Jon Lester’s pickoff woes: How big an issue?
By Tim Haberin
Jon Lester‘s first two starts in a Cubs uniform haven’t quite gone according to plan. One of the winter’s biggest free agent prizes has surrendered 18 hits and nine earned runs in 10.1 innings of work thus far. Chicago’s new ace is capable of far better and it’s a good bet that he will begin to show it sooner rather than later. Theo Epstein is certainly hoping so after making a $155 million investment on a player he’s well acquainted with from his Boston days.
But what has captured the baseball world’s attention even more than Lester’s bad early numbers is the way base runners are exploiting his discomfort in throwing to first base. His trouble making pickoff moves has even caused some to wonder if he is afflicted by that most dreaded of athletic psychological disorders… the yips.
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It all came to a head during Lester’s start against the Reds on Monday night, when he made his first two pickoff attempts in a long while: 67 starts, to be precise. Neither went very well. The first pulled first baseman Anthony Rizzo off the bag, and the second sailed over his head into right field. Fortunately for Lester, a great throw from Jorge Soler gunned down the runner at third base, letting him off the hook for at least the moment.
Players experiencing trouble with seemingly fundamental or routine elements of the game make for easy TV or talk radio fodder, but just how much of a problem is it if a pitcher like Lester can’t throw to first base? It depends, but looking at Jon Lester’s track record, it’s hard to say he’s been affected too negatively by not holding runners. Last season, he allowed 16 stolen bases, or one every two starts. Hardly crippling stuff. The concern now, of course, is that opposing teams will try to run on him more frequently after this fresh reminder of his pickoff aversion.
Of course, it’s easier to try that approach when a pitcher is not taking care of business at home plate either, as has been the case with Lester in the early going. If he tossed a couple gems instead of getting knocked around we probably wouldn’t be having this conversation, and Lester has intimated as much when addressing questions about the issue.
The topic of pitchers’ fielding competence (or lack thereof) often seems to arise when one is struggling in general. Red Sox starter Clay Buchholz recently drew the ire of Curt Schilling from ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball broadcast booth for failing to cover bases. He also happened to be in the process of getting shelled by the Yankees offense. The Yanks’ own CC Sabathia has sometimes been criticized for the same thing, and the criticism seemed to grow louder in the last couple years as he dealt with injury and ineffectiveness.
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Pitchers have arguably the toughest job on the field, particularly from a mental standpoint. Releasing a 90+ mph fastball, falling to either side of the mound and then having to react to a batted ball from that vulnerable position within a fraction of a second is easier said than done. The simplest plays can become anything but: we groan every time a pitcher scoops up a potential double play ball only to hurl it into center field. When pitchers are throwing well, they tend to be forgiven for the occasional misplay. During a poor performance, fielding gaffes have a way of magnifying mistakes and compounding one another.
It’s worth monitoring how this situation unfolds for Jon Lester. If he rounds back into form, it’s difficult not to see it dissipating rather quickly. A bit of renewed confidence can go a long way toward making those everyday throws look easy again. In the meantime, giving in to media scrutiny and fretting too much about his pickoff habits could have the adverse effect.
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