could be a big year for him."
The toe tapping was "creating some inconsistencies when he was ready to hit," Magadan said. "When you're not ready to hit and your head is doing a lot of moving, and you're at an inconsistent spot every time your foot lands, it's not going to be real conducive to being consistent, putting the ball in play very hard."
Varitek often found himself off balance, swinging too late at fastballs but far too soon on offspeed pitches.
"What we've done is simplified his approach on the left side," Magadan said. "Basically, got his hands in the same position, and instead of doing the tap and the double stride, he's just taking his hands back and striding forward. That's really got him in a real good position. He's seeing offspeed pitches really well. He's balanced. His feet look like they're planted underneath him. He's in a good position to put a swing on it.
"It's still early. But to me, it's an adjustment I wanted him to make for the last couple years. He finally was accepting of it. He came to spring training where I want him to be. I feel like he's swung the bat really well."
"He's just as quality as I thought," Masterson said. "You hear a lot of things surrounding him, and then he gets here, and he's even better than you could imagine. Just the knowledge and the presence that he brings to the team, it's just fun. I've enjoyed talking to him."
Masterson also knew Smoltz could offer unique insight for his situation. On a different scale, Smoltz has been through what Masterson is handling now, straddling between starter and reliever. Masterson came into last season as a starter in the minors, then became an integral late-inning reliever for the Sox.
"We've had some conversations, just his experience on that, the mind-set he took from it," Masterson said. "We were just sitting, chatting, talking baseball. He knew my situation a little bit.
"He said, 'Young guys, they can get pushed to the bullpen, and then push starting out of their mind completely. Keep that fire within. I just always kept that, because I knew I could go back into that role.' "
His role for this season has not been finalized, Masterson said, but given the makeup of the Sox' staff, it seems likely he will at least start the season in the bullpen. Masterson remains on a starter's throwing program, and he said he'll know his role one or two weeks before the season opens.
"He's at a part of his career where, I was just trying to feel out what he's feeling about the role and how the transition is going," Smoltz said. "We talked about how mentally hard it is. A lot of people don't understand how hard the transition is. Most people think it's easy. It's not. He's done a nice job. Willingness to do the role is huge."
