Yet when Lackey takes the mound against his old team on Wednesday night, it’ll be just another start.
"We just need to win right now, man," Lackey said when asked if he will have any emotions pitching against the only organization he had ever known before the Red Sox signed him to a five-year, $82.5-million deal this offseason. "It doesn’t matter who you’re playing right now. I need to pitch well. We need to win the game."
It was that give-me-the-ball-and-let-me-pitch mentality that endeared Lackey to Angels fans, and which has given him instant credibility in Boston.
But with his new team struggling out of the gate and already facing a seven-game deficit in the loss column, Lackey seemingly has no time to reflect. Instead, much to the delight of Red Sox brass, he is focused only on helping to dig his club out of a hole.
"I’m happy where I’m at now," said Lackey, who was 104-72 in Anaheim. "I enjoyed my time in L.A., but it is what it is. We just need to win. Doesn't matter who’s on the other side."
Finally, after being pressed for some sort of emotion for several minutes, Lackey admitted to having some thoughts of the teammates he left behind.
"I still got friends over there," he added. "I wouldn't say I follow the team, but you definitely look up your boys and you want them to do well. I hope they have a good year, for sure."
Just as long as that year does not include a win at Fenway Park on May 5.
If that occurs, then a happy Lackey will take on a different demeanor, regardless of the success of his former mates.
"You know me," he said. "I’m [upset] when I lose to anybody."
