Jon Lester describes his special bond with Terry Francona
"I grew up with him, basically, as my manager."
Jon Lester might be competing against his old manager in the World Series, but that doesn’t change the unbreakable connection the two former Red Sox champions have with each other.
“I can’t speak for all the players that play under him or have played under him and all that stuff, but I think we have a unique friendship there,” Lester said of Francona in a press conference prior to the start of the Cubs-Indians World Series.
While Francona was Boston’s manager, Lester battled anaplastic large cell lymphoma after making his Major League debut with the Red Sox in 2006. After successful treatment, Lester recovered and returned to the Red Sox in July, 2007. He won the deciding game in the World Series that year against the Colorado Rockies, crediting Francona for helping him through the extremely difficult period.
Here’s the full quote:
#Cubs Game 1 starter @JLester34 on #Indians manager Terry Francona #WorldSeries #WBZ #RedSox pic.twitter.com/BhxmX7VaOz
— Joe Giza (@JoeGiza) October 25, 2016
Lester will start Game 1 of the World Series against Cleveland pitcher Corey Kluber.
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