Jon Lester

FULL NAME: Jonathan Tyler Lester

AGE: (on Opening Day) 24
DOB: January 7, 1984
BIRTHPLACE: Tacoma, Washington
HEIGHT: 6’2”
WEIGHT: 225lbs
BATS: Left
THROWS: Left

MAJOR LEAGUE DEBUT: June 10, 2006
ACQUIRED: Drafted in the 1st Round of the 2002 MLB Draft.

Jon Lester with a younger cousin in his home state of Washington. (outincenterfield.com)

PERSONAL INFORMATION:
The only child of John and Kathy Lester, Jon Lester was born on January 7, 1984 in Tacoma, Washington. In 2002, he graduated from Bellarmine Preparatory School in Tacoma and was taken by the Red Sox in the second round of the 2002 MLB Draft. He had to wait four hours after the scheduled start of the June 10, 2006 game against Texas, due to rain, but eventually went six innings for the Red Sox in his debut. Later in August of the same, Lester hit a low point in his career and life when he was diagnosed with a non-Hodgkin large-cell lymphoma. He underwent treatment back in his native Washington at the Fred Hutchinson Clinic. On December 5, 2006, Lester’s cancer was deemed in remission and he began his training for the upcoming 2007 season. While on a rehab assignment in Greenville, he met his current girlfriend, Farrah Johnson. The two of them have gone deer hunting together and Lester was with her when she shot her first deer. He also adds fishing to his interests and even caught a salmon one time with his uncle.

Jon Lester withstood a four hour rain delay to make his major league debut against the Texas Rangers on June 10, 2006. He went 4 2/3 innings and recorded a no-decision in the Red Sox's 7-4 loss to the Rangers. In those 4 2/3 innings, Lester allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits while striking out four and walking three. (AP Photo)

Lester meets with the media in August of 2006 after being diagnosed with non-Hodgkins large-cell lymphoma. (Boston Globe)

Jon Lester at his first camp, in Feburary, 2007, since his cancer went into remission in December, 2006. (AP Photo)

World Series Game Four starter and winner, Jon Lester poses with the World Series trophy. (AP Photo)

Jon Lester cleans off his spikes in front of a bunch of rookies after coming off one of the five practice fields at the Red Sox's Fort Myers Spring Training facility. (AP Photo)

Jon Lester throws a pitch in Spring Training 2007. (AP Photo)



Links:

Edes, Gordon. "A journey from cancer to champion for Sox' Lester" The Boston Globe 17 February 2008.

Multimedia:

VIDEO: Jon Lester chats with John Dennis and Gerry Callahan, on WEEI's "Dennis & Callahan," at the picnic table in Ft. Myers, Florida Thursday February 21, 2008.

Seattle Radio Station Interview