Nice Q&A with Jay Payton. On playing with his college buddy Jason Varitek:
Question: Is it a big deal for you to play with (college teammate) Jason Varitek again?
Answer: It's great. It would've been nicer if me, him and Nomar (Garciaparra) could've all played together again, but unfortunately that wasn't the case. It's great to get the chance to play with Jason and, hopefully, I'll get to play with Nomar before it's all said and done.
Question: Is Varitek any different?
Answer: Nah, he's still the same guy he was in college. Same work ethic, same mentality and he's always been very knowledgeable.