Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek, who struggled offensively last season, has reshaped his batting stance in an effort to rebound from his .220 batting average. "To me, this is the best he's really looked since I've been here," hitting coach Dave Magadan said. "If he continues to be patient with it and work as hard as he's been working, I think it could be a big year for him." Varitek used to tap his toe for timing, and wiggle his hands high above his hand. The toe tapping was "creating some inconsistencies when he was ready to hit," Magadan said. "When you're not ready to hit and your head is doing a lot of moving, and you're at an inconsistent spot every time your foot lands, it's not going to be real conducive to being consistent, putting the ball in play very hard."