Sox Drawer: Lester's dad diagnosed with cancer, too

Realizing that manager Terry Francona knew of Lester's father's illness at the time made this embrace all the more poignant

On the day Jon Lester takes the mound for the first time since his historic no hitter last week at Fenway, word has come down that his dad, John, has been diagnosed with the deadly illness as well.

Talk about an unwanted father-son connection.

Lester revealed yesterday that his father discovered he also had lymphoma about a month ago but the pitcher, who just tossed a no hitter last week, decided to keep the personal matter under wraps, telling only Boston manager Terry Francona, whom he considers a second father figure.

This helps explain the emotional embrace the pair enjoyed following Lester's gem last Monday against Kansas City at Fenway Park.

Lester says his father has already begun chemo treatments, but that the cancer is a slow growing and will not result in death.

The Lester family is from nearby Puyallup, Washington, so with the Sox playing in Oakland today and then Seattle beginning tomorrow the elder Lester will be able to watch his son pitch today and then be present at the games against the Mariners.

John Lester wanted his son to reveal that he had the illness so he didn't have to carry the burden of hiding such an emotional burden from his teammates and fans, and also to prove that if his son could overcome such a potentially life-threatening disease and handle the aftermath with dignity and determination then he could as well.

I think it's safe to say that everyone in the Nation, and baseball fans in general, will be rooting for the man who is responsible for producing such an inspirational son will be able to recover from this traumatic experience and become as much of a role model for cancer survivors as his namesake has.

Good luck, John, and get well soon.