A Grand Entry, A Grand Exit
Jon Lester and Craig Biggio are having one hell of a week. Two guys that are inspirations on the field- and off. Two guys for whom that oft-bandied word “hero” could, and should, apply- though neither one of them would want that label.
On Monday, Jon Lester made his triumphant return to The Show, after being diagnosed with cancer last summer- at the age of just 22. At the time, the news was a kick in the gut to Red Sox fans everywhere, who watched him quickly blossom in his first season as a starter. How could a kid with so much promise, with such a sweet personality and hard-working ethic- how could a kid like that face cancer? Everyone crossed their fingers and hoped for the best for Jon, but there was also kind of an unspoken sense of loss for him. The road to beating cancer would be difficult enough, and the possibility of him ever returning to baseball was the last thing people were worried about.
But the thing was: Jon really didn’t ever seem to buy into that mindset. He pitched his last time in August, left the game, and quietly went about his battle… and by December he was declared cancer-free. He showed up in Fort Myers for Spring Training, shocking just about everyone- except for Jon Lester. He went through the paces in Florida, and then in A-ball, and then AAA-ball for the PawSox, quickly, quietly and efficiently rehabbing his way back, once again shocking just about everyone- except Jon Lester. And then came the call from Boston on Sunday, and he was on his way to Cleveland to take the hill. The fans and the media and his teammates all went a little crazy on his behalf, amazed and excited and proud and nervous and awed. But Jon just quietly went about his business, slapping hands with everyone in the dugout, and then taking down the Indians over 6 innings- and getting the W. Shocking just about everyone, except Jon Lester.
And then there’s Craig Biggio- my first baseball boyfriend, a Houston sports icon and tireless devotee of charity, a guy who I’ve written schmoopily about before, and who I once again find myself getting teary-eyed about. Craig announced his retirement, choosing to go out with a bang (3,000+ of ‘em, really) instead of fading away into the sunset. It’s the end of an era for me, because for my entire life as a baseball fan, Craig has been there. He was the main reason I ever became a baseball fan in the first place, and next to my Dad, is the person I love the most for giving me the gift of baseball. I literally cannot imagine baseball without him- and reading his goodbye made me cry like losing an old friend. He’s a class act, a consummate professional, a hard-working student of the game, who never sought the spotlight and never cared to be a star. He just quietly went about becoming the face of baseball for a generation of kids in South Texas, and the soul of baseball in Houston.
One kid on his way up, one legend on his way out. And in a week that brings us so much negative sports news, it’s guys like Jon and Craig – heroes, inspirations, just darned good men – that remind you just why we’re all sports fans.
