Cubs name Lester as Game One starter for World Series

NEW YORK — Veteran left-hander Jon Lester on Monday was named the Chicago Cubs’ starting pitcher for Tuesday’s World Series opener against the host Cleveland Indians. “It’s awesome,” Lester, the co-Most Valuable Players of the National League Championship Series, told reporters. “Especially to be a part of this organization with all the history and all that fun stuff that we keep being a part of and talking about.” The Cubs, appearing in their first World Series in 71 years, are trying to win their first Major League Baseball title since 1908 — the longest championship drought in professional sports. Lester will be going against 2014 American League Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber in the opener of the best-of-seven series. Kluber held the Boston scoreless over seven innings in the AL Division Series and allowed two runs over 11-1/3 innings in the AL Championship Series against Toronto to enter the World Series with a 0.98 ERA in the postseason. Cubs manager Joe Maddon is confident handing the ball to Lester. “Lester’s been there, done that before,” Maddon said after the Cubs punched their ticket to the World Series for the first time since 1945 by beating the Los Angeles Dodgers. In three career World Series starts while with Boston, Lester is 3-0 with a 0.43 ERA. In the National League Championship Series, Lester held the Dodgers to two runs over 13 innings in Games One and Five, resulting in two Cubs wins. “Joe (Maddon) talks about staying in the moment, stay relevant with what we’re doing now,” said Lester. “I think this group has done a real good job of that. “We’re the last two teams. This is one of the goals you set. You want to be the last team standing.” World Series managers downplay epic droughts World Series managers sent a clear message to their players Monday — pay no attention to the historic title droughts that have created such a tremendous buzz around your games. The Chicago Cubs, who have not won a title since 1908 in the longest championship futility streak in American sports history, worked out on the eve of the opener of the 112th World Series against the Cleveland Indians, whose title drought since 1948 is the second-longest in Major League Baseball annals. “I think we all have a tremendous amount of respect for history and what has happened before us or not happened before us, Maddon said. “But you go in that room right now, they are very young. Really not impacted by a lot of the lore.” The Cubs feature five starters who are 24 or younger, including 22-year-old shortstop Addison Russell. Not reaching the World Series since 1945 is ancient history to him and his teammates even as it represents a lifetimes wait for many of their devoted supporters. “We are impacted by our city and our fans and the people that attend our games and the conversations that we have,” Maddon said. “But I don’t think when there’s a groundball hit to Addie, he’s going to be worried about stuff like that. “They’re going to be in the moment. That’s what we’ve done and that’s all I preach. Hopefully they’ll be able to get this done and at that point you can really reflect on everything, interact with folks and really try to get down to the root of all of this. But in the meantime, man, I really anticipate and expect our guys to stay right in the moment.” It’s much the same for Indians manager Terry Francona, who in 2004 managed the Boston Red Sox to their first World Series crown since 1918. He can feel the excitement in Cleveland fans, who had not celebrated a champion in any sport since the 1964 NFL Browns until the Cavaliers won the NBA crown in June. He knows the Indians have not been to the World Series since 1997. But Francona knows such reflections are best done after the task at hand is finished. “I just think if you look too far back, you look too far forward, you miss what’s right in front of you,” Francona said. “These players have earned the right to try and see if we can beat the Cubs, and that’s going to be a tall enough task. But I don’t think we need to go back and concern ourselves with 40, 50, 60 years ago.” But even he couldn’t resist acknowledging the excitement, adding, “Now, if you win, it makes for a cool story.” Chicago is favored and despite Maddon’s talk about focus on the moment, the Cubs can feel the hopes and dreams of long-suffering Cubs fans worldwide resting on their shoulders. “We know how much it means to everyone,” Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo said. “But at the end of the day, we have to go out and play.” — Agencies