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Levine: Jon Lester The Linchpin Of Cubs' Championship Chase

By Bruce Levine--

CHICAGO (CBS) -- The turning point for the Cubs in this recent historic run was the signing of National League Championship Series co-MVP Jon Lester in December 2014.

Back then, these newly crowned NL champions were struggling to find their new identity. The accomplished Lester to a six-year, $155-million deal, and the rest is history.

Before the Lester signing, other big-time free-agent pitchers had said "thanks, but no thanks" to the offers from the Cubs. The credibility they were seeking came part and parcel with the Lester signing six weeks after the team had snapped up Joe Maddon to manage.

"Well, when you write a huge check, it's not that hard," president of baseball operations Theo Epstein chuckled on the field after the historic conclusion to the NLCS. "He has proven to be one of the best pitchers in the game. He is truly a proven postseason wizard. His poise in tough moments is without comparison. He truly set the tone pitching Game 1. Jon stayed under control, and everyone followed him to this moment."

Lester went 1-0 and allowed just two runs in 13 innings in two NLCS starts, both of which the Cubs won. It continued a terrific run for him, in which he's 26-8 since the 2015 All-Star break. That's followed a tough first couple months with the Cubs in 2015, when some whispered that he was on the decline after a slow start.

"I look at it as Theo, Jed (Hoyer) and ownership had a belief," Lester said. "I believed in what their belief was. The talent here speaks for itself. I didn't do anything. I came here because I wanted to win in Chicago. I am just happy to be here and be a part of this. I am so happy for the fans and the city of Chicago."

After clinching their World Series trip, all the Cubs echoed the same sentiment: It was a special night, but the journey's not complete.

"We still have a long way to go," said Lester, who's likely to start Game 1 against the Indians on Tuesday. "We will celebrate and have a good time tonight. We are still four hard wins away from doing what we set out to do in spring training. That has been a long way against some really good teams. I know that manager (Terry Francona) well and what type of dogfight we are in for. So we must keep plugging away. We still have some work to do. We will keep going."

Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score and CBSChicago.com. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.

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