Chicago Cubs: What if players were characters from Star Wars?

Jon Lester – General Leia Organa

Oh, boy. Here we go.

I don’t know if Jon Lester would agree with this. In fact, I can say pretty confidently he wouldn’t. But I’m going to make my case the best I can. First, let me say. I’m linking Lester to General Organa, the character you see in the latest installments of the saga (The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi). This is an important distinction.

Three years ago (to the day), the veteran southpaw chose to come to the Cubs, giving a young ball club a battle-tested leader to take charge in the clubhouse and on the mound. The 2015 season culminated in an NCLS appearance. That was followed by a World Series title in 2016 and another NLCS berth last year.

Without Lester, I don’t think this team learns how to battle through the ‘lows’ and stay even-keeled on the ‘highs.’ He represented hope to this fan base and the city, even. He brought years of fighting the good fight to the table and became the figurehead for a team desperately looking to end a reign of losing that had, more or less, spanned decades.

When the Cubs signed Jon Lester, I knew things weren’t going to be the same. Without General Leia Organa leading the Resistance, the First Order may have wiped them off the face of the galaxy without so much as a second thought.