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May 20, 2008 2:07 pm US/Eastern
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Lester's Parents Thrilled With No-Hitter
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
Among those absent from Jon Lester's no-hitter at Fenway Park Monday night were his parents, John and Kathie Lester. They live three time zones away in Washington state.
John Lester tells me he didn't see a minute of the game on television. In fact, he never watches his son pitch on TV.
"I just get too nervous," he said. "I usually just sit out in the garage."
Lester's mother Kathie, however, was monitoring their son's progress as the game went on.
"My wife kinda gave it away," he said. "She came out after the 7th and told me what was going on."
"I just listened for the screams in the other room and when I heard the screams and yelling I went back in the house and figured he had done it. And then, of course, I watched all the highlights and reruns on TV."
He saved them too.
"I think I filled up both my DVR's on ESPN."
Jon Lester became the 18th Red Sox pitcher to throw a no-hitter. It's a remarkable achievement, even more so because less than two years ago, life threw Lester a curveball. A diagnosis of a rare form of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, a blood cancer. Lester was treated with chemotherapy and radiation in the 2006 off-season.
"I'm just very, very proud of him. As long as he stays healthy, as long as he stays cancer-free, that's all I really care about."
John Lester says he'll see his son next week when the Red Sox stop in Seattle. He says he's thrilled the no-hitter happened at Fenway Park, where fans have been so supportive and appreciative.
"I'm just thankful he got to do it in Boston, rather than any other place in baseball."
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