64 Facts About Jon Lester

Jonathan Tyler Lester was born on January 7,1984 and is an American former professional baseball pitcher.

Jon Lester played in Major League Baseball for the Boston Red Sox, Oakland Athletics, Chicago Cubs, Washington Nationals and St Louis Cardinals.

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.

Jon Lester helped lead the Red Sox to another championship in 2013, and he won the 2016 World Series with the Cubs.

Jon Lester started the opening game of a playoff series twelve times, most in baseball history.

Related searches

Jon Lester was named the Eastern League Pitcher of the Year and Red Sox Minor League Pitcher of the Year and was selected as the left-handed pitcher on the Eastern League's year-end All-Star team and on the year-end Topps Class AA All-Star squad.

Jon Lester was one of the Red Sox' top-rated prospects while in the minors, and other major league teams made efforts to acquire him.

The Texas Rangers had demanded Jon Lester be part of the proposed but ultimately rejected deal before the 2004 season for Alex Rodriguez.

Jon Lester underwent off-season chemotherapy treatments at Seattle's Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

Jon Lester attended spring training in 2007, and started the season for the class A Greenville Drive.

Jon Lester then started for Triple-A Pawtucket Red Sox in late April 2007.

Jon Lester made his first 2007 start for the Boston Red Sox on July 23 against the Cleveland Indians at Jacobs Field in Cleveland, pitching six innings, allowing two runs on five hits and struck out six, picking up the win.

Jon Lester became the third pitcher in World Series history to win a series clinching game in his first post-season start.

Jon Lester threw 130 pitches in the game, allowing only two walks and striking out nine batters, and was charged with a throwing error on a pickoff attempt in the second inning.

Jon Lester was a key figure in the Red Sox' victory over the Angels in the American League Divisional Series, pitching 14 innings without allowing an earned run.

Jon Lester received the 2008 Hutch Award, given to the Major League player who "best exemplifies the fighting spirit and competitive desire" of Hutchinson.

Michael Young hit a one-out double to left center field in the seventh inning to break up the no-hitter, but Jon Lester pitched a complete game, striking out a total of 11 batters, giving him 23 strikeouts in two starts.

Jon Lester pitched the sixth inning for the AL allowing no baserunners.

Jon Lester finished the season strong and developed an excellent pickoff move, but fell just short of 20 wins.

Jon Lester finished the season T-4th in wins and in fourth place in strikeouts in the Majors in 2010.

Jon Lester finished fourth in voting for the 2010 AL Cy Young Award as well.

In 2011, Jon Lester was the opening day starter for the Red Sox, on the road against Texas.

Jon Lester had a solid season, leading Boston's rotation in wins for the second year in a row and strikeouts for the third year in a row.

Jon Lester was named to the American League All-Star team, replacing Felix Hernandez, but did not pitch due to a lat injury.

Jon Lester struggled along with the rest of the team, losing his last three decisions, including giving up eight runs in a start against the New York Yankees.

Related searches

Jon Lester pitched the season finale against the Baltimore Orioles, pitching six innings and giving up just two runs.

Jon Lester later admitted that he and teammates occasionally drank during off-days.

On May 10,2013, Jon Lester threw a complete game one-hitter, with no walks, against the Toronto Blue Jays, facing just 28 batters.

On October 3,2013, Jon Lester was named as the starting pitcher for Game 1 of the 2013 ALDS against the Tampa Bay Rays in Boston's first return to the postseason since 2009.

Jon Lester tied Josh Beckett's Red Sox postseason record of striking out the first four batters to begin the game.

Jon Lester started Game 1 of the 2013 ALCS against the Detroit Tigers on October 12,2013.

On May 3,2014, Jon Lester pitched eight one-hit innings against the Oakland Athletics, where he had a career-high 15 strikeouts.

Jon Lester was elected to his third All-Star Game in July 2014 after posting a 2.

Jon Lester was the starting pitcher for the A's in the Wild Card game, against the Kansas City Royals.

Jon Lester received a no decision, as the bullpen blew the lead, and the Royals made a dramatic comeback to win the game in 12 innings.

Jon Lester made his first start for the Cubs during opening night on April 5,2015 against the St Louis Cardinals.

On May 27,2015, matchup with the Washington Nationals, Jon Lester hit a fly ball to deep center field that nearly eluded Denard Span.

On July 6,2015, Jon Lester recorded his first career major league hit against John Lackey of the St Louis Cardinals after starting his career 0-for-66 as a hitter.

Jon Lester led the major leagues in stolen bases allowed, with 44.

On July 31,2016, against the Seattle Mariners, Jon Lester came off the bench in the 12th inning and laid a bunt down to score the winning run.

In 2016, Jon Lester finished second in the NL with 19 wins, matching his career high.

Jon Lester led all major league pitchers in left on base percentage, stranding 84.

Jon Lester started Game 1 of the 2016 NLDS against the San Francisco Giants.

Jon Lester earned the win after tossing eight scoreless innings.

Jon Lester started Game 1 of the 2016 National League Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, he pitched six innings and allowed just one run and had a no-decision.

Related searches

Jon Lester started Game 5 of the series and pitched seven innings of one run ball, earning his third win of the postseason.

Jon Lester was named Co-MVP of the 2016 NLCS along with Javier Baez.

Jon Lester's performance helped propel the Cubs to the World Series for the first time since 1945.

Jon Lester was named the Game 1 starter of the 2016 World Series against the Cleveland Indians, where he took the loss after throwing 5.

Jon Lester pitched in relief in Game 7, which the Cubs won, to win their first championship in 108 years.

Jon Lester was named the Opening Day starter for the third consecutive year and the eighth time in his career.

Jon Lester was the first player to wear 34 on the team since Bryce Harper left in 2019.

On July 30,2021, Jon Lester was traded to the St Louis Cardinals in exchange for Lane Thomas.

Jon Lester earned his 200th career victory on September 20,2021, against the Milwaukee Brewers, making him one of only three active pitchers to achieve that mark.

Jon Lester has had well-documented problems throwing the ball to first base, normally a routine task for a professional pitcher.

In 2015, it was noted that Jon Lester had not attempted a pickoff for more than one year, before creating wild throws in his latest attempts.

In 2018, it was reported that Jon Lester tried to get around his problems by bouncing his throws to first base.

Jon Lester grew up in Puyallup, Washington and attended All Saints School.

Jon Lester later attended Bellarmine Preparatory School where he was a three-time MVP and three-time All-Area selection.

On January 9,2009, Jon Lester married Farrah Stone Johnson, who he met in 2007 while making rehab starts in single-A Greenville.

In March 2011, Jon Lester partnered with Charity Wines to release his own wine label under the Longball Cellars brand.

Proceeds from sales of his CabernAce cabernet support the Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, the place where Jon Lester himself was treated, to aid the development of targeted immunotherapies.

Jon Lester is partnering with former teammate Clay Buchholz who is releasing a Charity Wine, called ChardonClay, to raise money for the Jimmy Fund.

Jon Lester has written guest columns about his cause on Boston.