The Lester Story

Here's the story of how I learned of Jon Lester's no-hitter Monday night.

I participate in a men's modified softball league, and we opened up our schedule Monday at 6:00p. Being an adult crowd with older, more fragile bodies than those of the athletes I participated against in college, it took an additional 20-30 minutes for everyone to get their arms and legs loose. As a result, the game didn't really get underway until about half past six. Given the circumstances, there was no reason for me to need my phone; I'd be playing, plus my wife, who was at the game, had hers in the event of an emergency. So, my phone was left on the dresser in our bedroom at home.

Sparing the details of the game, the Dempsey & Baxter Pornstars (the lovely name of the team of which I happen to be affiliated) were victorious by a score of 28-10. With 38 combined runs, including a 13-run top of the 6th, it goes without saying that this softball game carried on well beyond that of your average softball game. Not only did we start late, but we ended late as well.

The wife and I arrived home a little before 8:30. At this point, we had yet to eat dinner given the small window of time between the end of the work day and the beginning of the game. So, we quickly prepared and enjoyed a small dinner together. By the time dinner was finished and I got the opportunity to check my phone for messages, it was just beyond 9:30.

I flipped open my phone to find that I had FOUR VOICEMAILS! I'm lucky to get four voicemails in a week let alone get four in a period of four hours. In checking my missed calls, I saw that three of the four were from my friend and fellow Sox fan, Dan, with whom I went to Buffalo for last year's NCAA Tournament. I knew something was up because Dan only calls me to discuss the Sox.

The first message, 8:35: "Shane. Dan. Just wanted to let you know that Lester's got a no-hitter through five."

Second message, 9:09: "Lester's got a no-hitter through seven. Sox up 7-0."

Third message, 9:21: "Lester's got a no-hitter through eight. ESPN is going to cut to the game in the 9th."

Of course, I start panicking. I realize that, at this point, there's a good chance I've missed everything completely. I'm frantically tearing apart the bedroom trying to find the remote to the television. I can't tell you how fast I hit the numbers 1-7-0 for ESPN when I finally found it and switched the TV on.

In the most anticlimactic of moments, there were Jon Lester and Terry Francona already embracing each other in one of the proudest hugs I'd ever seen. I had missed the no-hitter, though!

Seriously, what more is left for this kid to do?

Completely! There aren't many better moments in baseball than watching the final out being recorded in a no-hitter, especially when that last out is a K. And I missed the whole damn thing by only a minute or two. My disappointment quickly subsided as it was replaced by elation - elation brought on not only by the fact that the Red Sox had just thrown a no-hitter, but that Jon Lester, a man 100 times more deserving than I will ever be, had just thrown a no-hitter.

The storylines surrounding this young man, although common knowledge now, are truly remarkable nonetheless. In the all too familiar storyline, Lester was scratched from a scheduled late August start against the Oakland A's in 2006 due to what was thought to be a sore back. About a week later, that sore back was actually determined to be a form of anaplastic large cell lymphoma, albeit treatable. In December later that same year, it was revealed that Lester had apparently won his battle with cancer as his disease appeared to be in remission.

Lester did not return to a big league mound until July 23, 2007 at Jacobs Field against the Indians. This was his first start in exactly 11 months. Naturally, Lester pitched himself to a win by going six innings and surrendering only two runs. The Sox won 6-2. Lester would stay with the Sox for the remainder of the 2007 season and finish the regular season with a perfect 4-0 record (seven no decisions) and the Sox having won in nine of his 11 starts. His return from cancer culminated in his Game 4 start in the World Series against Colorado. Lester took home the 'W' as he went 5 2/3 innings of scoreless baseball propelling the Red Sox to their second World Series championship in four years.

So, in a little more than a year, Lester had beaten cancer and won a World Series clinching game.

For his latest trick, though, Lester decided to spin this no-hitter. In a 130-pitch gem, Lester struck out nine and faced only two hitters above the minimum, both of which came via bases on balls. The first walk was a result of a ball thrown after the count ran full, and the second came to the leadoff man in the 9th. If you think about that for a second, he was that close to a perfect game.

I'm sure Lester is more than happy to settle for the 18th no-hitter in Red Sox history, though. He is now only the second Red Sox lefty to accomplish such a feat, the last being Mel Parnell in July of 1956. He has also become only the second pitcher in baseball history to hold a Royals lineup hitless through an entire game. The first and only other to do it was Nolan Ryan in 1973.

With Lester's no-no, the Red Sox have now tossed the MLB's last two no-hitters becoming only the second team since 1974-75 to register two consecutive such performances. The last team to do so was the California Angels, both of those no-hitters being tossed by - who else? - Nolan Ryan. The Sox are second as a team in Major League history with 18 no-hitters, two behind the Los Angeles Dodgers. However, the Red Sox do have the most (4) no-hitters in the 21st century. The only other team with multiple no-hitters this century is the Florida Marlins (2).

Jon Lester wasn't the only one going into the record books for his historic performance. His battery mate, Jason Varitek, caught his record fourth no-hitter when he hauled in that last strike that breezed by Esteban German's bat in the 9th inning. He was also on the receiving end of Buchholz's, Derek Lowe's, and Hideo Nomo's no-hitters. And let's not forget that he caught 8 2/3 innings of no-hit ball June 7 of last year before Curt Schilling shook off the Captain and surrendered a single to Shannon Stewart.

Is there a Dodgeball 2 alongside Jon Lester in Vince's future?

But back to Jon Lester. I commented over at the Angry Fan that Lester's accomplishments are very comparable to those of Lance Armstrong. As we all know, Armstrong battled back from cancer to win something like seven consecutive Tours de France. Lester has battled back to win a World Series Game 4 and throw a no-hitter. Perhaps in the near future we'll see Lester in a SportsCenter commercial or hanging out with Matthew McConaughey or even co-starring alongside Vince Vaughn in Dodgeball.

Joking aside, Lester deserves credit as being one of the most courageous individuals in the public eye. To battle back from cancer and win a World Series game and throw a no-hitter in a little more than a year is absolutely incredible. In an era which has been marred by questions of steroids and PED's, Lester should be regarded as a hero since he has not only done it the right way, but the hard way.

Here's what the Blogroll is saying about Mr. Lester:

• The Angry Fan - "There is no 'yeah, but...' here. Just a dominating performance against a decent offensive team."


• Behind Enemy Lines - "I was more nervous than an expecting dad. After the last strike I nearly went through the roof. My neighbors are pissed."


• The Coffin Corner - "[Lester] was just locked in tonight. His control was fantastic... And he's beaten cancer to boot. It's Jon's world; we just live in it."


• Boston Irish - "What on earth does this amazing kid do for an encore? Beat a life threatening disease. Check. Clinch game four of the 2007 World Series. Check. Throw a no hitter. Check."


• A Red Sox State of Maine - "Even during our most disdainful moments, we are always hoping at some point we can love you like we want to, but to earn it you have to perform. Once you do, we'll be putty in your hands forever.
  
  "You took one huge step closer to that tonight, kid.
  
  "Congratulations to Jon Lester tonight for pitching the 18th no-hitter in the history of the Boston Red Sox. We're so proud of you!"

All of these quotes are good, but I think Fire Brand of the American League sums it up best on Lester's Baseball-Reference page: "He beat cancer. He beat the Rox for the World Series. He threw a no-hitter. What's next... Hall of Fame?"

Why not?