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Jon Lester Speaks On Emotional Return To Wrigley Field

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CHICAGO, IL - JULY 09: Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Jon Lester (34) is relieved in the first inning during the game between the Pittsburg Pirates and the Chicago Cubs on July 9, 2017 at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Quinn Harris/Icon Sportswire)

When Jon Lester was signed by the Chicago Cubs prior to the 2015 season, it sent a message to everyone in and around baseball…the Cubs were ready to win. Lester lived up to his billing, and earned every last penny of his six-year contract in Chicago.

During his tenure in The Windy City, Lester was a consistent ace, finishing second in the Cy Young in 2016, making two All-Star Games, winning the NLCS MVP, and most importantly… bringing the World Series trophy back to the North Side of Chicago for the first time in over 100 years.

Lester had his option declined by the Cubs for 2021, but shared his gratitude for the entire fan base by buying beer for everyone in Chicago.

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As Jon Lester is set to take the mound at Wrigley Field with the Nationals on Monday night, he took a minute to reflect on how it won’t be just another game on the schedule.

“I knew as soon as I signed and saw the schedule,” Lester said during a recent Zoom call with both Nationals and Cubs reporters. “You pick out certain road trips that are always fun, and obviously that was one that stuck out for me, for a lot of different reasons.

“I think Wrigley is so unique, and to end there last year with no fans, it will be nice to go back there and see that,” he said. “I’m looking forward to that. It’s such a unique place. I’m excited to get back on that mound.”

Cubs fans are bound to give Lester the loud ovation he deserves when he takes the mound at Wrigley Field on Monday Night. And he will have earned it. Many fans in Chicago consider Lester to be the greatest free agent signing in the history of the franchise, and he’ll always be remembered as the ultimate champion.

“That’s a huge compliment,” Lester said. “With the history in Chicago, a lot of great teams that have played, great seasons, great guys that have come through there, that’s a huge compliment. I don’t know if it’s true, but I really don’t know how to answer the question. All I can say is, it’s flattering. I just go back to (former Cubs president Theo Epstein) saying that I was going to live up to the amount of money they paid me. I feel like I was able to do that, and that’s kind of all that really matters.”

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