Lester inspires thousands

by Ryan Grindle

"One ball, two strikes, two outs, ninth inning. Callaspo strikes out! Jon Lester has thrown an no-hitter at Fenway!".
In the past twenty months, Boston Red Sox pitcher Jon Lester has experienced the highest of highs and lowest of lows. Last year, in the midst of what was supposed to be his first full season in the majors, Lester was involved in a car crash. While he was being checked for any injuries, doctors soon found that Lester had contracted a rare, but curable form of lymphoma. After months of rehab, he returned to the mound in Cleveland where he won his first start back with the Red Sox. Months later, he won the clinching game of the 2007 World Series in Colorado. Now, at the age of 24, this young ballplayer has provided inspiration for thousands of people.
It is stories like this that prove that anything could happen, and this couldn’t have happened to a better person. Even during the game, Lester’s teammates could barely contain their joy. After the game, Sox Manager Terry Francona, who Lester considers “a second father” said, “I looked up in the ninth, and you're trying to keep your emotions in check and I went to say something to [pitching coach] John Farrell, and he was being a big baby next to me. It made me feel a little bit better”. After the final out, Francona and Lester hugged on the field, both with tears in their eyes.
Had it been any other player, this game would not have been so significant. With the greatest effort of his career (130 pitches, way more than usual), Lester brought hope to anybody who may face hardship and proved that it can be overcome in the end.