Cubs' Lester trying to fix fielding woes with bounce-pass throws to first
Jon Lester's issues throwing to first base have been well documented during his 12-year career, but he may have finally found a solution to his troubles.
At the suggestion of new Chicago Cubs third base and infield coach Brian Butterfield, Lester is beginning to toy with a new method of tossing to first this spring: bouncing it. The left-hander is working with Butterfield and his everyday first baseman Anthony Rizzo on the technique, which Lester compared to a bounce pass in basketball.
"We're working on the Jordan to Pippen bounce pass," Lester told Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times. "In (Butterfield's) words, 'Just eliminate all tension and bounce it over there.' We've been working on it early in the morning."
Lester busted out the bouncer in a game for the first time Sunday on a comebacker. Unfortunately, the two-hopper surprised his first baseman for the day, non-roster invite Efren Navarro, and it went down the line for an error.
Jon Lester's throws to first base are actually in mid-season form already. 😝 pic.twitter.com/Y4fmT2izXy
— FOX Sports Arizona (@FOXSPORTSAZ) March 4, 2018
For all that he's done in baseball - three World Series rings, four All-Star appearances, and a no-hitter, among other accomplishments - Lester has never quite been able to shake his Steve Sax-ian reputation when it comes to his fielding. He's attempted many solutions over the years, from bouncing the ball on his own (without proper technique, as he's learning now) to throwing his entire glove to first.
The issue even reared its head during the 2016 World Series, when he famously refused to pick off a dead in the water Francisco Lindor at first base (Lindor later stole second and scored).
Lester is aware of his issues and knows the scouting report on him around the league: run on him, bunt against him, make him field the baseball. So the 34-year-old is hoping that this new bounce-pass to first will help his all-around game - and he's not concerned about losing any style points while doing so.
"I don't care what it looks like," he said. "I don't care if it bounces 72 times over there; an out's an out."