Every so often, a remarkable story comes along. Boston Red Sox lefthander Jon Lester was that story Monday night when he no-hit the Kansas City Royals.

When you consider that he faced an uncertain future when diagnosed with lymphoma a few years ago yet returned to pick up the World Series-clinching win over Colorado last fall and then tossed the no-hitter, it speaks volumes for his resolve and determination and the support system he had in place when he was undergoing cancer treatments.

When you hear him say Red Sox manager Terry Francona is like a second father to him, it also tells you what kind of person and manager Francona is and it sheds light on why this man has led the Red Sox to two World Series titles in four years after an 86-year drought.

He cares about his players and they reward him by producing for him.

The other fact lost in the shuffle is catcher Jason Varitek’s ability to handle pitchers and call a game. He has now caught a record four no-hitters.

The 24-year-old Lester’s no-hitter, less than 10 months after 23-year-old righthander Clay Buchholz’s no-hitter against Baltimore, also points to another reason for Boston’s recent success: the farm system.

In addition to Lester and Buchholz, second baseman Dustin Pedroia was the American League Rookie of the Year last season and outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury should be in the running this year.

Isn’t it interesting that Pedroia’s diving stop preserved Buchholz’s no-hitter and Ellsbury’s full-length extension and catch saved Lester’s gem.

Then you have 23-year-old Justin Masterson, who had an exceptional debut and made his second start last night.

The Red Sox have certainly had the money to stock up on veteran free agents but they smartly decided several years ago to upgrade their farm system and now they have one of the best in the business.

A flourishing farm system is invaluable.

Not only does it produce major leaguers, but they can be valuable trade bait as you try to put the final pieces to the puzzle together for a World Series run.

I’ve always thought it was a clever move by the organization to have three of its minor league affiliates in New England: the Class A Lowell Spinners, the AA Portland Sea Dogs and the AAA Pawtucket Red Sox.

And all three franchises are wonderful success stories.

Let’s hope the no-hitter propels Lester to a level of confidence and consistency that will carry over for years to come.

He deserves it.

He will be an inspiration to people dealing with cancer or other life-threatening illnesses.

Penguins-Wings should be good

While everyone is watching the Celtics-Pistons and the Red Sox, the Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins will vie for the Stanley Cup in relative anonymity (TV-wise).

It’s too bad.

These two teams represent what hockey should be: speed, skill, goaltending and star-studded rosters.

This is the dream matchup.

You’ve got the best forward in the game, Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby, against the best defenseman in Detroit’s Nicklas Lidstrom.

If you’re wondering who to cheer for, former University of Maine star Jimmy Howard is Detroit’s No. 3 goalie, but Pittsburgh has four former Hockey East defensemen in Brooks Orpik and Rob Scuderi (Boston College), Hal Gill (Providence) and Ryan Whitney (Boston University).

lmahoney@bangordailynews.net

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