2007 World Series Champion Boston Red Sox: A Profile in Courage

 Courage is not a word I like to use very often when talking about sports. Does it really take courage for a man to go to the field and play a children’s game while making quite a bit of money? I don’t think so. It may take guts, determination, or even mental toughness to take the field in a big game with the whole world, or at least nation, watching your every move. Knowing one mistake and you will forever be remembered for it could seem a little daunting. But courage? Maybe I am playing a semantic game here, but the word courage should be saved for true heroes. Our military, our firefighters, our police officers, they are the ones who show courage when faced with true danger.

 Once in a while a sports story comes along that does inspire you, that brings you back to earth. A story that does show courage. This year’s Red Sox season had one such story. Am I talking about the unbelievable post season pitching of Josh Beckett? No. Am I talking about the clutch hitting of Dustin Pedroia or Kevin Youkilis? No.

 Who would I be talking about? I am talking about a man whose life was thrown into turmoil less than one short year ago. Jon Lester.

 That is the portrait of Jon Lester five days after learning he had anaplastic large cell lymphoma, while he faced the media, late last August. Jon had gone to the doctor to find out why he was having back pain, it was then that the doctors discovered enlarged lymph nodes.

 Jon was 22 at the time, he had just made his dream a reality by making it to the big leagues amid much fanfare as he was one of Boston’s most highly anticipated young pitchers. He showed signs of what he could become, but struggled with his control. He would often pitch himself into trouble but had the mental toughness to pitch out of trouble alot of the time. Nobody knew how much this mental toughness would be called in to play in the very near future.

 Jon Lester sat at his press conference with the Boston media and showed us the true meaning of courage as he calmly talked about his future and going home to undergo chemotherapy, he had to concentrate on survival now, baseball would become a distant memory.

 As the Red Sox 2006 season crashed and burned at the end of last season, Jon Lester continued his treatment and on December 5th we learned that Jon Lester was cancer free. With guarded optimism, because with cancer you never know, Red Sox nation was happy for Jon and his family. He must undergo tests every six months to make sure the cancer doesn’t come back. That will always be in his future. Jon underwent his last chemotherapy treatment three weeks later.

 When spring training opened up, there was Jon Lester fighting for a spot on the roster. The Red Sox were determined to be very cautious with Jon, as great a story that it would be for him to make the opening day roster, there was little chance of that happening. The Red Sox assigned him to extended spring training when the club broke North. He toiled there and was eventually sent to the Red Sox single A affiliate. He worked his way through the system but had many up and down performances. He never really got into a rhythm that would force the Red Sox into bringing him up to the major league roster.

 With the Red Sox in need of a pitcher on July 23rd because of a doubleheader against Cleveland Jon Lester got the call. With his parents in Jacob’s Field, Jon made the biggest start of his life. The emotions that must have been running through his mind are too much for me to even imagine. The broadcast kept cutting away to Lester’s parents as they cheered their only child on. Jon Lester turned in one of his best pitching performances going six innings and allowing two runs. But more important than that, Jon Lester was back having beat cancer. He went on to have an up and down regular season, as he did in his rookie campaign before it was tragically cut short. This would be enough of a fairy tale ending, but the story goes on.

 Jon Lester was on the playoff roster for the first two series but was in the bullpen, but when the World Series roster was to be finalized there was a liitle confusion as to who the four starters would be. Enter one of the most selfless men in baseball, Tim Wakefield. Tim was to be the starter for game two and six but back and shoulder problems made him doubtful. Remember, Tim Wakefield was the man who during the 2004 ALCS, when the Red Sox were getting pounded by the Yankees in game three went up to Terry Francona and volunteered to go into the game and take one for the team, giving up his game four start to save the bullpen. This move allowed the Red Sox to keep their bullpen more or less in tact and that was a big reason the Red Sox were able to go on and win that series. Tim Wakefield could have easily told the Red Sox that he was able to go in the World Series and nobody would have second guessed him. Instead he told the Red SOx he would be able to pitch game two, but didn’t know if he could pitch game six. He did what he thought was best for the team. Because of this Tim Wakefield was left off the active roster, something that must have bothered him. Not because he felt slighted, but because he probably felt as though he was letting the team down. This move allowed Jon Lester to take Wakefield’s spot. Jon Lester would pitch in game four of the World Series.

 With the Red Sox up three games to none going into game four it was Jon Lester’s turn in the rotation. The man that Tim Wakefield said he was glad to see take his spot was on the mound. Nobody can ever guess what could possibly be going through his mind. Less than one year ago he didn’t know what his future held, and probably never would have guessed he would have the chance to win the World Series.

 Could he possible be feeling pressure after what he had gone through, probably. The nation was watching, but after the battle he had just gone through, this would be just a game after all. Life would go on, win or lose, which was something he wasn’t so sure about not too long ago.

 In the clinching game of the World Series, Jon Lester went 5 2/3 innings before tiring and giving way to the bullpen. In the biggest stage of all, Jon Lester probably pitched his best game. Considering where he had come from, and all he had been through he gave the Red Sox everything he had and he came through.

 The Red Sox went on to win game four and the series, and while Papelbon finished the game, as he should have, Jon Lester was the winning pitcher in the final game of the Worl Series.

 I can’t think of a more deserving person than Jon Lester that could have earned the victory in the World Series final. Just to think of all he had been through, and all his parents had been through, to see him earn the victory was special.

 Jon Lester showed the nation what can be achieved with guts, determination, mental toughness, and yes, courage.

 Jon Lester showed us what mental toughness means on the field, and more importantly, what courage means in life.