Not this time. After surrendering 18 earned runs in his last four starts of 2011, Lester pondered over the Red Sox' collapse. Even in the company of family, the pitcher couldn't immediately shake the memories.
The collapse spawned a new mentality for the 28-year-old. Having dwelled on his blunders –– which reportedly included drinking beer and eating fried chicken in the clubhouse –– Lester pledged to set an example in 2012.
"I want to try to [become a leader]," Lester said on Sunday. "It's something that guys in my age group have never had to do because we've been around guys like [Tim Wakefield] and [Jason Varitek]. We've just kind of sat back and let them do their thing and follow them."
"I think it's time for us to step up and feel comfortable in that situation and do the best I can. Hopefully, by me just going out and pitching and doing the stuff in the weight room and in between starts, young kids can see that."
As a result of the newfound mentality, Lester settled into Fort Myers two weeks earlier than Sunday's report date. The All-Star pitcher also promised to sit on the bench with teammates more often during regular-season games.
That commitment level –– along with Josh Beckett's pledged approach –– certainly left a strong impression new manager Bobby Valentine.
"I'll tell you what, if [Lester and Beckett] lead by example as much as they've led by example in the last few days, that's enough," Valentine said. "What I've seen right now is plenty. If they don't pull back on the throttle on what they're doing, I wouldn't ask anything more."
For Lester, it's back to the fundamentals. When he first joined the Red Sox organization, he closely examined the way Curt Schilling, Tim Wakefield and Mike Timlin prepared themselves in spring training.
Now, it's his turn to teach.
"Going out here — we have a lot of young kids in camp — and just showing them, 'Hey, the first bullpen means something, the first sprint means something, the first groundball you take in [pitcher's fielding practice] is important," Lester said. "It sets the stones for the season."
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