Thank you Jon Lester

trekfan55

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Thank you Jon Lester.  2 World Championships, and a pleasure watching you pitch.
 
Hope you get another ring, and hope you return to Boston.
 

Beomoose

is insoxicated
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May 28, 2006
21,388
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Thank you, Jon Lester. Was a pleasure to have you as our ace, a joy to watch you  shut down the opposition, and a privilege to have your help bringing 2 rings home to Boston. Here's hoping you come back for more down the road.
 
Good luck in Oakland, would be really fun to see you and Billy get a ring out of this season.
 

Al Zarilla

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Dec 8, 2005
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BeantownIdaho said:
I traveled all the way from Idaho and saw Lester's last home start vs Royals....Hope it's not your last Boston home start.
Just got a call from my son who came by an extra ticket, so I'll be traveling just 42 miles Saturday to watch Lester pitch against the Royals. I will try somehow to wave my hat at Jon and say thanks. 
 

VaritekStays

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Jul 18, 2005
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By the muddy river
Like others here, I really don't want to say a final goodbye to Lester (who I've called Jon-boy his entire Red Sox career, as he's always reminded me of John-boy Walton), I will say "Aloha" with strong hope you'll be back with the Sox come April and our opening day starter once again.  Hope you get another ring during your tenure as a rental.....stay Boston Strong...Good NIght, Jon-Boy.
 

anaxamandr

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Thank you, Jon Lester. I hoped you were going to be on the Red Sox for life. You always played hard and always competed. I admired your attitude and your strength in surviving cancer and coming back to the big leagues. I'll be always be a fan, regardless of the laundry. And maybe, just maybe, you'll be back with us here in April.
 

Leskanic's Thread

lost underscore
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Jul 16, 2005
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A few years back, I was under-employed at a crappy desk job at Tufts University.  The one benefit to my low status was that they would have to pay me overtime to come in and work during commencement weekend.  Most everyone else in my building did, and after setting up and logistics sessions on Friday night and all day Saturday, and the actual ceremonies Sunday, everyone would end up really dragging on Monday.  One of my co-workers, Jim, wandered around mid-morning, waving two tickets from his 10 game plan in the bleachers -- of course one of the games was the night after commencement.  And of course he had no desire to go.  Would anyone take them off him, no charge?  The last time he had just not gone and left the tickets unused, Buchholz had thrown a no hitter.
 
Rested and ready, I said, "Sure, I'll take 'em."
 
I tend to start the "what if?" way too soon when I'm at a game.  If no one has gotten on after the third inning, I'm cocking an eyebrow.  "I mean...he could?"  Obviously, the dream eventually dies.  But Lester was dealing, and the Royals had no answer.  My then-girlfriend, now-wife likes going to games but doesn't really like the game, if that makes sense.  Some time in the sixth, she was looking at the scoreboard, and saying, "Huh."  She knew not to say anymore.  
 
The clusters of intoxicated fratty bros, some perhaps celebrating their recent graduations, still yelled jokes at each other and tried to get the crowd to start the wave.  But only when the Sox were batting.  When Jon came back on the bump, everyone was focused.
 
There may have been games when I screamed louder at the end.  But I don't recall a louder communal sound than after that last strike, all of us throwing as much noise as we could on the man with his two arms in the air.  After everything he had been through, and all he had already done for the team -- we were so happy to be there to witness.
 
On Tuesday morning at work, the only interaction I had with Jim was when he walked by my desk and said, "I don't to fucking hear about it."  He may be the only person I know who hasn't heard me talk about that game.  It was, to date, my last trip to Fenway as a full time resident of Massachusetts.  And the best game I've ever been to.  Thanks for everything, Jon.  I hope we can surround you with noise again soon.
 

singaporesoxfan

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I liked the line I heard on Baseball Tonight - Jon Lester's a jeweler, all he does is get people rings. Great pitcher, I hope he gets Red Sox West their rings, and I hope he's back in 2015.
 

Tyrone Biggums

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Aug 15, 2006
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Leskanic's_Thread said:
A few years back, I was under-employed at a crappy desk job at Tufts University.  The one benefit to my low status was that they would have to pay me overtime to come in and work during commencement weekend.  Most everyone else in my building did, and after setting up and logistics sessions on Friday night and all day Saturday, and the actual ceremonies Sunday, everyone would end up really dragging on Monday.  One of my co-workers, Jim, wandered around mid-morning, waving two tickets from his 10 game plan in the bleachers -- of course one of the games was the night after commencement.  And of course he had no desire to go.  Would anyone take them off him, no charge?  The last time he had just not gone and left the tickets unused, Buchholz had thrown a no hitter.
 
Rested and ready, I said, "Sure, I'll take 'em."
 
I tend to start the "what if?" way too soon when I'm at a game.  If no one has gotten on after the third inning, I'm cocking an eyebrow.  "I mean...he could?"  Obviously, the dream eventually dies.  But Lester was dealing, and the Royals had no answer.  My then-girlfriend, now-wife likes going to games but doesn't really like the game, if that makes sense.  Some time in the sixth, she was looking at the scoreboard, and saying, "Huh."  She knew not to say anymore.  
 
The clusters of intoxicated fratty bros, some perhaps celebrating their recent graduations, still yelled jokes at each other and tried to get the crowd to start the wave.  But only when the Sox were batting.  When Jon came back on the bump, everyone was focused.
 
There may have been games when I screamed louder at the end.  But I don't recall a louder communal sound than after that last strike, all of us throwing as much noise as we could on the man with his two arms in the air.  After everything he had been through, and all he had already done for the team -- we were so happy to be there to witness.
.
Replace Girlfriend with Fiancée and that's pretty much my story of how I got to the game that night. Getting to watch a no hitter behind home plate was an absolute treat. Sitting next to a few Royals scouts was fun too.
 

Van Everyman

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Apr 30, 2009
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And as a follow up:

@Ken_Rosenthal: My opinion is if #RedSox wanted to sign Lester, they would have done it already. Some with team, however, say Sox just operate differently.
 

RedOctober3829

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Jul 19, 2005
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Lester's comments to CHB after the game today on if he'd return to Boston.

"Anything is possible,’’ he said. “Obviously that’s still my family. I still got a lot of guys over there that I consider my family. I think when it comes down to it, if they [Red Sox front office] are competitive and we feel like it’s right, then absolutely, the relationship could continue.’’

http://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2014/08/02/shaughnessy-column-family-leave-has-new-meaning-for-lester/NDB8Pxy4sSpWSeAOIcFFTP/story.html?hootPostID=b7f9714fca292af19136f8987de889ef
 

Laser Show

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Nov 7, 2008
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@GordonEdes: As unlikely as it seems, and as improbable as it may be, Lester's last chapter here may yet to be written. I feel nuts just writing that

@ESPNJoeyMac: A few Red Sox players this morning said they're convinced Jon Lester will re-sign with Boston in the offseason.

As far fetched as it sounds, awfully hard not to get my hopes up. We'll see...
 

Kull

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Nov 1, 2005
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Last year was a revelation, and in some ways this year even more so. You found that extra gear and moved to a level that few pitchers consistently attain. And we've been privileged to see it. And all that went before, which makes it even more special. Thanks Jon.
 

CaptainLaddie

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Sep 6, 2004
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I remember when Lester was walking what felt like every other batter.  It was awful.  I was at the game against the Yankees where Lester got knocked out in the fifth or sixth in 2006, in that five-game series where the Sox were swept, and it was miserable.  I never thought Lester would become a reliable pitcher.
 
I'm an idiot, as it turns out.
 
I hated him.  I hate how it felt he'd go 5 innings in each start, walking four, striking out six, and giving out five hits.  It felt like a goddamn struggle watching him pitch, and that he'd never become the guy we wanted.  He was always going to be the kind of pitcher who drove fans mad, who made us bite our fingernails with every start.  But, I was wrong.  I'm an idiot.
 
Jon Lester is a strong second place for my favorite Red Sox pitcher since I've been born.  He became the kind of player you want to root for.  He's become a true ace pitcher, a #1 starter you can trot out there every fifth day or for a Game 7.  He'll be missed, but I suspect he ends up back in Boston.
 

BoSoxLady

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RIrooter09 said:
Jon you're from Tacoma. Stop saying y'all.
Jon has owned a home in Atlanta for several years. He purchased a new home in the same area during the recent off-season. His wife and her family are from the south. He considers himself a southerner.
 

Yaz4Ever

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BoSoxLady said:
Jon has owned a home in Atlanta for several years. He purchased a new home in the same area during the recent off-season. His wife and her family are from the south. He considers himself a southerner.
Shhhhhh!  I don't want to hear anything about him considering Atlanta home...only Boston :)