Jon Lester can't throw the ball to first base and it nearly cost the Cubs big time in Game 7
The Chicago Cubs were seemingly cruising to a win in Game 7 of the World Series when Joe Maddon turned to starting pitcher Jon Lester in the middle of the fifth inning with a 5-1 lead.
But as great a pitcher as Lester is, he has one huge weakness and it immediately came back to haunt the Cubs: Lester can't throw to the ball to first base.
Since the start of the 2012 season, Lester has had the baseball version of the yips, similar to what golfers often get on the putting green. That is, he has a mental block about throwing to first base.
So when Jason Kipnis of the Cleveland Indians hit a slow roller in front of the plate with a runner on first base, Lester never even tried to field the ball. Catchers don't typically go out this far to field a ball, but Lester never even moved.
Since Cubs catcher David Ross had to rush the play, he never got a good grip on the ball and he threw wildly to first base.
The ball went into the stands and the runners ended up on second and third. Both runners would score on a wild pitch a few moments later and suddenly, the Cubs' four-run lead was down to two runs.
Lester's problems became clear shortly after the Cubs signed him to a $155 million free agent contract. In just his second start with the Cubs, Lester sent a pick-off attempt sailing well over the first baseman's head.
Curiously, Lester's problems began well before that. You can see in this chart that Lester just stopped trying to pick runners off of first base in 2012.
Sure enough, later in Lester's appearance in Game 7, a ground ball was hit back to him. Despite being so far from first base, all Lester could do was toss it underhand.
Luckily for the Cubs, it worked.
