Remembering Jason Varitek’s Surprise Visit to New Hampshire

Tim Wakefield Home Opener

Yesterday was an emotional home opener at Fenway Park for the Boston Red Sox, who honored the late, great, popular pitching great Tim Wakefield and his wife Stacy, who both passed of cancer just months apart recently, with Tim passing back in October 2023 and Stacy passing in February 2024.

To honor Tim and Stacy, their 17-year-old daughter, Brianna, threw out the first pitch to her dad's 2004 World Champion teammate, Jason Varitek (who is a current member of the Sox coaching staff) while being surrounded by other members of the 2004 team.

Jason Varitek New Hampshire

To the shock of no one, Varitek (or Tek, as he's better known) being part of this emotional moment and providing comfort for Brianna and her brother, Taylor, was reminiscent of an encounter that happened back in Summer 2002.

It seemed like an ordinary day for everyone during that August day at Canobie Lake Park in Salem, New Hampshire. But it got flipped upside down right at the entrance because of the Red Sox legend.

They say sometimes it's not great to meet your heroes. And while there have been plenty of celebrity meeting horror stories, if your hero is Tek, you're safe to meet him.

Jason Varitek spotted at Canobie Lake Park

Sometimes, it's tough to wrap your head around the fact that celebrities, professional athletes, and legends -- regardless of making way more money than we do and having way more notoriety than us -- are just like us. They put their pants on one leg at a time, have families, and like to do family activities.

Which is probably why in Summer 2022, when Tek and his family were at Canobie Lake Park in Salem, New Hampshire, doing what families do during summertime and taking in a day at an amusement park, no one expected that the family they were walking by were the Variteks.

Not even the guy wearing Tek's #33 shirt from his days playing with the Sox at Canobie while the Variteks were there.

According to Catherine Varitek, her and Jason's kiddos were roaming around Canobie with their parents when they noticed a man wearing their father's shirt from back in his playing days. Tek, cool and suave as can be, strolled up to the man pretending to ask where the location of something in the Park was.

And, to his credit, in between bites of a hot slice of 'za, the man tried helping Tek out. Even pointing out the direction to start heading in. While not realizing the man was Jason FREAKIN' Varitek.

In fact, in one hilarious moment right before the fan points, Jason even looks at this wife, perfectly on camera, with an expression of "Are you frickin' kidding me right now?" But sometimes, you need to actually physically lead a horse to water, so Tek introduced himself to the fan.

"She made me come over. Hi, I'm Jason."

And, like any grown man who immediately transforms into a 10-year-old kid meeting their hero/a legend, the man dropped an "OH DOOD!!" while shaking Tek's hand, then immediately transitioned to a bearhug.

So, while "they" may say don't ever meet your heroes. I say forget that -- shoot your shot and meet your heroes. They may just be as cool as Jason Varitek.

Because in the same way Brianna was comforted by Tek following yesterday's emotional first pitch, sometimes simply acknowledging someone and making them feel seen, heard, and cared about can make all the difference. Even if it's a random hug from a superstar at Canobie Lake Park.