Lester focused on flying the 'W' as he returns to Wrigley
It seems like just yesterday Jon Lester was buying beers for anyone in Chicago who wanted one.
Now he'll be back at Wrigley Field on Monday as starting pitcher for the Washington Nationals. Kyle Schwarber will also make his return to Wrigley, along with Starlin Castro, who's been away from the Cubs for a little longer.
Lester spoke over the weekend about looking forward to facing former teammate Anthony Rizzo in a game situation. But mostly, his sights are set on the ultimate bragging rights.
"I want to win the game," Lester said. "I don't care about who it is. I just get bragging rights afterward. It kind of goes back to me and Lack (John Lackey), when we pitched against each other (in 2015). I pitched well, but at the end of the day, I lost. So it really doesn't matter.
"He won, so he comes to my house and drinks all my beer and rubs it in that he won the game. So at the end of the day, we win - that's all that matters. I hope to throw a perfect game and strike out 27, that'd be great. Move on and we can get this over with and kind of be normal again."
Lester, 37, got off to a delayed start this season after going on the COVID injured list. He's made three starts so far, with an 0-1 record and 2.25 ERA. Schwarber is hitting .213 with 5 home runs.
"I'm looking forward to my guys, my buddies and the trash talking has already started, or started a while ago in spring training when I saw Rizz," Lester said. "You get to face these guys in live BPs over the years and stuff, and that's fun because you get the trash talking involved.
"I'm sure there will be some smiles and some laughter out there a little bit. But you've got to separate the friendships when you step between the lines. Now I'm trying to win the game. It's go time. If I've got to hit you, I've got to hit you - like one of those deals. But I'm looking forward to it, it will be fun to see Rizz and those guys."
Last season, Lester talked often about trying to find a way back to the Cubs, even though he knew it was unlikely they'd pick up his contract option. Eventually, Lester signed with Washington and the Cubs later brought back Jake Arrieta. At the start of the season, Cubs president Jed Hoyer said maybe things would have been different had Lester been willing to wait a little longer, but what's done is done.
"I think the fans and the people on the outside don't understand a lot of times what we do, what we invest in the places that we're at," Lester said. "Chicago was my home for six years. We have a house there, my kids have grown up there. So you invest in a city. Your heart, your mind, your soul - you're invested in that place where you're working.
"When you're no longer there and have to make a decision on where you want to go and what you want to do - yeah, there's emotions involved. The hard part of this game is the business side."
Twitter: @McGrawDHBulls