Job Opening

Without going into morbid detail, the Red Sox recently decided to forego a one year option on Terry Franconca's contract and now have a vacancy at manager. There are plenty of candidates to fill the position, but only one is perfect for the job...

Jason Varitek

• His track record as a leader speaks for itself. He's one of only 3 Red Sox players ever to become captain (Yaz and Rice were the others), so he clearly inspires the loyalty of fellow players. In 2004, it wasn't Tito that rallied the troops to victory, it was Tek.
• Managers need to be steady for their team under pressure. Considering his role in breaking a "curse" that ate away at the minds of numerous players and managers before him - yeah, he can handle pressure.
• He's also a master strategist. You don't catch a record 4 no-hitters without being strong at dissecting scouting reports and knowing your player strengths and weaknesses.
• A manager has to be adept at handling the media, and Varitek has never had a foot-in-mouth moment with the press, nor would he ever throw a player under the bus.

While a player-coach situation here would be intriguing, I'm not necessarily advocating such an arrangement. Tek will be 40 next April and his playing skills are regressing to the point where he may not receive another contract offer.

Some may argue that Tek's lack of true managerial experience makes him unqualified for the position. At the very least, he deserves instant consideration as a bench coach with a fast track to becoming manager. Many former players make a quick transition from playing to managing: Mike Scioscia became manager of the Angels at the age of 41 after only 3 years of coaching experience, and Ozzie Guillen made the transition in a similar timeframe. Varitek has already been serving as an unofficial coach since losing the starting gig two years ago, so I'm not concerned about him making a quick transition as well.

Given his leadership, understanding of the organization, and track record of success, he is clearly worthy of serious consideration as the next manager of the Boston Red Sox.


*Edit* I just read that Robin Ventura has been hired as the manager of the Chicago White Sox today. A special adviser to the director of player development, he has no coaching experience. Considering Varitek has demonstrated better leadership and baseball acumen, not to mention fighting skills, this move only legitimizes Tek's candidacy even further.

Ventura leads his men onto the field and - oh boy...