The Red Sox lied to their own fans for five months. They told the public that Jason Varitek was “reassigned” to a new role within the organization, but that story was pure fiction. President Sam Kennedy finally dropped the act on Monday at Fenway Park. He admitted the hard truth: Varitek is not with the team right now. The “reassignment” narrative was just a way to avoid a PR storm after the coaching staff got fired. Now the mask is off, and the Red Sox look even worse for the wait.
When asked about Kennedy, he admitted Varitek is not with the Red Sox organization in any way, shape, or form, and it doesn’t look like he’ll be back on the team.
“We’ve connected with each other, but I’ve got no update on that … but [we] look forward to continuing dialogue as we move forward,” Kennedy said.
The Reassignment Story Was a Lie
Back in late April, the team claimed Varitek was “reassigned to a new role within the organization.” That phrase appeared in official reports from Boston.com. But no one ever saw him in that new role. He was seen on vacation. He posted photos. He flew back with the fired coaches and gave a thumbs-down gesture. The Red Sox tried to spin a firing as a promotion to save face. They wanted to keep the legend happy without actually giving him a job. It was a clumsy move that backfired hard.
When Kennedy faced the press this Monday, he stopped beating around the bush. He was asked straight about Varitek’s status. His answer was simple and direct. “We’ve connected with each other, but we’ve got no update on that,” Kennedy said, according to Yahoo Sports. He did not try to hide the fact that the former captain is sitting on the outside. The organization knew the details were missing, yet they let fans believe a lie for half a season.
Varitek Knows He Was Betrayed
The silence from Varitek speaks louder than any press release. He was “particularly upset by the April firings of Cora and his colleagues and felt betrayed by the organization,” MassLive’s Chris Cotillo wrote. “He has not publicly commented on the Red Sox since the shakeup and it’s unclear if he’d ever want to return in any role.“He has appeared at some team-related charity events in recent weeks, sources said, but is purposefully keeping his distance and a low profile.”
Legends like Pedro Martinez questioned the decision to remove Varitek from the dugout. Martinez noted that “Tek means so much to this city.” The fans know it too. They saw the “thumbs down” gesture when the coaches left. They saw the wife of Varitek post a taunting smiley face after the team lost to the Yankees. The frustration is real on both sides. The Red Sox tried to manage the narrative, but the truth always wins out in the end.
The Truth Comes After the Loss
The Red Sox season ended in a blowout. The New York Yankees defeated them in the Wild Card Series, as they failed to win even one game. However, the team overcame a lot, despite the front-office drama, to pull off a historic run. Also, comments online seem to have fans split. Some still want Tek back; others say it’s time to move on.
To me, it feels like the Varitek drama is two sides of the same coin. Everyone wants to get back to the Tek era of championships and winning the difference is how do we get their and the frustration many have with the front office.
