The appearance came five years to the date when Lester shocked Red Sox Nation by delivering the news that he had been diagnosed with cancer. Anaplastic large cell lymphoma cut short a rookie season in which he burst on the scene by winning his first five decisions, something that hadn't been done by a first-year Sox pitcher in 13 years.
On that night in 2006, Lester showed us a level of maturity you don't often see in a 22-year old. He talked about fighting back against cancer, about his plans to fully recover and become a pitcher the Red Sox could count on.
The following July, he was back in the big leagues. It was a remarkable return, and Lester was remarkable on the mound, going 4-0 over the final 10 weeks of the season. He was even more remarkable in the postseason that year, making three appearances and ultimately starting Game 4 in Colorado as the Sox won their second World Series in four years.
Five years later, he is one of the game's elite pitchers. More importantly, he is cancer-free. He no longer answers questions about his health, and no one questions his success. He has struck out the second-most batters by a lefty in team history, and has the second-best winning percentage in modern MLB history among pitchers with at least 50 decisions.
It's hard to remember now that it's been only five years since we wondered if he'd ever pitch again. He never doubted that he would return, always having faith in his caregivers and his ability to come back from the most frightening news he'd ever heard.
This week, NESN joined the Red Sox and WEEI in the 10th annual Jimmy Fund Radio-Telethon. Thanks to your generosity, we raised more than $3.3 million to help the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in its mission to strike out cancer.
At Dana-Farber, there are breakthroughs happening every year. Researchers are developing treatments that would've been considered miraculous just a few years ago. Many cancers are now curable, and it's all thanks to the support and generosity of Sox fans around the world.
Jon Lester is living proof that those efforts are paying off. At spring training in 2007, he told me he looked forward to the day reporters would interview him without asking about his health, or about cancer.
That day is here. The questions now are about his spot at the top of the rotation of a team headed back to the playoffs. He is no longer just a pitcher who beat cancer. He's a pitcher who can beat any team in baseball.
