Jason Varitek, former Red Sox catcher and current Boston coach, took batting practice at Fenway Park to determine the team's fantasy-football draft order. Each baseball Varitek golfed into the outfield had a player's name on it; players whose balls traveled farther received higher draft positions. Greg Weissert's ball was fouled straight up into the cage, producing laughter and placing him low in the draft order. Varitek's consistent power sent many balls to the warning track and influenced several top draft slots. Other MLB teams have used ballpark-based games, such as the Blue Jays dropping parachute figurines at Rogers Centre.
Sorting out draft orders ahead of the NFL season has been an annual (and often elaborate) tradition at the end of every summer, with the Red Sox chipping golf balls off the Green Monster last season in order to determine the draft order. This time around, the Red Sox called upon Varitek to be the primary determinant in their fantasy football fortunes. As captured on video by Tim Healey of The Boston Globe, Varitek mapped out Boston's draft order by taking batting practice at Fenway.
Each baseball that Varitek golfed into the outfield had a player's name on it. The further that Varitek hit a designated player's ball, the higher that player landed in the draft order. Based on the video above, it looks as though Red Sox reliever Greg Weissert wasn't so lucky on the draft order. While Varitek predictability launched many of those BP offerings out to the warning track, Weissert's ball was fouled straight up into the cage - leading to a low draft spot.
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