The Red Sox selected 17-year-old left-handed pitcher Jon Lester as their first pick in the 2002 amateur draft. He made his first major-league start on June 10, 2006, against the Texas Rangers. He was the winning pitcher in Boston's 2007 decisive Game Four World Series victory at Colorado, and currently has a 3.21 ERA and is 16-6 with 152 strike outs. Lester became the third pitcher in World Series history to win a series clinching game in his first post-season start.
Lester successfully completed his 2007 comeback from a battle with lymphoma during the previous off season. After seeking treatment for a sore back in late August 2006, Lester was diagnosed with anaplastic large cell lymphoma. Referred to Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center for treatment of this rare type of cancer, he came to Seattle and underwent a total of six rounds of chemotherapy at the Hutchinson Center, recuperating at his parents' home in Puyallup, Washington, in between the sessions that took place once every three weeks. By December 1, 2006, doctors determined he was cancer-free, and in February 2007 he joined the Red Sox at their spring training camp in Florida. After some work in the minors, he returned to the major league mound against the Cleveland Indians on July 23, 2007. Boston won the game, 6-2.
Lester has taken time to meet young fans undergoing cancer treatment. A group of Boston-area college students have started The Lester Project, which raises money for the Jimmy Fund, a cancer research charity associated with the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. Lester has been honored with the 2007 Tony Conigliaro Award and as the AL Player of the Week (May 19-25, 2008) and pitcher of the month for both July and September, 2008.
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center is proud to honor John Lester as the 2008 Hutch AwardŽ winner.
Funds raised through the Hutch Award Luncheon benefit The Gregory FundŽ for early cancer-detection research at the Hutchinson Center. The Gregory Fund was established in 2003 as a collaboration of the Hutchinson Center and The Moyer Foundation, founded by major-league pitcher Jamie Moyer and his wife, Karen.
The Hutchinson Center was founded by Fred's brother Bill, a prominent Seattle surgeon, after Fred died of cancer at age 45. The Hutch Award was established in 1965 and was first given to Mickey Mantle. Other Hutch Award winners have included Moyer, 2006 recipient Mark Loretta, Craig Biggio, Willie McCovey, Willie Stargell, Omar Vizquel, Sandy Koufax and Carl Yastrzemski. In all, 11 Hall-of-Famers have received the Hutch Award.
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