Major League Baseball

Lester: 'I don't want to leave games'

Published Jun. 21, 2015 2:49 a.m. ET

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Jon Lester is as competitive as they come.

The Cubs left-hander always wants the ball in his hand and if he could, he'd pitch nine innings every time.

"I never [want to come out]," Lester told CSN Chicago. "That's just the way I've always been. I don't want to leave games. I feel like you always have more. But that's why you have managers and pitching coaches to make those decisions for you.

"I may not be happy at the time, but I'll never second-guess a manager and what they're trying to do."

Cubs manager Joe Maddon pulled Lester in the seventh inning of Sunday's game and Lester was upset with the move as he wanted tos tay in the game.

However, as Lester has said, the decision is up to the manager and Lester accepts that. But in this case, Maddon offered Lester an explanation of the move and it helped the left-hander understand the rationale of everything – regardless of whether he agreed or disagreed with the move.

"I don't need an explanation, but it's nice that he did," Lester said. "I'm not happy, but that doesn't mean I'm down there second-guessing or yelling at the manager. We're all competitors. He's competing along with us.

"I'll never second-guess what's going on in the game with moves and all that stuff. His job is hard enough, my job is hard enough, I just try to stay in my own lane.

"But the explanation was nice and I think that always kind of eases your mind when you do get an explanation."

(h/t CSN Chicago)
Photo Credit: Jon Durr/Getty Images

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