Series Preview: Sox @ Indians

GM1: Lester (NR) vs. Westbrook (1-5)

Jacobs Field 705 ESPN2

I am forsaking my usual lengthy, in depth and ultra-wordy series preview for this series because, frankly, none of that shit really matters.

What does matter is the fact that a man who has faced one of life's most devastating curveballs will return to the place that has been the source of so much joy and inspiration in his young life.

A pitching mound.

Red Sox lefty Jon Lester makes his return to the major leagues nearly one year after he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma in his back that forced the 23-year-old to shut it down following his final start of the '06 season, August 23rd against the Angels.

So to say Lester has come full circle would not be an understatement.

He has fought the dreaded C word and right now, with the disease in remission, has come out on top.

He has fought a pesky arm injury that forced him to make more AAA rehab starts than he or the Sox brass had planned.

And he has fought every skeptic and doubter who thought he'd never make it back to a major league mound.

Tonight it doesn't matter who wins, who loses, how Lester pitches or what happens next.

A courageous and extremely inspirational young man has come back from a possible death sentence to continue to do what he loves to do.

And in the end that's all that really matters.

Congratulations & welcome back Jon, and best of health to you.