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April 6, 2005
Almost Famous
It just so happens that I went to high school with Jason Varitek, the catcher for Boston Red Sox. It also just so happens that I'm right next to him in my senior yearbook.
I didn't know Jason, although we did speak for a few minutes as they lined us up for graduation -- too bad I didn't ask for his autograph. I really enjoyed baseball, and I had played baseball my entire life up until transferring to Lake Brantley half-way through my junior year. I didn't even try out, although I often wonder if I could have made the team. Since we'll never know, I like to assume that I would have had a decent shot. ;-) It most likely was a false assumption since we had something like 3500 students, and I'm fairly certain that Lake Brantley High School in Altamonte Springs, FL was voted the #1 baseball team in the country by USA Today my senior year.
Back in 1997 I got a random call from a private investigator asking me questions about Jason and whether or not I knew him, and what I thought of him. I wasn't too helpful, and he wouldn't tell me why he cared, but I can only assume that this was the Boston Red Sox doing a thorough background check on him before signing. I pulled this from the 1997 career highlights.
"Acq. by Red Sox along w/RHP Derek Lowe from Sea. for RHP Heathcliff Slocumb July 31...Reported to AAA Pawt. Aug. 1"
Who knows? But the timing's about right.
I figure my greatest opportunity for national exposure is 20 years from now when some TV series does a "Where are they now?" or "Before the fame and fortune" expose on Jason Varitek. At some point, they're bound to zoom in on his high school yearbook picture, and for a fraction of a second I'll be able to say, "Hey, that's me!"
Posted by mark at April 6, 2005 2:07 PM Subscribe (FeedBurner)
Comments
dang, what a handsome boy you were. what happened???
Posted by: mike atkinson at April 6, 2005 11:22 PM
heh, the hair...
seriously -- very cool. I loves the Varitek.
Posted by: jonathan at April 7, 2005 2:19 PM