Scottie Pippen is more than happy to help Jon Lester figure out how to throw to first base
Sometimes he'll go with a simple, safe underhand toss. Sometimes he'll run the ball over himself. Sometimes he'll throw both the ball and his glove at
In Spring Training this year, Lester is working with Cubs infield coach Brian Butterfield on a solution. For inspiration, they've turned to ... basketball.
"In the words of [coach Brian Butterfield], we're going to use the Jordan-to-Pippen bounce," Lester told MLB.com's Carrie Muskat on Sunday.
That would be Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen -- Chicago Bulls legends, Basketball Hall of Famers and noted bounce passers. And Pippen, for one, is more than happy to help out:
You’re welcome to take a page out of our playbook anytime, @JLester34. The bounce pass is underrated—whatever it takes to #FlyTheW. https://t.co/pUpnwby47z
— Scottie Pippen (@ScottiePippen) March 5, 2018
If that idea sounds a little crazy, consider that Lester has made it work for him in the past. Take, for example, this play during Game 5 of the 2016 NLCS:
Now we just need to make sure that Rizzo can dunk.