Cubs’ Lester baseball’s top lefty in 2016
Jon Lester of the world champion Chicago Cubs was in OKC on Thursday to accept the Warren Spahn Award, which goes to baseball’s top left-handed pitcher.
Jon Lester hasn’t let a third World Series title settle in just yet.
That moment will be Opening Day at Wrigley Field — a banner raised and ring in hand. But that doesn’t mean Chicago Cubs fans have stopped celebrating. More than 100 Cubs fans Thursday night packed into the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame loaded with energy they carried in October, this time just to get a glimpse of Lester.
He was presented the Warren Spahn Award, which is annually presented to baseball’s top left-handed pitcher. They filled nearly 10 tables. They helped lead a standing ovation when Lester was introduced. They hooped and hollered at times.
“I got a little used to it growing up (with Boston), and this has blown it out of the water,” said Lester, who won two titles with Boston before joining the Cubs in 2015 as a free agent.
For Cubs fans, Lester believes it might only get better this season.
Lester told them the Cubs’ returning lineup is “stupid” with players such as MVP Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo and a healthy Kyle Schwarber.
And they’re all 27 or younger.
“It’s crazy how they handled situations and what they were able to do and accomplish at such a young age,” Lester said. “I know when I was 21, 23 it was hard for me to do that. They make it look so easy it’s almost like they’ve been doing it for 10 years.
“I think our guys were naïve to everything. We were supposed to win it this year, and we went and won it. That was the cool part for me.”
Lester said one thing about the upcoming season is that Cubs players won’t have to answer questions about a curse. He did have fun with that, though.
“Being a part of this one, I thought it was hilarious when I got asked about goats and black cats and (Steve) Bartman and all of that stuff,” Lester said. “You put a million people in that seat, and a million out of a million people would have done the exact same thing he did. I think it’s what you make of it.”
Spring training opens around Valentine’s Day across baseball, and the Cubs are already considered one of the favorites to win the championship.
Lester is already making the most of the Cubs being baseball’s target.
“I think going out and playing when you already have a championship is a lot easier than when you don’t,” Lester said. “I think it’s scary for opposing guys to worry about Kris Bryan, Rizz and all of these guys for the next however many years. It should be fun.”