Overview

• On Tuesday at Fenway Park, players wrote their names on baseballs and draft position was based on how far Jason Varitek hit each one.
• A ball labeled for reliever Greg Weissert popped straight into the batting cage in the video, leaving him with a low first-round slot.
• Varitek sent most other balls to the warning track or off the wall, giving those players earlier selections.
• The lighthearted contest served as a clubhouse bonding moment and underscored Varitek’s ongoing influence on the Red Sox staff.
• Boston has used creative ballpark methods for this ritual before, including chipping golf balls off the Green Monster, while other MLB teams have staged their own twists.