Game 1 Starter Lester Pitched a GEM last night. for those of you that don't know he is becoming the lance Armstrong of baseball. Having been diagnosed with lymphoma, fighting it, and recovering to be stronger and more focused then before is inspiring.
Game 1 starter Lester thrives after defeating cancer
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Terry Francona is understandably hesitant to be entirely forthcoming about the health of ailing stars Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell, but, when it comes to Jon Lester — the picture of health after battling cancer two years ago, and the starting pitcher tonight in Game One of the American League Division Series — the manager doesn’t hide his emotions.
“Any kid that comes up through your organization, it’s hard not to have a soft spot as you see him mature in front of your eyes,” Francona said yesterday afternoon. “But he’s got a special place in all of our hearts. Not just because of what he’s gone through, but because of how he went through it — the grace and the dignity that he showed through everything.”
What Lester went through, at the tender age of 22, was the frightening knowledge that his highly promising career might be over when it had only just begun to kick into high gear.
Brought up to Boston from Pawtucket early in the 2006 season, he won his first five decisions and was rolling along with a 7-2 record in late August when he was diagnosed with anaplastic large-cell lymphoma, ending his season.
While the World Series was going on that year, Lester was going through chemotherapy. He’d return from those sessions to his parents’ home in Puyallup, Wash., near Tacoma, and, even though he was feeling sick, he’d go out to the garage and throw baseballs — determined to be back with the team for spring training.
Pronounced cancer-free in December, Lester was back with the Sox by the end of July and proceeded to go 4-0, capping his comeback by earning the victory in Game Four of the World Series against the Rockies in Denver, giving up just three hits while holding Colorado scoreless through 5 2/3 innings.
Even though Lester pitched a no-hitter last May against Kansas City at Fenway Park, that win over the Rockies is the highlight of his career.
“It was the World Series,” he said yesterday. “It’s what you play for every year — to get a ring, to be the World Champs. To be a part of that is definitely unbelievable.
“Obviously, the no-hitter is nice. It’s something I’ll always remember. But the World Series means a heck of a lot more to me.”
Lester means a heck of a lot to Boston’s bid to be the first team to repeat as World Series champions since the Yankees in 2000. With projected Game One starter Josh Beckett pushed back to Game Three because of a strained oblique muscle, Francona has given the opening assignment to his talented young lefty.
“He didn’t call me into his office, or anything,” Lester said. “It was one of those deals where he let me know Josh was feeling a little pain in his oblique and I might be pitching.
“I’m excited. Whether it be Game One, or Two or Three, I was excited just to get the ball and have a little different role this year.”
Lester has played an important role in the success of the Sox this season, going 16-6, with an earned-run average of 3.21, while making 33 starts and pitching 210 1/3 innings — both team-highs.
A mild concern to the Sox tonight could be that Lester has been much better pitching at Fenway, where he’s 11-1, than on the road, where he’s only 5-5.
“I guess you just feel more comfortable at home,” Lester said, when asked about the disparity in his record. “I think, really, any player, or pitcher, will tell you that. You just have your routines that you feel more comfortable with at home, and you have the ability to do them on your schedule. On the road, it seems like you’re a little more rushed. You’re in a hotel room, in a place you really don’t know. But I’m not too worried about it.”
That statement is an example of the confidence Lester has gained this season — his first full year in the big leagues.
“I’m starting to realize,” he said, “that I can trust my stuff and be successful. I think it’s the consistency of pitching every five days. I don’t think there’s one thing that has changed my mindset, or helped a light bulb go on, or anything like that. You get in that routine, start to feel comfortable, start reeling off a couple of good starts, build up the confidence and let it snowball.”
Although Beckett was unbeatable last year in the postseason, going 4-0 with an ERA of 1.20 in 30 innings, Francona is confident that Lester can get the Sox off to a good start tonight.
“After that first month of the season (Lester didn’t win his second game until May 4), he’s been one of the best pitchers in the game,” Francona said. “He’s throwing a power fastball. He’s able to sink it, able to cut it. He can spin a breaking ball, throw a changeup, and he uses all the plate — in, up, both sides.
“He’s pitching with confidence. He’s healthy. The farther he gets removed from everything he’s gone through, the better for him.”
Lester never will completely be removed from what he’s gone through — and that’s not a bad thing.
“It’s definitely helped me put things in perspective,” he said. “The good games mean a lot to me, but the bad games don’t seem to affect me as much as they used to before all that stuff happened. Obviously, I don’t like to do badly. But, if I do, I know I’ve got another day.”
Lester was at his best that day in mid-May against the Royals.
“There is tension and anxiety in the dugout anyway,” Francona recalled, “but then you add the emotions because of who it was — not only with his teammates, but I’m sure if you looked and saw the ownership, and Theo [Epstein, the general manager] — we don’t need to hide our feelings for how we feel about our guys.”
Game 1 starter Lester thrives after defeating cancer
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Terry Francona is understandably hesitant to be entirely forthcoming about the health of ailing stars Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell, but, when it comes to Jon Lester — the picture of health after battling cancer two years ago, and the starting pitcher tonight in Game One of the American League Division Series — the manager doesn’t hide his emotions.
“Any kid that comes up through your organization, it’s hard not to have a soft spot as you see him mature in front of your eyes,” Francona said yesterday afternoon. “But he’s got a special place in all of our hearts. Not just because of what he’s gone through, but because of how he went through it — the grace and the dignity that he showed through everything.”
What Lester went through, at the tender age of 22, was the frightening knowledge that his highly promising career might be over when it had only just begun to kick into high gear.
Brought up to Boston from Pawtucket early in the 2006 season, he won his first five decisions and was rolling along with a 7-2 record in late August when he was diagnosed with anaplastic large-cell lymphoma, ending his season.
While the World Series was going on that year, Lester was going through chemotherapy. He’d return from those sessions to his parents’ home in Puyallup, Wash., near Tacoma, and, even though he was feeling sick, he’d go out to the garage and throw baseballs — determined to be back with the team for spring training.
Pronounced cancer-free in December, Lester was back with the Sox by the end of July and proceeded to go 4-0, capping his comeback by earning the victory in Game Four of the World Series against the Rockies in Denver, giving up just three hits while holding Colorado scoreless through 5 2/3 innings.
Even though Lester pitched a no-hitter last May against Kansas City at Fenway Park, that win over the Rockies is the highlight of his career.
“It was the World Series,” he said yesterday. “It’s what you play for every year — to get a ring, to be the World Champs. To be a part of that is definitely unbelievable.
“Obviously, the no-hitter is nice. It’s something I’ll always remember. But the World Series means a heck of a lot more to me.”
Lester means a heck of a lot to Boston’s bid to be the first team to repeat as World Series champions since the Yankees in 2000. With projected Game One starter Josh Beckett pushed back to Game Three because of a strained oblique muscle, Francona has given the opening assignment to his talented young lefty.
“He didn’t call me into his office, or anything,” Lester said. “It was one of those deals where he let me know Josh was feeling a little pain in his oblique and I might be pitching.
“I’m excited. Whether it be Game One, or Two or Three, I was excited just to get the ball and have a little different role this year.”
Lester has played an important role in the success of the Sox this season, going 16-6, with an earned-run average of 3.21, while making 33 starts and pitching 210 1/3 innings — both team-highs.
A mild concern to the Sox tonight could be that Lester has been much better pitching at Fenway, where he’s 11-1, than on the road, where he’s only 5-5.
“I guess you just feel more comfortable at home,” Lester said, when asked about the disparity in his record. “I think, really, any player, or pitcher, will tell you that. You just have your routines that you feel more comfortable with at home, and you have the ability to do them on your schedule. On the road, it seems like you’re a little more rushed. You’re in a hotel room, in a place you really don’t know. But I’m not too worried about it.”
That statement is an example of the confidence Lester has gained this season — his first full year in the big leagues.
“I’m starting to realize,” he said, “that I can trust my stuff and be successful. I think it’s the consistency of pitching every five days. I don’t think there’s one thing that has changed my mindset, or helped a light bulb go on, or anything like that. You get in that routine, start to feel comfortable, start reeling off a couple of good starts, build up the confidence and let it snowball.”
Although Beckett was unbeatable last year in the postseason, going 4-0 with an ERA of 1.20 in 30 innings, Francona is confident that Lester can get the Sox off to a good start tonight.
“After that first month of the season (Lester didn’t win his second game until May 4), he’s been one of the best pitchers in the game,” Francona said. “He’s throwing a power fastball. He’s able to sink it, able to cut it. He can spin a breaking ball, throw a changeup, and he uses all the plate — in, up, both sides.
“He’s pitching with confidence. He’s healthy. The farther he gets removed from everything he’s gone through, the better for him.”
Lester never will completely be removed from what he’s gone through — and that’s not a bad thing.
“It’s definitely helped me put things in perspective,” he said. “The good games mean a lot to me, but the bad games don’t seem to affect me as much as they used to before all that stuff happened. Obviously, I don’t like to do badly. But, if I do, I know I’ve got another day.”
Lester was at his best that day in mid-May against the Royals.
“There is tension and anxiety in the dugout anyway,” Francona recalled, “but then you add the emotions because of who it was — not only with his teammates, but I’m sure if you looked and saw the ownership, and Theo [Epstein, the general manager] — we don’t need to hide our feelings for how we feel about our guys.”
