Lester talks broadcasting, his HOF case, Steele and more
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This story was excerpted from Jordan Bastian¡¯s Cubs Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
CHICAGO -- Jon Lester is not looking to become a full-time broadcaster, but the former Cubs pitcher is increasingly open to seeing how he can lend his expertise from time to time. This week, he is back at Wrigley Field, beginning a sort of trial run with Marquee Sports Network.
Lester is helping out as a game and studio analyst during the current homestand. He joined the broadcast booth for three innings on Sunday for the Cubs¡¯ game against the D-backs, and he will also contribute to the broadcasts for games against the Brewers on Monday and Tuesday. Lester is testing the waters, but he is not looking to take too much time away from his family.
¡°I¡¯m so dang busy,¡± Lester said this past weekend after a stint in the broadcast booth. ¡°I¡¯ve got three kids and am running them around. I say I run an Uber service without the stars. I don¡¯t get any positive comments from them.¡±
Lester certainly has plenty of insight from his 16 Major League seasons, which included a six-year stint with the Cubs as arguably the greatest free-agent signing in team history. He helped Chicago end its 108-year World Series championship drought (one of three rings on his resum¨¦) and 77 of his 200 career wins came with the North Siders. Lester made the decision to retire in 2022.
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Here are some highlights of Lester¡¯s recent chat with Cubs beat reporters:
How did this test run with Marquee come together?
Lester: I¡¯m excited to be here. I wanted to do it and kind of see where it goes. But it¡¯s definitely not anything full-time. It just kind of happened here relatively recently. I¡¯ve talked about it but never really got past that aspect of it. I know a couple guys that do it and I talked to [Dexter Fowler] a little bit about it, other guys that do MLB and stuff like that, and picked their brains over the years and see if they enjoyed doing it. Guys had a lot of positive things to say about it.
Are you hoping this leads to more of an opportunity in broadcasting?
Lester: I think it¡¯s kind of all up in the air right now. The big thing for me prior to doing any of this was I didn¡¯t want to commit to something I couldn¡¯t see myself doing. If I commit to something, I¡¯m going to see it through. And the best part about being retired is I¡¯ve got the time to go to the games and the practices and stuff like that [for my kids]. If you commit to something and it¡¯s too much, then I start missing that stuff again, and that¡¯s not what I want to do. I think this is kind of just play it by ear and see where it kind of takes me.
What do you think about people comparing Justin Steele to you? And what have you thought of the pitcher he has become for the Cubs?
Lester: When you¡¯re younger, there¡¯s always kind of that older comparison. For me, it¡¯s nice, because I do see a lot of similarities in the way he pitches, the way he goes about it, his competitiveness, just his conviction to each pitch. I see a lot of that. But I think the big thing that people need to see is Justin Steele is his own person. Justin Steele is not me, and I wasn¡¯t whoever [people compared me to]. You¡¯ve got to kind of carve your own path, and I think he¡¯s doing that, and he¡¯s doing a real good job of it.
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What was your reaction last offseason to the Cubs hiring Craig Counsell as manager and parting ways with David Ross?
Lester: Obviously, when it¡¯s your buddy, it¡¯s a little harder to kind of see what¡¯s going on. But when you kind of step back and look at it as a business aspect, I mean, stuff like that happens all the time. You just have to think that the Cubs are trying to do what¡¯s in their best interest.
With the Hall of Fame induction happening, have you given much thought to your own Hall of Fame case when you¡¯re eligible?
Lester: No, I don¡¯t think about that. Like I¡¯ve said before, if I get that phone call, obviously I¡¯ll be the happiest person in the world. But I¡¯m not counting the days down to that day by any means. My big thing is I don't want to get my hopes up and be disappointed, so I¡¯ll take it day by day. And hopefully my name¡¯s on there and there¡¯s a few people that decide to check that box, and we¡¯ll kind of see where it goes from there.
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