Levine: This Is What Jon Lester Came To Chicago For
By Bruce Levine--
ST. LOUIS (CBS) -- As postseason veteran Jon Lester leads the Cubs into Game 1 of the NLDS against the Cardinals, the 31-year-old left-hander appears to be his harshest critic. Lester expects to be at the top of his game right now after signing a $155-million deal with the Cubs last offseason in large part for this moment: to take the ball in a big game.
Lester was 11-12 with a 3.34 ERA during the regular season, not the numbers he expected from himself despite an injured arm in spring training that forced a slow start.
"I have no idea why this happens," Lester said of his slow start. "Trust me, I don't like sucking at all. April was tough on me, especially coming here (to Chicago) with all the expectations. To go out there and do what I did, I wasn't too proud of that. If I knew how to get out on a better start, it wouldn't happen as often. That said, I have been around a lot of guys (great pitchers) who said they really don't feel they are good with their mechanics and stuff until 100 innings are reached. Not sure if it's the big-bodied guys or what. If I did, inning one would go a lot smoother. This is just the way I am built and how I always have gone about my career."
Lester has zero to feel bad about. He brought instant credibility to the Cubs in the offseason. Lester's aura also took all the pressure off the blossoming Jake Arrieta, who transformed into a top-three pitcher -- and perhaps the best -- in baseball this season. The Cubs had been turned down by free agent pitchers Anibal Sanchez and Masahiro Tanaka in the previous two offseasons. After the Cubs lost 286 games between 2012 and 2014, the signing of Lester was validation that the Chicago franchise was to be taken seriously again.
The ascension to the playoffs are a product of executives Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer picking out a winning manager in Joe Maddon and winning players with track records of success like Lester.
"This is an honor to be a part of this (first Cubs-Cardinals postseason game)," Lester said. "I am still on the fly with all this being new to the matchup. After the series, I might be able to sum it up better."
Lester was solid but not great in the regular season against St. Louis, going 1-3 with a 2.59 ERA in five starts. The Cubs were 1-4 in those five games. However, Lester has quality postseason history against the Cardinals, winning two games against them and allowing just one run in 151/3 innings in the 2013 World Series that he helped the Red Sox win.
Lester was asked if this game will define his reason for coming to Chicago.
"No," he said. "I think of it as just another start. I can't look at April 15th any different than I look at tomorrow. You know what I mean? You have to look at it the same and prepare the same. That is why I am so routine-oriented. I must have my five days in between and prepare the same why for every start. I can't worry about one game defining my short stint with the Cubs."
Lester and his contract have defined the new era of taking this franchise seriously once again. For that, he's being paid money for more than what he does on the mound every five days.
Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score and CBSChicago.com. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.
