I Needed Jon Lester
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by Theoriginaljd As Seen On Six Pack Sports Report
I have been accused of being relatively negative from time to time. I take shots at a lot of people in the sports world and beyond that are usually warranted, but regardless there is rarely a sunshine and puppy dogs type post found on this website. It's the nature of the beast really - when you're as flawless as I am, it's difficult to come up with nice things to say about losers. But after giving it some serious thought there is absolutely nothing disparaging coming in the next few paragraphs, because last night I watched Jon Lester pitch a major league baseball game for the first time in 11 months.
Now by this time everyone is pretty much aware that less then a year ago Lester was scratched from a start because he had a sore back. He had been in a car accident in the lovely city of Boston (where car accidents happen about as often as handshakes), and he just assumed the soreness in his back was a result of said accident. After some testing it was revealed that he actually had a form of lymphoma (editor's note: cancer). I have made mention of this before but it bears repeating- I love the Red Sox. I should also mention that when Lester made his Fenway Park debut against the Texas Rangers I sat through a 4 hour rain delay to see him pitch.
As Red Sox fans we had heard about Lester for a long time. He was a can't miss left handed prospect who people like Peter Gammons would rave about. When Jonathan Papelbon made his major league debut and began to dominant the league the Red Sox brass were telling us - just wait until you see Lester. And when he showed up in Boston he was a mixture of good and very good. He would struggle with control, and his speed wasn't what we thought it was going to be. But he still found a way to work out of mistakes (ask the New York Mets), and he was winning games (7-2 in 14 starts). It seemed like with some seasoning this kid was going to be the left handed anchor of our rotation in the years to come. Then he was diagnosed with cancer, at the age of 22.
I'm not sure how old you are but it seems like more and more people from my generation are being diagnosed with cancer as kids. As a die hard Red Sox fan I felt like a member of my extended family had been stricken with the disease and it was tough. How does someone go from being a world class athlete one afternoon, to be told he has a potential life threatening disease the next? Lester handled the entire affair like a man, and he told everyone that he would be back.
Last night he made good on that promise. Lester could have come out and thrown 1 inning giving up six runs and not a single person would have said a word today. He would still be the Comeback Player of the Year in my book. But he went out there, with his family sitting right behind the Red Sox dugout (note: Was the girl in the Red Sox hat his sister, and if so could someone give her my number?) and Jon Lester threw 6 innings of 2 run baseball and got a win in a major league baseball game.
The final line on Lester was 6 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 5 K.
As a comparison last night. Clemens: 7 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3 K.
If I stub my toe this morning going to get a cup of coffee in the kitchen this blog will go on hiatus for about six months. This kid was diagnosed with cancer 11 months ago and last night save for the fourth inning he was a world beater. He gave up one two run home run, and loaded the bases with control problems in the fourth inning before settling down and pitching a strong game.
Last night was an emotional night. Not just for Lester and his family whom I can't even begin to fathom what they went through. But it was an emotional night for everyone - every member of Red Sox Nation (god I hate that name) who has followed Jon Lester's career, everyone who watched the game last night and has known someone who has survived, or god forbid died from cancer had to have some emotional experience seeing him on the mound last night.
At a time when the sports news landscape is full of stories involving star NFL quarterbacks killing dogs in the most inhumane way possible, or NBA officials with mob ties betting on the games he was officiating - last night was a story that we as sports fans needed. To see someone like Jon Lester battle back from what he went through and take that mound last night. That's why we're all sports fans. Today we'll go back to hearing about Mike Vick and whatever other scandal the WWL decides to focus on - but last night. Last night was great.
And that's why I couldn't think of a single tranny joke to work into this. Congratulations Jon Lester, I'll be watching.
