Much has been written and more has been said in recent days about the twenty-four year old Boston Red Sox pitcher, Jon Lester. His is an uncommon story of courage and inspiration. Lester came to the majors with great promise and a better arsenal of pitches. He won his first five games handily, the first left-hander to do so with the Sox. Then he began to struggle both on the mound and with back and neck pain. In September, 2006 Lester was diagnosed with a rare form of lymphoma, a blood cancer.
The dreadful diagnosis was shocking especially to Jon and his family. Treatment began in Boston and later continued in Lester’s home state of Washington. None of us had any way of knowing what the outcome would be but we knew that Jon was a fighter and he vowed to lick it and get back on the mound.
Sure enough Jon Lester was declared cancer-free and back pitching for the Sox a little over a year after his diagnosis. Then in Game 4 of the 2007 World Series, Sox/Rockies, there was Lester the winning pitcher. The Red Sox were world champions again and Lester was able to celebrate much more than a ball game. His courage and tenacity in beating back the cancer have been an inspiration to more people than he will ever know.
The rest reads like a Hollywood script. For on Monday, May 19, 2008 Jon Lester carried a no-hitter into the ninth inning of a game at Fenway Park between the Red Sox and the Kansas City Royals. After walking the first batter he induced two infield ground outs and then the final out, fittingly his ninth strike-out of the game. Of course he smiled and celebrated with his teammates and the fans. But it was the emotional hug between Sox manager, Tito Francona and his ‘other son’ Jon Lester that brought tears to my eyes. Lester has often said that Francona was like a ‘second father’ to him especially during his recovery. So, all the best to you Jon Lester as you continue your career in baseball and more importantly as you continue to inspire those who have their own struggles with catastrophic illness.
2 comments:
What a wonderful performance and a great story. Bravo John Lester!
Deetz- Just getting the opportunity to look at this. You amaze me with your baseball knowledge and impress me with your eloquent and introspective outlook on Lester's struggle. Thanks for the reminder that there was a lot more behind the no-hitter that night beyond the bat and the ball.
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