Jon Lester and Anthony Rizzo with the Chicago Cubs Getty
Jon Lester and Anthony Rizzo with the Chicago Cubs in 2016. Getty
During their time together with the Chicago Cubs , Jon Lester and Anthony Rizzo were key pieces of the puzzle that snapped a 108-year long World Series drought. They would also become friends, with a relationship that continues to this day.
Of course, by now, both players are retired. Lester largely spends his time away from the public eye, while Rizzo has taken to broadcasting. They're different approaches, and that recently led to Lester teasing his "complete moron" of a friend.
GettyJon Lester and Anthony Rizzo with the Chicago Cubs
It's been a busy year for Anthony Rizzo in his first season as an analyst. He's been working for both NBC Sports and Netflix, including as an analyst on Inside the Pitch and Sunday Night Baseball . He recently was also on for commentary during the Home Run Derby.
Meanwhile, Jon Lester appeared on North Side Territory . That's a podcast covering the Cubs. There, he was quick to tease his old friend.
"[Rizzo] is such an idiot," Lester said . "He's such an idiot… He is. I thought he was going to ride off in the sunset and go back to Miami and be on his boat, and I see him on TV more than I see anybody. I'm like, 'Damn, Rizz. Go home for a minute.'"
One of the hosts, Cubs beat reporter Sahadev Sharma, did step in to share some praise for Rizzo. After all, he has done a pretty good job on the air so far, making a transition that isn't always easy for former players to make.
"For somebody that is a complete moron, he does a great job on TV," Lester admitted.
Lester then took some time to get more sincere about Rizzo, explaining that he reached out privately to compliment the job he's doing earlier in the season.
"I told him that- I think it was one of his first games he did; I want to say it was in Philly or something, and they got him down in that little cubbyhole by the dugout. We just happened to be watching the game. And I was like, 'Damn, I know that voice. Who is that?' And they panned down to him," Lester said.
"And I texted him a couple innings later. And I was like, 'Dude, you're doing a good job, man. You sound good. You're being self-deprecating at the right time, and you're giving it back to the other guys.' He's done a great job. I thought he did a great job [Monday night] at the Home Run Derby… He's good at it. Like you said, he's quick-witted, and he tells good stories. He does a good job."
GettyJon Lester and Anthony Rizzo with the Chicago Cubs in 2016.
When Jon Lester landed with the Chicago Cubs in 2015 as a highly coveted free agent, Anthony Rizzo was establishing himself as one of the best first basemen in all of MLB . Together, they became part of the core that would win the 2016 World Series with the Cubs.
In that World Series season, Rizzo finished fourth in MVP voting, won a Gold Glove, and won a Silver Slugger. That saw him hit for an .899 OPS and 32 home runs. Meanwhile, Lester finished second in Cy Young voting in 2016, with a 2.44 ERA in 202.2 innings pitched.
2020 would end up being the last season for Lester with the Cubs. By that time, he was on the backslide of his career. Still, in six seasons, he managed to make 171 starts with a 77-44 record and 3.64 ERA. A model of consistency, that was the same ERA he had in nine seasons with the Boston Red Sox to start his career. 2021 would be Lester's last season before retiring.
For his part, Rizzo was traded to the New York Yankees midway through the 2021 season. In many ways, it signaled the end of an era of Cubs baseball, with the core that brought them the 2016 World Series scattered around baseball.
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