(670 The Score) Former Cubs ace and three-time World Series champion Jon Lester has a strong Hall of Fame case, but it’d be incorrect to think he’s at all preoccupied by the possibility.
“No,” Lester said on the Bernstein & Holmes Show on Thursday when asked if he thinks about his chances to reach Cooperstown. “No, not really. Because I still think it’s like a fairy tale. It’s something – you know, like I’ve always said, my goal as a kid was to get to the big leagues. And then when I got to the big leagues, my goal was to try to be a Curt Schilling, a Josh Beckett, a Roger Clemens, a Randy Johnson – a guy that when it mattered the most, I was the guy they said they wanted out there. So I checked those two boxes off, then the other one was being a good teammate, being accountable for my routine and my work ethic and playing the game the right way.”
In January, the 38-year-old Lester announced his retirement after an illustrious 16-year MLB career, over which he went 200-117 with a 3.66 ERA and was a five-time All-Star. Lester played for the Cubs for six of those seasons, helping fuel their rise not just with his on-field performance but his leadership in the clubhouse as well. It culminated with a long-awaited World Series title in 2016 for the organization.
Lester also earned titles with the Red Sox in 2007 and 2013. He was a premier performer in the playoffs, compiling a 2.51 ERA and 1.02 WHIP in 26 appearances, including 22 starts, in the postseason.
Lester will be Hall of Fame-eligible in 2027.
“At the end of the day, if all that kind of adds up and I’m fortunate enough to get my name called and go to kind of like the Wizard of Oz palace of the Hall of Fame, I think it’s just like a fairy tale to me,” Lester said. “I don’t want to say it’s not attainable, but it’s something that if it happens, I’ll be the happiest person in the world. But if it doesn’t happen, it’s not why I played the game of baseball. I played the game of baseball for those other reasons.”
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