(670 The Score) Before left-hander Jon Lester signed with the Cubs in December 2014, they were an organization striving for sustained success.
Already a two-time World Series champion at the time, Lester believed in the Cubs and their plan to win big. He turned down lucrative offers with proven contenders and instead signed a six-year, $155-million contract with the Cubs that helped usher in their golden era, which included winning the World Series in 2016.
"He's a big reason why this franchise turned into a winning franchise," Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo said of his former teammate.
"That reason is because of Jon Lester and how he changed the culture."
On Monday, Lester returned to Wrigley Field, where he'll start for his Nationals against the Cubs in the series opener. Lester played in Chicago from 2015-'20, but his final season was conducted without fans allowed inside Wrigley Field amid the pandemic.
Because of that, Lester never received his proper sendoff. On Monday evening, Lester should expect to receive a raucous ovation. It will be an offering of gratitude for what he brought to Chicago.
Lester was a key figure in five playoff appearances for the Cubs, three NL Central crowns and the organization's first World Series championship in 108 years. He was 77-44 with a 3.64 ERA and two All-Star appearances in his Cubs tenure, and his impact went beyond just his work on the mound.
When Rizzo was an 18-year-old prospect in the Red Sox's system in 2007, he was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphona, a rare form of cancer that attacks the lymph nodes. The Red Sox brought him in to meet with Lester, who had just returned to baseball after beating non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in the months prior.
A friendship was formed that carried from Boston to Chicago, with Lester and Rizzo sharing in success well beyond their respective cancer battles.
"The most generous person I've ever played with," Rizzo said.
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.