The only player in Georgia Tech baseball history to have his number retired, Varitek is still atop many of the program’s annals, leading in most career games played (253), runs scored (261), base hits (351), home runs (57), RBIs (251), total bases (610), doubles (82), batting average (.384) and slugging percentage (.667).
After completing his degree in management, Varitek went on to play 15 seasons professionally with the Boston Red Sox. While in Boston, he would help the Red Sox to two World Series championships, as well as garnering American League All-Star honors three times. In 2005, he captured both the Rawlings Gold Glove Award and the Silver Slugger Award. He holds the Red Sox record for most postseason games played in team history and also the most opening-day starts for a Red Sox catcher. After retiring from the field, Varitek served as special assistant to the general manager for the Red Sox and is now the special assistant to the team’s president of baseball operations.
Off the field, Varitek has worked just as hard to give back to the communities he’s played in. One of his largest charity events is the Tek & Friends Charity Golf Classic, which benefits Pitching in for Kids – a nonprofit organization that provides grants designed to improve the lives of children across New England. He’s also held ‘Jason Varitek Charity Putt-Putt’ for seven years with proceeds benefitting the Boston’s Children Hospital and Journey Forward – an organization that focuses on helping patients with severe spinal cord injuries.
Morris was Georgia Tech baseball’s head coach from 1982-93 and led the Jackets to its first four ACC Championships (1985, 1986, 1987, 1988), earning three conference coach of the year awards. Morris was inducted to Georgia Tech’s Hall of Fame in 1999 after a 504-244-1 overall record, which stood as the winningest coaching record in program history until 2005 when current head coach Danny Hall surpassed him.
