'I realized that Chicago likes beer': Lester didn't expect $47,000 tab after free beer offer
Jon Lester got $10 million from the Cubs just to buyout the final year of his contract. So there was no reason to be alarmed when his offer to buy Cubs fans a beer last fall proved to be popular.
Lester said the total bill was around $47,000. The deal was for anyone who asks to get one Miller Lite on Lester at certain establishments. On a Zoom call this week, the left-handed pitcher was asked if he expected the bill to be so high.
“God almighty, no,” he said. “I realized that Chicago likes beer, so that's good. I didn't know what to expect. I knew it was going to be fun, I knew we were going to have a good time with it. I wish I could have been there to be a part of it. But to see just the response of it was just awesome.
“A lot of great things happened. I've actually run into a few people, just so happened, that took part in it and they ended up buying me a beer. It's cool that we reached a lot of people. With everything going on, it was nice to try to have somewhat of a normal weekend. No, I didn't expect $40-something, but it was fun.”
Lester said of the current Cubs, he speaks to Anthony Rizzo, Ian Happ and manager David Ross the most, along with some of the clubhouse guys. After six years with the Cubs, Lester, 37, joined Washington as a free agent during the winter.
“Like I said in my press conference last year after my last start at Wrigley, I didn't know six years could go by so fast,” Lester said. “I had so many good times there, I wish I could have just slowed down a little bit and enjoyed them; sat back a little bit and enjoyed them a little bit more.”
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