Lester comfortable making bounce pass
MESA, Ariz. — In a Cubs season that promises highlights, drama and cool October nights, some of the best entertainment could come every five days of the summer when somebody taps a ball back to the mound.
Get ready for a chance to see Jon Lester’s “Jordan- to- Pippen bounce pass” to first all season.
Sunday’s two- hop throwing error notwithstanding, Lester plans to continue to work with infield coach Brian Butterfield this spring on perfecting the alternative means of getting the ball to first as a way to combat his yips issue throwing to bases.
Lester tried it on his own at times last year but has formalized some of the technique under Butterfield, who worked with Lester while in Boston.
Butterfield said he only “tinkered” with the bounce- pass method with Lester in Boston. Nowthey work on angles and sightlines from both sides of the mound and throwing to first and second.
“He’s fine with everything that’s going on,” said Butterfield, who said Lester was actually upbeat after his outing Sunday. “Whether it’s throwing the ball in the air, whether it’s skipping it, I think he’s feeling good about where he is right now going into the season. And there’s still quite a ways to go [ this spring].”
Lester, in fact, all but dared opposing hitters to try to bunt at him this season.
“I almost welcome people to try to do that,” Lester said. “You have guys that are in the 3, 4, 5, 6 holes — I’d rather you bunt. Go ahead. Those are the guys that drive in runs, so I’d rather that those guys just try to get bunt singles. You saw it with the Dodgers two years ago. It definitely took them out of their game.”
Dodgers baserunners Enrique Hernandez, Justin Turner andHowieKendrick took enormous leads when Lester pitched in the 2016 National League Championship Series, especially in Game 5, when many of them also showed bunt early in their at- bats. Lester pitched seven innings and left that game with a 3- 1 lead on his way to earning coMVP honors in the series.
“He’s tough mentally,” Butterfield said. “And whatever we do I think that at some point he’s going to be able to conquer a lot of it.”
So was the “Jordan- to- Pippen” line Butterfield’s?
“No. I probablywould have used McHale- to- Bird,” he said.
NOTE:
Center fielder Albert Almora Jr. did not appear to be seriously hurt despite leaving the game in the fourth inning Tuesday with a bloody nose after making a nice play on a double to the rightfield gap.
Almora, who made a leaping catch on a highlight- reel play before hitting the wall in the third inning, cut off a ball in the gap in the fourth and spun to the ground as he quickly threw the ball to the infield. He appeared to smack his face on the play.