Jon Lester
Jon Lester
Jonathan Tyler Lesteris an American professional baseball pitcher for the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball. He previously played in MLB for the Boston Red Sox from 2006 to 2014 and the Oakland Athletics in 2014. Less than two years after being diagnosed with lymphoma, Lester started and won the final game of the 2007 World Series for the Red Sox, and in May 2008, pitched a no-hitter against the Kansas City Royals...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionAthlete
Date of Birth7 January 1984
CountryUnited States of America
No matter what you do in the offseason, you can't simulate putting spikes on and standing in the grass and being around your teammates. When you're around your teammates, you step it up a notch. It's just kind of instinctive you do that.
Once I got settled in, I started throwing the ball a lot better.
It was nice to get the first one out of the way. I've thrown off that mound and I felt pretty comfortable.
Anytime you can see a hitter and face a hitter, you gain knowledge, and you gain that experience. Whether they hit a homerun off you, or you strike them out or whatever it is, it's information.
That's all right, too. What was important was me learning how to pitch. What each of us accomplishes helps the team.
The two biggest things that translate from the pitching mound to hunting and fishing are patience and perseverance. When you're on the mound, you have to take the game one pitch at a time, regardless of the score, and that approach helps when I'm in the woods or on the water as well.
Don't get me wrong: I wouldn't wish it on anyone. Even the word 'cancer' brings back the nausea and pain, the fear I felt, and the heartbreak I saw in my parents' faces. The smells that fill hospitals and the constant tired feeling that comes with treatment are also permanently stuck in my memory.
You can learn a lot from him. He's a vocal guy anyway. Whenever we're talking about drills and certain things, he's going to tell you what he thinks. Just watching him go about his business, he does it the right way. He does it professionally and gets his work in.
There's only certain things you can control. I know how hard I work, I know how I take care of myself, and those are the two things I can control. As far as injuries and wear and tear and stuff like that, it's going to happen.
As I travel the country for away games, I meet kids fighting cancer in almost every city. They visit the ballpark, and I invite them onto the field so we can chat and then watch the game.
Once you make the majors, it's never a great feeling to go back to the minors - no matter what the circumstances.
That game. The bad one. But you know, all around us, people were talking baseball. What to throw (Hideki) Matsui. Things like that.
You still have to pitch the same game, execute your pitches as best you can. If the shadows end up helping you out, then great, but you can't really worry about that stuff.
You never know when you're going to throw a no-hitter or if you're ever going to get the chance to do it. It's one of those deals where the ninth inning comes around; it's either going to be your night or just a complete game.