Bleed Cubbie Blue: All Posts by Josh TimmersA Chicago Cubs Fan Community Since February 9, 2005https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47557/cubbieblue.png2024-03-27T23:30:00-05:00https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/authors/josh-timmers/rss2024-03-27T23:30:00-05:002024-03-27T23:30:00-05:00BCB After Dark: Take me out to the ballgame
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<img alt="San Francisco Giants v Chicago Cubs" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/TYIROyZaXhQ9Vof1Ngyx1Fxx8QQ=/0x0:5070x3380/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73237946/487151788.0.jpg" />
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<p>The late-night/early-morning spot for Cubs fans asks who will be the most critical player for the Cubs this year. </p> <p id="XLM2sh">It’s the end of another week here at <em>BCB After Dark: the grooviest spot for night owls, early risers, new parents and </em><a href="https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/"><em>Cubs</em></a><em> fans abroad.</em> It’s also the end of the winter. Tomorrow starts our busy season, so it’s good that you made it in ahead of the crowds. We’ve still got a few tables available. Let the hostess escort you to one. The season will start shortly. Bring your own beverage.</p>
<p id="8ZIBol"><em>BCB After Dark</em> is the place for you to talk baseball, music, movies, or anything else you need to get off your chest, as long as it is within the rules of the site. The late-nighters are encouraged to get the party started, but everyone else is invited to join in as you wake up the next morning and into the afternoon.</p>
<p id="7Ly1t7">Last night I asked you <a href="https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2024/3/26/24113230/bcb-after-dark-chicago-cubs-leadoff-craig-counsell-ian-happ-mike-tauchman-nico-hoerner">who you would put in the leadoff spot in the order to start the season.</a> The vote was very close, but 45 percent of you agreed with manager Craig Counsell’s decision to put Ian Happ in that role. Another 43 percent thought the job should go to Nico Hoerner. </p>
<p id="uwXXQn">The regular season starts tomorrow in Texas. Or for most of you reading this, later today. </p>
<p id="r6RUyu">Here’s the part where I play the music and talk movies. Those of you who want to skip that can do so now. You won’t hurt my feelings. </p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="4tpf8t">
<p id="S5kTWh">Tonight there is only one possible song to play for you: “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.” Here’s the great bassist Ray Brown playing the best song of all time. Jeff Hamilton is on drums and Gene Harris plays piano. </p>
<p id="gOD5ow">This is from 1991.</p>
<div id="zBFdp6"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/A_8zSKxxnx8?rel=0" style="top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; border: 0;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" allow="accelerometer; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share;"></iframe></div></div>
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<p id="Zpm5cs">I don’t have a movie to write about this evening, but in the spirit of Opening Day, I’m going to ask you to recommend some baseball movies. It’s that time of year.</p>
<p id="f9IeUD">There aren’t any limitations on what you can recommend, but I will remind you that almost everyone reading this has seen <em>Major League, Bull Durham, The Natural, </em>the original <em>Bad News Bears</em>, <em>A League of Their Own, Moneyball</em> and of course, <em>Field of Dreams. </em>(And I think I’ve made my feelings about that last one clear over the years. I don’t need to rehash it, although you can if you’d like.) We can talk about those films if you want, however. If there’s one of those you really love, let us know. (<em>The Bad News Bears</em> for me.)</p>
<p id="cRRzvD">When I pick out movies to write about, I try to pick ones that I think a majority of you haven’t seen. That’s why most of them are really old. (Also because I watch a lot of old movies. They are good for my mental health in ways new movies aren’t always.) So I’m going to recommend some films from the classic Hollywood period that maybe some of you haven’t watched.</p>
<p id="fqazHU">The original 1951 <em>Angels in the Outfield</em>, starring Paul Douglas and Janet Leigh, is definitely worth watching if you haven’t seen it. Another good one from that period is 1949’s <em>It Happens Every Spring,</em> which features Ray Milland and Jean Peters. Also Paul Douglas. He was kind of typecast as a baseball manager. As far as history goes, <em>The Pride of the </em><a href="https://www.pinstripealley.com/"><em>Yankees</em></a> (1942) is not very good. As far as being an entertaining baseball movie, it’s great. And we know Lou Gehrig’s “Luckiest Man on the Face of the Earth” speech more from Gary Cooper’s rendition than the actual speech. </p>
<p id="7fD1pr">Also, I’m going to encourage you to include films that have baseball in them but aren’t exactly baseball films. <em>The Naked Gun</em> is the most famous of that kind of film. One film that I really like is the <em>noir Experiment in Terror</em> (1962). Why? Because the climax is a chase at Candlestick Park while a <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a>/Giants game is going on. There’s footage of Don Drysdale, Wally Moon, Mike McCormick, Johnny Roseboro, Joey Amalfitano and Felipe Alou in the film. Vin Scully’s voice is heard. (MLB historian John Thorn has <a href="https://ourgame.mlblogs.com/experiment-in-identification-b3f65dc0b4dd">more on <em>Experiment in Terror</em> here.</a>) </p>
<p id="QoyRAO">So this is an open forum for baseball film discussions.</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="hEET6J">
<p id="i1tOBX">Welcome back to everyone who skips the music and movies.</p>
<p id="8HzK19">Al asked you yesterday <a href="https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2024/3/27/24052109/2024-major-league-baseball-predictions">how the Cubs are going to do this year</a> in his annual preview article. There’s also a piece coming tomorrow/later today where the BCB staff offered our thoughts on the season. There’s no poll there, but there were a lot of good questions and discussion in there and I hope you check it out when it publishes. </p>
<p id="vRqDbz">The first question we all offered our opinion on is which <em>one player</em> is the biggest key to the Cubs this season. You can check out our answers, but let’s hear your thoughts on the question now.</p>
<p id="aAFFSB">Which player is the key to the Cubs this year? This is an interesting question because it’s not just a pure “Who will be the most valuable player on the Cubs?” but rather which player are the Cubs counting on the most to come through. That certainly could be the team MVP. Or it could be someone the Cubs just need to be good because there is no one to replace him if he isn’t.</p>
<p id="utORB1">I’m going to give you a lot of choices, but it doesn’t make a lot of sense to give you 26 different options. I’m going to pick the ones I think are the ones you are most likely to vote for. There’s always the “other” option. </p>
<p id="DGpIyL">And yes, we know that everyone on the team is important to a successful season. I’m asking you to pick one that is the <em>most</em> important.</p>
<div id="6SLGYs"><div data-anthem-component="poll:12291555"></div></div>
<p id="WApV2V">Yeah, I left out Kyle Hendricks, Miguel Amaya, Luke Little—oh cripes, I’m not mentioning them all. But you can tell us about those players and how crucial they are in the comments.</p>
<p id="xnxvkg">Thanks to everyone who stopped by this evening. We got through the offseason together. Please get home safely—we wouldn’t want you to miss the game tomorrow. Recycle any cans and bottles. Tip your waitstaff. And join us again next week for more <em>BCB After Dark.</em></p>
<p id="eADC5Z">Play ball! Let’s go Cubs.</p>
https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2024/3/27/24114241/bcb-after-dark-chicago-cubs-opening-day-seiya-suzuki-cody-bellinger-christopher-morelJosh Timmers2024-03-27T07:00:00-05:002024-03-27T07:00:00-05:00Outside The Confines: Play Ball!
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<img alt="World Series - Texas Rangers v. Arizona Diamondbacks - Game Five" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/9gClmHnXCkktPD2dhIhbzi4Fjuo=/623x415:8042x5361/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73235853/1758916916.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Jordan Montgomery is a Snake at last. Decisions are made concerning who makes the Opening Day rosters. Looking ahead to the 2024 season and other news from MLB. </p> <p id="cGJQPO">I’m not going to have any Shohei Ohtani links today. I think we’ve covered that story well enough in other pieces on this site. If you have read something that you really think the rest of us should take a look at, feel free to share it with us in the comments.</p>
<ul>
<li id="S7XQZp">Free agent lefty Jordan Montgomery has signed a <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/39817355/source-diamondbacks-jordan-montgomery-agree-deal">one-year, $25 million deal with the Diamondbacks.</a> There is also a possible player option for a second season that would vest at different salary amounts depending on how many starts Montgomery makes this year.</li>
<li id="Je41k4">The Rockies have locked up shortstop Ezequiel Tovar to <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/39813955/rockies-ss-ezequiel-tovar-agrees-7-year-extension">a seven-year, $63.5 million extension.</a> He calls it a “rock solid deal” for both player and club. </li>
<li id="Es9Kx5">Leo Morgenstern <a href="https://blogs.fangraphs.com/tovar-so-good-rockies-extend-ezequiel-tovar/">evaluates Tovar and the extension that he got from Colorado.</a> </li>
<li id="pIe7AV">At age 40, reliever Jesse Chavez has <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/39817781/atlanta-braves-clear-spot-roster-jesse-chavez">made the Braves’ Opening Day roster</a>. It’s Chavez’s fifth stint with the Braves.</li>
<li id="DLnX6A">Outfielder Victor Scott will make his major league debut after making the Cardinals Opening Day roster. Scott will be filling in for Dylan Carlson, <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/victor-scott-ii-makes-cardinals-opening-day-roster">who is expected to miss several weeks with a shoulder injury.</a>
</li>
<li id="MvNr4t">Derrick Gould has <a href="https://www.stltoday.com/sports/professional/mlb/cardinals/how-victor-scott-ii-changes-dynamic-as-injuries-force-cardinals-to-rewrite-outfield-on-the/article_7bc4901e-ebb7-11ee-bfdd-47ef6f26773e.html">more on Scott and how the Cardinals are trying to reshape their team on the fly</a> after a series of injuries. </li>
<li id="NCLfor">The <a href="https://www.amazinavenue.com/">Mets</a> released Phil Bickford after <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/39815859/mets-phil-bickford-cut-winning-salary-arbitration">he won an arbitration hearing this winter.</a> By releasing Bickford before the season stars, he will only get around $218,000 from the Mets rather than his $815,000 arbitration award.</li>
<li id="NxPZmo">After being out of baseball last year, slugger <a href="https://twitter.com/gregbeacham/status/1772739085368439079?s=20">Miguel Sanó has made the Angels Opening Day roster.</a> </li>
<li id="Dp8vxs">
<a href="https://www.pinstripealley.com/">Yankees</a> outfielder Oscar González suffered <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/oscar-gonzalez-injury-update-yankees-outfielder-suffers-broken-eye-socket-after-fouling-ball-into-his-face/">a broken eye socket after he fouled a ball off his own face.</a> González was not expected to make the Yankees Opening Day roster in any case, but now he will start the year on the injured list.</li>
<li id="YmG3Gs">
<a href="https://www.azsnakepit.com/">Diamondbacks</a> closer Paul Sewald will <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/paul-sewald-to-miss-weeks-with-oblique-injury-for-d-backs">miss several weeks with an oblique strain.</a>
</li>
<li id="KX3Myf">Ken Rosenthal explains why the Rangers are <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516590&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftheathletic.com%2F5368124%2F2024%2F03%2F26%2Fwyatt-langford-texas-rangers-debut%2F&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bleedcubbieblue.com%2F2024%2F3%2F27%2F24113254%2Foutside-the-confines-mlb-news-jordan-montgomery-ezequiel-tovar-cardinals-victor-scott-ron-washington" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">so excited about rookie outfielder Wyatt Langford</a>. (<em>The Athletic</em> sub. req.)</li>
<li id="8Avjvf">The Giants gave Pablo Sandoval a big send-off in their final exhibition game in San Francisco last night. Alex Pavlovic writes that Giants fans <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/panda-thanks-due-many-giants-183821482.html">should be grateful for all the great memories the Kung Fu Panda provided.</a>
</li>
<li id="hoQOkp">Michael Baumann looks at the Guardians’ <a href="https://blogs.fangraphs.com/a-living-embodiment-of-the-idiom-penny-wise-but-pound-foolish/">Myles Straw and his bloated contract extension that will pay him over $5 million</a> to play in Triple-A this year. Straw is Cleveland’s version of David Bote, except that Straw’s extension still has three more years to run.</li>
<li id="LxxMfw">Mike Petriello argues DH J. D. Martinez is actually <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/j-d-martinez-good-fit-for-mets-citi-field">a pretty good fit with the Mets and Citi Field.</a>
</li>
<li id="YdQ5lT">When they do those “projected record” and “playoff odds,” often that’s simply hundreds or thousands of simulated seasons and the results tabulated. David Schoenfield looks at some of those individual <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/insider/insider/story/_/id/39786711/mlb-2024-dodgers-simulations-world-series-ohtani-glasnow-betts-freeman">simulated seasons to look at the best and the worst results for the Dodgers.</a> (ESPN+ sub. req.) I like the worst <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a> season. The <a href="https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/">Cubs</a> actually win the NL Pennant, but fall to the Orioles in the <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/world-series">World Series</a>. OK, I don’t like that “losing the World Series” part. Do you realize you have to be over 80 years old to remember the last time the Cubs lost a World Series?</li>
<li id="bz8jRA">Jordan Schusterman traces <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/how-the-mariners-assembled-and-developed-the-most-fearsome-rotation-in-baseball-its-unbelievable-what-those-guys-can-do-174240554.html">how the Mariners built a powerhouse starting rotation.</a> </li>
<li id="M0akT0">Ken Rosenthal talked to Jack Flaherty, who is on the MLB Players Association executive subcommittee, <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516590&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftheathletic.com%2F5365852%2F2024%2F03%2F24%2Fmlb-players-union-jack-flaherty-harry-marino-bruce-meyer%2F&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bleedcubbieblue.com%2F2024%2F3%2F27%2F24113254%2Foutside-the-confines-mlb-news-jordan-montgomery-ezequiel-tovar-cardinals-victor-scott-ron-washington" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">about the recent revolt against union number-two man Bruce Meyer.</a> (<em>The Athletic</em> sub. req.) Flaherty talked about what led up to it and apologized for how it played out. According to Flaherty, the two sides are now talking rather than trying to force a change. </li>
<li id="kYCHfX">Dayn Perry lists the <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/ranking-mlbs-top-100-players-in-2024-yankees-dodgers-braves-stars-headline-how-far-does-mike-trout-fall/">Top 100 MLB players heading into 2024.</a>
</li>
<li id="HDcbQf">
<a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/1-important-thing-learned-about-every-mlb-team-in-2024-spring-training">One important thing we’ve learned</a> about every team in Spring Training. </li>
<li id="mWORWw">David Adler has <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/spring-training-stat-lines-that-matter-for-2024">15 Spring Training stat lines that you should pay attention to</a>. That is, they aren’t meaningless. </li>
<li id="KC8eXZ">Sarah Langs has <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/mlb-milestones-to-watch-for-in-2024">11 players looking to reach milestones in 2024.</a>
</li>
<li id="eZpfrn">Jayson Stark takes note of the lack of current 300 game winners/3000 hits/500 home runs and <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516590&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftheathletic.com%2F5366843%2F2024%2F03%2F26%2Fbaseball-milestones-500-home-runs-3000-hits-300-wins%2F&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bleedcubbieblue.com%2F2024%2F3%2F27%2F24113254%2Foutside-the-confines-mlb-news-jordan-montgomery-ezequiel-tovar-cardinals-victor-scott-ron-washington" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">examines how long it will be until someone reaches one of those milestones</a>. (<em>The Athletic</em> sub. req.)</li>
<li id="iOrZZZ">Gabe Lacques has <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516590&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.usatoday.com%2Fstory%2Fsports%2Fmlb%2F2024%2F03%2F26%2Fmlbs-five-most-pivotal-players-for-2024%2F73101876007%2F&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bleedcubbieblue.com%2F2024%2F3%2F27%2F24113254%2Foutside-the-confines-mlb-news-jordan-montgomery-ezequiel-tovar-cardinals-victor-scott-ron-washington" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">five most pivotal players for 2024.</a>
</li>
<li id="YJOfVv">Sam Dykstra <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/rookie-of-the-year-candidates-2024">looks at the Rookie of the Year candidates for 2024</a> in both leagues.</li>
<li id="aiUB5A">It’s that time of year when publications that ignore baseball the other 51 weeks publish baseball articles. <em>Vanity Fair</em> takes a stab at it with Tom Kludt profiling the Mets, owner Steve Cohen, team president David Sterns and <a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/news/new-york-mets-2024-steve-cohen-david-stearns">the new approach the Amazin’s are taking this year.</a>
</li>
<li id="Cw5klC">Benjamin HIll and Josh Jackson have <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/must-visit-minor-league-ballparks-for-2024">one minor league park from each system that is a “must visit.”</a> The drive out to South Bend isn’t that hard, folks. OK, it is for me. </li>
<li id="gGXYD9">Mandy Bell asks Guardians players about <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/guardians-players-coaches-reveal-secret-uber-identities">what they say when their Uber driver (or whomever) asks them what they do for a living</a>. Yeah, if I played for the Guardians, I wouldn’t want to admit it either. (I’m joking. I’d be bragging about it all the time. But I can see how the real players might get tired of it.) </li>
<li id="rOyrD3">Eno Sarris talks to MLB players about <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516590&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftheathletic.com%2F5351830%2F2024%2F03%2F26%2Fmlb-the-show-scouting%2F&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bleedcubbieblue.com%2F2024%2F3%2F27%2F24113254%2Foutside-the-confines-mlb-news-jordan-montgomery-ezequiel-tovar-cardinals-victor-scott-ron-washington" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">their relationship with the <em>MLB the Show</em> video game.</a> (<em>The Athletic</em> sub. req.) Yes, a lot of them play it and some even use it for scouting. But I do like Triston McKenzie making himself a shortstop to see what his career would have been like as a hitter.</li>
<li id="V88sgV">Frederic J. Frommer speaks with Joy Hawkins, <a href="https://wapo.st/4998zz3">the first woman ever to serve as a PA announcer at an MLB game.</a> (should be unlocked) Hawkins stint was as a one-game fill-in for the Senators at the suggestion of her dad, who was the PR director in Washington at the time. It was a publicity stunt. But it certainly paved the way for more equality in the game, even if Hawkins herself had other interests.</li>
<li id="aJBVoX">Clinton Yates has <a href="https://andscape.com/features/ron-washington-didnt-take-shortcuts-in-his-baseball-career/">a longform profile of Angels manager Ron Washington</a> and his over 50-year career in baseball. </li>
<li id="lWHIg4">And finally, to add a bit of flair to the last piece, <a href="https://andscape.com/features/ron-washington-is-at-the-center-of-black-baseball/?addata=espn:mlb:index">there is a “Six Degrees of Ron Washington” infographic</a> that shows how closely Washington is connected to pretty much every Black major leaguer since integration. </li>
</ul>
<p id="g7gxJE">And tomorrow will be a better day than today, Buster. Because it’s Opening Day. Play ball!</p>
https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2024/3/27/24113254/outside-the-confines-mlb-news-jordan-montgomery-ezequiel-tovar-cardinals-victor-scott-ron-washingtonJosh Timmers2024-03-26T23:30:00-05:002024-03-26T23:30:00-05:00BCB After Dark: Leading off ...
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ithd5Y1LYO2-irAhVmcU01rG31k=/514x108:4170x2545/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73235501/1691763376.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>The late-night/early-morning spot for Cubs fans asks you who should be the Cubs leadoff hitter</p> <p id="Siq5oC">It’s another evening here at <em>BCB After Dark: the coolest club for night owls, early risers, new parents and </em><a href="https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/"><em>Cubs</em></a><em> fans abroad.</em> Come on in and sit with us. We’re all waiting for Opening Day. Let us know if we can get anything for you. There are still a couple of tables available. Bring your own beverage.</p>
<p id="V4qzCT"><em>BCB After Dark</em> is the place for you to talk baseball, music, movies, or anything else you need to get off your chest, as long as it is within the rules of the site. The late-nighters are encouraged to get the party started, but everyone else is invited to join in as you wake up the next morning and into the afternoon.</p>
<p id="Du57et">Last night I asked you <a href="https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2024/3/26/24112188/bcb-after-dark-chicago-cubs-alexander-canario-nick-madrigal-miles-mastrobuoni">about the final cuts to the Cubs roster</a> and whether Alexander Canario should have been the player sent down to Iowa. The vote was pretty closely divided, but 38 percent of you felt that Nick Madrigal should have been the one to go to Iowa. Another 36 percent felt the decision to send down Canario was the right one and another 22 percent of you felt that Miles Mastrobuoni should have gone to Des Moines.</p>
<p id="kG3fuw">On Tuesday night/Wednesday morning, I don’t generally write about movies. You can check out <a href="https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2024/3/26/24112188/bcb-after-dark-chicago-cubs-alexander-canario-nick-madrigal-miles-mastrobuoni">yesterday’s comments on <em>Certain Women</em></a> (2016) if you haven’t yet. But there’s always some time for jazz, so those of you who skip that can do so now. You won’t hurt my feelings.</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="2iVOJq">
<p id="15fAqm">Every once in a while I check out the jazz charts to see what’s hot in the world of jazz radio. And no one is hotter right now than drummer Ulysses Owen Jr. and his band Generation Y. Here they are playing “London Towne” last year.</p>
<p id="Vozsng">Benny Benack III is on trumpet, Erena Terakubo handles the alto sax, Luther Allison plays the piano and Ryomo Takenaga bangs it out on the bass.</p>
<p id="iGTuPC">This one is peppy.</p>
<div id="05nZUH"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/su_0JgGFNyo?rel=0" style="top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; border: 0;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" allow="accelerometer; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share;"></iframe></div></div>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="KNlo0W">
<p id="e3gKLn">Welcome back to everyone who skips the music.</p>
<p id="uQv2Mu">I don’t think any aspect of baseball is more over-discussed than lineup construction. We love to talk about who is batting leadoff, who is batting third, who is in the cleanup spot, but all of the evidence indicates that it doesn’t make a whole lot of difference. </p>
<p id="VENaeF">However, while lineup construction doesn’t make a lot of difference, it does make <em>some</em> difference. The impact isn’t huge, but it’s real. Maybe the optimum lineup construction can eek out a win or two a year. Not much, but that extra win for the Cubs would have made a huge difference last season, as you well know.</p>
<p id="vCKK9I">But I think this year, lineup construction is more important because it gives us some insight into what kind of an in-game manager new skipper Craig Counsell is going to be. And Counsell has made his choice clear—Ian Happ is going to <a href="https://www.marqueesportsnetwork.com/spring-training-notebook-cubs-final-tune-up-before-opener-plus-new-leadoff-hitter/">start the season as the Cubs’ leadoff hitter.</a></p>
<p id="4m7GkQ">That decision is a bit of a departure from David Ross, who only put Happ in the leadoff spot twice last year. Ross had Nico Hoerner (74 games) and Mike Tauchman (63 games) get the bulk of the leadoff duty last year.</p>
<p id="pqumHo">The saying is that the most important part of being a leadoff hitter is getting on base, and Ian Happ was nearly the best on the team in doing that last year, posting a .360 on-base percentage. Only Tauchman’s .363 was higher. However, that’s close enough that there’s no real advantage between the two of them. In addition, Seiya Suzuki’s .357 OBP and Cody Bellinger’s .356 were also in the same ballpark and could have batted leadoff as well. Nico Hoerner’s .346 is a little bit worse, but he also stole 43 bases, which is a secondary consideration for a leadoff hitter.</p>
<p id="gdkYMx">Now just because Happ is batting leadoff in Texas tomorrow doesn’t mean that he’ll be in that spot all year long. I would hope that Counsell is flexible enough to move Happ to a different spot if it doesn’t work out. In fact, I know he is. </p>
<p id="lqspF4">But tonight I’m going to ask you who you to play Craig Counsell and tell us who you would make the Cubs Opening Day leadoff hitter. Don’t bother figuring out matchups against Rangers Opening Day starter Nate Eovaldi—that’s not what I’m talking about. What I’m asking is whom you would make the everyday leadoff hitter until he plays his way out of the job. Obviously there would be instances where you, as the manager, would play the matchups and lead off with someone else. But who would be your default leadoff hitter?</p>
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<p id="MPny1T">Thanks for stopping by this evening. It was great to sit down and chat with you for a spell. Please get home safely. Recycle any cans or bottles. Tip your waitstaff. And join us again tomorrow for more <em>BCB After Dark.</em></p>
https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2024/3/26/24113230/bcb-after-dark-chicago-cubs-leadoff-craig-counsell-ian-happ-mike-tauchman-nico-hoernerJosh Timmers2024-03-26T00:30:00-05:002024-03-26T00:30:00-05:00BCB After Dark: Second guesses
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<figcaption>Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>The late-night/early-morning spot for Cubs fans asks if you the Cubs made the right call on the roster decisions. </p> <p id="ZS4pxh">It’s Monday night at <em>BCB After Dark: the groovin’ gathering for night owls, early risers, new parents and </em><a href="https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/"><em>Cubs</em></a><em> fans abroad.</em> Come on in and celebrate with us. Celebrate what? What do you got? There are still a few tables available. The show will start shortly. Bring your own beverage.</p>
<p id="rLZAiF"><em>BCB After Dark</em> is the place for you to talk baseball, music, movies, or anything else you need to get off your chest, as long as it is within the rules of the site. The late-nighters are encouraged to get the party started, but everyone else is invited to join in as you wake up the next morning and into the afternoon.</p>
<p id="ffdNuN">Last week, I asked you if <a href="https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2024/3/21/24107423/bcb-after-dark-chicago-cubs-javier-assad-swingman-start-relief">Javier Assad would throw more innings as a starter or a reliever</a> this season. With a 55 percent majority of the vote, you thought Assad would throw more innings as a starter.</p>
<p id="mHziDr">Here’s the part where we listen to music and talk movies. You’re free to skip ahead to the Cubs stuff at the end. You won’t hurt my feelings.</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="CNmEHD">
<p id="PbXCW3">I heard this song by the Barrett Martin Group as I was writing this piece and I enjoyed it. So now you can listen to it while you read it. I know nothing about it other than it is from 2020. </p>
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<p id="sbm2b4">When Martin Scorsese was casting <em>Killers of the Flower Moon</em> (2023), the biggest issue was who was going to play Mollie Burkhart, the Osage woman who was at the center of those Natives who were targeted for death. Scorese’s casting director Ellen Lewis told Scorsese to watch director Kelly Reichardt’s 2016 film <em>Certain Women</em> and pay attention to Lily Gladstone, who played a rancher in the final part of the film. Obviously Scorsese was impressed enough with the film and Gladstone’s performance to cast her as Mollie. The rest is history.</p>
<p id="8tiCXl">So I decided to watch <em>Certain Women</em> to find out for myself. Off the bat, <em>Certain Women</em> is a type of movie that I generally don’t like and try to avoid: the anthology film. Rather than being one story, the anthology film strings together three or more short stories that may or may not have some thematic connection. I generally don’t like anthology films because I inevitably feel that one or more of the stories are going to be duds. I also wonder why the stories (in this case, three) are not just three separate short films in a series. Or even—gasp—a TV show. </p>
<p id="KOuHzw">Having said that, I enjoyed <em>Certain Women</em>. Yes, I do think one of the three stories isn’t as good as the other two, but it’s not bad and it features a couple of pretty strong acting performances. The other two stories are quite good and the film kinda hangs together with an overall theme of life in Montana. </p>
<p id="iefBsP">Also, it’s not hard to see what Lewis and Scorsese saw in the then-unknown Gladstone, or why they said “There’s our Mollie Burkhart.” But of course, with Laura Dern, Michelle Williams and Kristen Stewart headlining the bill, <em>Certain Women</em> was not lacking for acting talent or star power either. </p>
<p id="wFVup0">The first story features Laura Dern as Laura Wells, a small-town Montana lawyer, and Jared Harris as Will, her client. Will is a builder/contractor who has been unable to work—or even care for himself properly—after suffering an on-the-job accident caused by his employer’s negligence. The problem is that Will accepted a small amount of money before he got a lawyer and his employer and the courts now consider the matter closed. Laura tries to tell him that they isn’t much she can do, but he keeps insisting, saying he can’t live like this. She finally gets a more prominent (and male) lawyer from a bigger town to explain this to him. </p>
<p id="1vMjvR">Feeling his life is over, Will breaks into his former place of work with a gun and takes some hostages. Laura is called upon to talk him down.</p>
<p id="IX8Wku">This is the flashiest of the three stories, with Dern and Harris and the hostage crisis. Reichardt obviously wanted to hook the audience with the most dramatic story. But the Dern/Harris story still feels like small and intimate movie. Will is never presented as much of a threat, even while holding people at gunpoint. Dern’s reaction to the situation is more like an exasperated mother whose child as locked himself in the bathroom than as a life-or-death situation. </p>
<p id="KL8p0C">That “small, quiet” theme continues in the second story. Michelle Williams plays Gina, a driven career woman who is living in a tent with her husband Ryan (James LeGros) and daughter (Sara Rodier) while her husband builds her “dream house” on their property in rural Montana. Her drive is alienating her husband and especially her daughter, who would probably prefer to just go to school, have friends, hang on social media and live in an actual house.</p>
<p id="u2vZyW">Gina has her sights set on some sandstone, salvaged from a local school that has been torn down, for a wall of her dream home. The sandstone is in the possession of Albert (Rene Auberjonois), an elderly man struggling with dementia. Albert lives alone with no neighbors for miles. Gina just wants to take the sandstone, figuring that Albert will never miss it, but Ryan worries that Albert might not want to part with the sandstone. (To be fair, Gina doesn’t want to just steal the sandstone. She just wants to give Albert some money for it and then take it and not worry about whether or not he understands what’s going on.) </p>
<p id="xmh1vb">This is the weakest of the three stories, but Auberjonois’ performance as Albert really elevates it. Williams is also very good, of course, but the way Auberjonois has Albert fade in and out of moments of lucidity is really the highlight of the second story. </p>
<p id="ltkSCg">The final story is the one that features Gladstone as Jamie, a rancher. Reichardt has us go through Jamie’s repetitive, silent and solitary routine each day as she keeps the ranch going. One night while out for a drive into the nearest small town, she sees several people walking into a school. Curious, bored and lonely, she follows them in. </p>
<p id="L29lNG">It turns out that the people were school teachers going to a probably mandatory class on education law taught by Beth, a young lawyer played by Kristen Stewart. Beth took this job in order to help pay off some of her law school loans, but she got the name of the town confused with another one and a commute that she thought would be about an hour turned out to be three hours. Beth asks Jamie why she’s in the class and she admits she’s not enrolled. Beth tells her she can stay if she wants because no one is going to check and no one is going to care. Beth also asks Jamie is she wants to grab a bite to eat with her at the local diner before she makes her three-hour drive back home. </p>
<p id="j70LoU">From that point, the very lonely Jamie starts to develop an unhealthy and obsessive crush on Beth. This class on education law becomes the highlight of her week—especially the meal at the diner that they share afterwards.</p>
<p id="nRKYHS">It’s clear what Scorsese saw in Gladstone in this performance. Jamie is an intensely-shy woman of few words, and Gladstone aptly portrays what is going on in Jamie’s head with glances and expressions. In other words, much the same as what she would go on to do as Mollie Burkhart, albeit with a lot more confidence and dignity. The third story is the most personal and in many ways the strongest of the three.</p>
<p id="kbPX6K">The three stories all come from short stories by Montana writer Malie Meloy. Reichardt has the three stories to subtly cross paths—Laura Dern walks by once in the third story, for example. That wasn’t really necessary because what really ties this film together is Montana. The quiet, the expanse, the people and just the lifestyle of small-town/rural Montana is the one feature that runs through all three stories. Reichardt tried to find the beauty in every aspect of these women’s lives. It’s not just the natural beauty of Montana either. There’s a lot of the mundane in here as well, such as the Native American dance troupe entertaining bored shoppers at a run-of-the-mill shopping mall. If you’re looking for a theme, it’s four women quietly living very different but very ordinary lives in Montana. Reichardt manages to make them interesting. </p>
<p id="ebGWev">Here’s the trailer for <em>Certain Women.</em> The four starring women have ten Academy Award nominations between them. (One win for Dern in 2020’s <em>Marriage Story.</em>)</p>
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<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="e7Mqvv">
<p id="nMYRbh">Welcome back to everyone who skips the music and movies.</p>
<p id="XQVDkk">The Cubs finalized <a href="https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2024/3/25/24111691/cubs-finalize-opening-day-roster-luke-little-nick-madrigal-jose-cuas-mastrobuoni">their Opening Day roster earlier today.</a> Tonight I’m going to give you a chance to play armchair general manager and tell me if you think Jed Hoyer, Carter Hawkins and Craig Counsell got it right.</p>
<p id="L5RHeg">Tonight I’m specifically asking you about the position players and the decision to keep infielders Nick Madrigal and Miles Mastrobuoni on the roster and send Alexander Canario down to Triple-A Iowa. From what I understand, both Madrigal and Mastrobuoni have options left, so either one of them could have been sent to Iowa instead. But the Cubs decided to keep both of them and send down Canario. At least until Patrick Wisdom returns. We’ll see what happens with Madrigal and Mastrobuoni when that happens.</p>
<p id="HmyJtM">In this article by Andy Martinez, <a href="https://www.marqueesportsnetwork.com/spring-training-notebook-why-cubs-optioned-alexander-canario-during-final-roster-cuts/">Craig Counsell explained the decision.</a> Basically, it’s mostly the same explanation that we normally get with a young prospect—that he wouldn’t get enough at-bats in the majors and they want Canario to play more. </p>
<p id="nPi2WN">But that doesn’t mean you have to agree with the decision. If you were in charge, who would have gotten sent down to Iowa? I’m going to give you the option of “other” if you think there was a way to keep all three on the Opening Day roster. That would probably mean the release of Garrett Cooper, but if you have a more creative solution you can tell us about it in the comments.</p>
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<p id="ieTeaU">That’s all for this evening. We hope you’ve had an enjoyable time. Please get home safely. Recycle any cans and bottles. Tell your friends about us. Tip the waitstaff. And join us again tomorrow for more <em>BCB After Dark. </em></p>
https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2024/3/26/24112188/bcb-after-dark-chicago-cubs-alexander-canario-nick-madrigal-miles-mastrobuoniJosh Timmers2024-03-25T13:11:00-05:002024-03-25T13:11:00-05:00Cubs finalize Opening Day roster
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<p>The final decisions on who is going north with the team were revealed today.</p> <p id="i2LQzV">With the first game of the season in Texas just three days away, the <a href="https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/">Cubs</a> revealed who will make up the Opening Day 26-man roster.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Cubs finalize roster:<br><br>IF Nick Madrigal and IF Miles Mastrobuoni fill out the bench<br><br>LHP Luke Little and RHP José Cuas get the final bullpen spots<br><br>OF Alexander Canario and RHP Hayden Wesneski optioned to Triple A; Wesneski will stretch out as starter</p>— Meghan Montemurro (@M_Montemurro) <a href="https://twitter.com/M_Montemurro/status/1772310441722519804?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 25, 2024</a>
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<p id="opXyJY">One question heading into today was whether or not infielder Nick Madrigal would be healthy enough to stay off the injured list to start the season. Madrigal’s play in Sunday’s Spring Training game, where he manned third base and had three at-bats, seems to have answered that question. </p>
<p id="gGWjW7">Canario also has enough talent that it may make more sense for him to get regular at-bats in Iowa rather than sit on the bench in Chicago. </p>
<p id="pw3dJI">The other major question was which two of these three relievers would get picked for Opening Day. Little always seemed to have an inside track because he’s left-handed. That he pitched reasonably well in Spring Training—allowing three runs in 8 <sup>1</sup>⁄<sub>3</sub> innings—seems to have locked up one spot for him. Cuas also seems to have outpitched Wesneski, but also Wesneski’s versatility may have hurt his chances. Once Wesneski did not get named to the rotation to start the year, the Cubs preferred to keep him in Iowa as a starter, where he can be called upon quickly when one of the inevitable injuries happen.</p>
<p id="NXBCWI">Being named to the Opening Day roster is a tremendous honor, but every baseball fan knows that just because a player is on the Opening Day roster, that doesn’t mean they are going to stay there. Simply because Canario and Wesneski didn’t make the Opening Day roster, that doesn’t mean that they won’t play a significant role in the Cubs fate this summer.</p>
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https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2024/3/25/24111691/cubs-finalize-opening-day-roster-luke-little-nick-madrigal-jose-cuas-mastrobuoniJosh Timmers2024-03-24T12:34:33-05:002024-03-24T12:34:33-05:00Cubs release Carl Edwards Jr., Dominic Smith
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<img alt="2024 Chicago Cubs Spring Training" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/L3jSABTQSKnFX6aUK4ycEn8Iszs=/0x0:7388x4925/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73229726/2063092992.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Matt Dirksen/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Two more cuts to the roster as we get closer to Opening Day.</p> <p id="JcQzIs">The <a href="https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/">Cubs</a> today announced that they have released two non-roster invitees to Spring Training, right-handed pitcher Carl Edwards Jr. and first baseman Dominic Smith. Both players opted out of their contracts when they were told that they would not make the Opening Day roster. The moves reduce the Cubs active roster from 36 to 34.</p>
<p id="82bNjW">Edwards, of course, was one of the heroes of the 2016 <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/world-series">World Series</a> championship team. He had pitched for the Nationals over the past two seasons and signed a minor-league deal to return to Chicago in February. He pitched in seven games in Spring Training this year and allowed two runs, one earned, on two hits over 6.2 innings. </p>
<p id="kNn7wY">Smith also played for the Nationals last year after spending the rest of his career with the <a href="https://www.amazinavenue.com/">Mets</a>. Smith went 9-for-26 (.346) with two doubles and a home run in Spring Training. However, after the signing of Cody Bellinger, there seemed to be little space on the roster for him. The decision that Garrett Cooper had made the Opening Day roster guaranteed that there was no space for Smith on the team.</p>
<p id="gKEr8X">Additionally, manager Craig Counsell revealed that outfielder David Peralta, another non-roster invitee, will remain in Arizona with the team after camp breaks and the team heads north to Chicago. Peralta, he announced, is still working his way back from off-season elbow surgery.</p>
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https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2024/3/24/24110577/chicago-cubs-release-carl-edwards-jr-dominic-smithJosh Timmers2024-03-22T07:00:00-05:002024-03-22T07:00:00-05:00Outside The Confines: We have a problem
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<figcaption>Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>A major gambling scandal breaks out with Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter. A recap of the Seoul Series. A revolt in the MLBPA. And other news from MLB. </p> <p id="m0d7sa">I’m going to assume that you’ve already heard about the gambling scandal surrounding Shohei Ohtani and his interpreter Ippei Mizuhara. I’m going to try to give you some links that will allow you to do some further reading and get some more insight. </p>
<p id="zstJvm">Also, I can’t promise that some of the information that I’m linking to won’t be out-of-date by the time you read it. </p>
<p id="ewaUzp">Another thing to remember, and I’ve discovered that a lot of people don’t seem to realize this, is that sports gambling is still illegal throughout the state of California. There were two propositions on the ballot that would have legalized it back in 2022 and they both were defeated soundly. The one that would have allowed online and mobile wagering only managed to get 18 percent of the vote. The one that would have allowed in-person wagering only at Indian casinos only managed to get 33 percent of the vote. Sports wagering is currently banned by the state constitution, so the only way to allow it would be through a state proposition. That’s in contrast to most other states where legislators could legalize it without voter input. </p>
<p id="O7y0Ot">Certainly. Mizuhara is currently claiming that he thought all of his gambling was legal. </p>
<p id="gmRdrs">Man, I hate doing the links column on news days like this one.</p>
<ul>
<li id="Y3WsU3">Here is a reprint of the first <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/shohei-ohtanis-attorneys-accuse-interpreter-211346199.html">Los Angeles Times story about Mizuhara’s gambling</a> by Gustavo Arellano, Adam Elmahrek, Nathan Fenno and Paul Pringle. I’m linking LA Times stories to Yahoo! reprints because it gets around any paywalls. </li>
<li id="ct1YbS">And here is the first ESPN article by Tisha Thompson <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/39768770/dodgers-shohei-ohtani-interpreter-fired-theft">that included comments from Mizuhara</a> that were almost refuted by others in Othani’s camp just a few hours later. </li>
<li id="FhsBZQ">Later on, Thompson reports that Ohtani’s representatives say that <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/39780093/sources-reps-dodgers-shohei-ohtani-ask-investigate-theft">they have contacted law enforcement about possible theft charges against Mizuhara.</a> They did not specify which “law enforcement officials” and no federal agents contacted MLB.</li>
<li id="0Axm1h">Jack Baer has a <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/shohei-ohtani-interpreter-scandal-piecing-together-the-confusing-timeline-based-on-what-weve-been-told-so-far-014454049.html">timeline of Ohtani and Mizuhara’s relationship and the scandal</a> that has unfolded over the past two days. </li>
<li id="LcLYlW">Craig Calcaterra <a href="https://cupofcoffee.beehiiv.com/p/cup-coffee-extra-breaking-shohei-ohtaniippei-mizuhara-story">breaks down the gambling scandal and offers three possibilities</a> as to what the truth might be. (Should be open to everyone.)</li>
<li id="b7Xuvi">Mike DiGiovanna has more information about <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/ippei-mizuhara-shohei-ohtanis-interpreter-191519763.html">who Ippei Mizuhara is and his relationship to Othani.</a>
</li>
<li id="faIsS6">Fabian Ardaya reports that <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516590&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftheathletic.com%2F5358623%2F2024%2F03%2F21%2Fshohei-ohtani-dodgers-interpreter-theft-quiet%2F&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bleedcubbieblue.com%2F2024%2F3%2F22%2F24108387%2Foutside-the-confines-mlb-news-shohei-ohtani-ippei-mizuhara-dodgers-padres-seoul-mlbpa" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Ohtani is not speaking with reporters or offering any comment about the scandal.</a> (<em>The Athletic</em> sub. req.)</li>
<li id="drrneq">Dylan Hernández opines that Ohtani should remain a kid on the field, but <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/hern-ndez-shohei-ohtani-needs-190000531.html">off the field he needs to grow up and start taking responsibility for his life.</a>
</li>
<li id="Jhj865">Kate Feldman spoke with some experts about <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/could-shohei-ohtani-face-punishment-for-interpreter-gambling-scandal-what-legal-expert-mlb-rules-say/">what kind of legal trouble (and trouble with MLB) that Ohtani could be in right now.</a>
</li>
<li id="yuTg7H">Steve Henson compares what <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/shohei-ohtani-another-pete-rose-162225392.html">we know about Ohtani to the Pete Rose scandal of the 1980s.</a> He also goes into more detail about relevant California law.</li>
<li id="E5c6WS">Gabe Lacques writes that this Ohtani scandal is a sign that <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516590&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.usatoday.com%2Fstory%2Fsports%2Fmlb%2Fcolumnist%2Fgabe-lacques%2F2024%2F03%2F21%2Fshohei-ohtani-interpreter-gambling-ippei-mizuhara%2F73051543007%2F&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bleedcubbieblue.com%2F2024%2F3%2F22%2F24108387%2Foutside-the-confines-mlb-news-shohei-ohtani-ippei-mizuhara-dodgers-padres-seoul-mlbpa" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">legalized gambling has changed sports forever.</a>
</li>
<li id="QHY2vl">Now shifting to the <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a> on the field, Jordan Shusterman has <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/4-takeaways-from-mlbs-seoul-series-including-yoshinobu-yamamotos-disappointing-dodgers-debut-155000566.html">four takeaways from the Seoul Series.</a>
</li>
<li id="VDbSR3">In his MLB debut, <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/39776466/yoshinobu-yamamoto-lasts-only-1-inning-dodgers-debut">Yoshinobu Yamamoto only lasted one inning</a>, giving up five runs to the Padres.</li>
<li id="WPrrLe">Kiley McDaniel has <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/insider/insider/story/_/id/39766023/opening-day-2024-scouting-los-angeles-dodgers-pitcher-yoshinobu-yamamoto-mlb-debut">a scouting report on Yamamoto’s pitching arsenal</a>. (ESPN+ sub. req.) This was written <em>before</em> the Padres shelled him. But we all know that one bad start is just one bad start, right? If Yamamoto gets knocked around like this in his over his next four or five starts, then yeah, the Dodgers have a problem. </li>
<li id="VvCwAy">This was written before the series, but it’s still valid. Ben Lindbergh writes that <a href="https://www.theringer.com/mlb/2024/3/19/24105728/mlb-opening-day-games-2024-dodgers-padres-seoul-series-korea">the Dodgers and Padres are two extraordinary teams this year.</a>
</li>
<li id="ZZs9ZZ">Now back to off-the-field scandal. Jeff Passan has the inside story of the <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/39775220/mlbpa-union-coup-tony-clark-harry-marino">brewing revolt in the MLB Players’ Association against deputy executive director Bruce Meyer</a>. the number-two man in the union. Although as Passan notes, if Meyer is forced out, executive director Tony Clark would likely resign as well. </li>
<li id="YOCogW">Matt Snyder, R.J. Anderson and Dayn Perry give you a playbill of <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/mlbpa-tension-explained-why-tony-clark-and-unions-no-2-could-be-in-jeopardy-as-scott-boras-calls-out-coup/">all the players in this union drama and the various ways it could play out</a>. </li>
<li id="Z8XjBq">Superagent <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/39773730/boras-defends-mlbpa-leadership-amid-power-struggle">Scott Boras has come to the defense of the current leadership</a> of the MLBPA.</li>
<li id="KG9YlG">
<a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516590&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.usatoday.com%2Fstory%2Fsports%2Fmlb%2Fcolumnist%2Fbob-nightengale%2F2024%2F03%2F20%2Fscott-boras-free-agent-market-2024-mlb-season%2F73047415007%2F&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bleedcubbieblue.com%2F2024%2F3%2F22%2F24108387%2Foutside-the-confines-mlb-news-shohei-ohtani-ippei-mizuhara-dodgers-padres-seoul-mlbpa" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Boras also speaks with Bob Nightengale about the frustrating offseason</a> that his clients had in finding new teams. Mostly, Boras talks about the positives. </li>
<li id="4KL8lu">One more off-the-field controversy. Marlins star Jazz Chisholm Jr., while praising the current clubhouse chemistry of the Fish, took <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516590&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftheathletic.com%2F5356273%2F2024%2F03%2F20%2Fjazz-chisholm-marlins-miguel-rojas%2F&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bleedcubbieblue.com%2F2024%2F3%2F22%2F24108387%2Foutside-the-confines-mlb-news-shohei-ohtani-ippei-mizuhara-dodgers-padres-seoul-mlbpa" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">a shot at the previous ways the clubhouse culture operated.</a> (<em>The Athletic</em> sub. req.) While Chisholm didn’t name the team captain he was criticizing, it was clear he was talking about Miguel Rojas.</li>
<li id="YgVC4h">The <a href="https://www.amazinavenue.com/">Mets</a> have agreed to a <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/39781510/mets-jd-martinez-agree-1-year-12m-deal-source-says">one-year, $12 million deal with J.D. Martinez</a>. </li>
<li id="D8RUdr">The Rangers have signed right-hander <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/39775193/michael-lorenzen-rangers-agree-1-year-45m-deal">Michael Lorenzen to a one-year, $4.5 million deal.</a>
</li>
<li id="VnXnlX">Jayson Stark has <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516590&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftheathletic.com%2F5357921%2F2024%2F03%2F21%2Fmlb-rule-changes-2024-pitch-clock-obstruction%2F&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bleedcubbieblue.com%2F2024%2F3%2F22%2F24108387%2Foutside-the-confines-mlb-news-shohei-ohtani-ippei-mizuhara-dodgers-padres-seoul-mlbpa" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">a guide to the new rules in year two.</a> (<em>The Athletic</em> sub. req.)</li>
<li id="7qTXqz">One new rule for this year is the obstruction rules at second and third base. Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor was controversially called for obstruction on a caught stealing in a Spring Training game. Dayn Perry <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/mets-francisco-lindor-has-obvious-call-overturned-and-it-could-be-sign-of-things-to-come-in-mlb/">explains the rule.</a> </li>
<li id="KOriZL">Here’s that play</li>
</ul>
<div id="C3y2WQ">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">I hope you're ready for MLB's new obstruction rule enforcement because this batter was called safe because of it. <a href="https://t.co/uZbNUpqAL0">pic.twitter.com/uZbNUpqAL0</a></p>— Codify (@CodifyBaseball) <a href="https://twitter.com/CodifyBaseball/status/1770900542543278397?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2024</a>
</blockquote>
<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div>
<ul>
<li id="u5TRd0">Tom Verducci has <a href="https://www.si.com/mlb/2024/03/20/gunnar-henderson-orioles-world-series-contender">a look at the bright future of the Orioles.</a> </li>
<li id="u0CvpA">Jesse Rogers speaks with Corbin Burnes on <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/39772348/mlb-opening-day-2024-corbin-burnes-baltimore-orioles-ace-world-series-hopes">his new role as the ace of the Orioles.</a>
</li>
<li id="J5hUew">Will Leitch <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/mlb-2024-division-winners-predictions">predicts the division winners.</a> Cardinals-fan Leitch picks the <a href="https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/">Cubs</a> to win the Central.</li>
<li id="H2FQEX">Keith Law has <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516590&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftheathletic.com%2F5356529%2F2024%2F03%2F21%2Fmlb-breakout-candidates-2024-keith-law%2F&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bleedcubbieblue.com%2F2024%2F3%2F22%2F24108387%2Foutside-the-confines-mlb-news-shohei-ohtani-ippei-mizuhara-dodgers-padres-seoul-mlbpa" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">some breakout candidates for 2024.</a> (ESPN+ sub. req.)</li>
<li id="8c5OBg">Brian McTaggart asks <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/wagner-lidge-dotel-on-astros-latest-elite-bullpen-trio">just how good is the Astros bullpen this year?</a>
</li>
<li id="yj3Xgj">Anthony Castrovince ranks <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/best-mlb-rotations-2024">the ten-best rotations in baseball.</a>
</li>
<li id="gSuY4w">And finally, a big congratulations go out to Mets pitcher (and former Cub) <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/jose-quintana-becomes-american-citizen">José Quintana has become a United States citizen! </a>
</li>
</ul>
<p id="rXxqrS">And tomorrow will be a better day than today, Buster. </p>
https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2024/3/22/24108387/outside-the-confines-mlb-news-shohei-ohtani-ippei-mizuhara-dodgers-padres-seoul-mlbpaJosh Timmers2024-03-21T00:15:00-05:002024-03-21T00:15:00-05:00BCB After Dark: Which way will Javier Assad swing?
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/-FYB32GWlECwQhtGoe_9s-yofXk=/0x254:6220x4401/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73222376/1718925837.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Matt Dirksen/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The late-night/early-morning spot for Cubs fans asks whether Javier Assad will pitch more as a starter or a reliever this year.</p> <p id="i2JdrO">It’s another Wednesday at <em>BCB After Dark: the grooviest get-together for night owls, early risers, new parents and </em><a href="https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/"><em>Cubs</em></a><em> fans abroad.</em> Welcome everyone. New friends and old ones are all welcome. There’s no cover charge. The dress code is casual. Bring your own beverage.</p>
<p id="erMOX7"><em>BCB After Dark</em> is the place for you to talk baseball, music, movies, or anything else you need to get off your chest, as long as it is within the rules of the site. The late-nighters are encouraged to get the party started, but everyone else is invited to join in as you wake up the next morning and into the afternoon.</p>
<p id="wcytLz">Last evening, I asked you about <a href="https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2024/3/20/24106493/bcb-after-dark-chicago-cubs-justin-steele-shota-imanaga-jordan-wicks">which pitcher would lead the Cubs in strikeouts in 2024.</a> Ninety-nine percent of the votes were for two candidates and Shōta Imanaga won with 66 percent of the vote. Another 33 percent went to last year’s top strikeout guy, Justin Steele.</p>
<p id="brWq4E">On Tuesday night/Wednesday morning, I don’t do any movie talk. But I always have time for jazz, so those of you who skip that may do so now. You won’t hurt my feelings.</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="rIwpAJ">
<p id="fuKDrx">Here’s the great pianist Ahmad Jamal playing the Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart classic “Blue Moon” like you’ve probably never heard it before. Reginald Veal is on bass, Herlin Riley on drums and Manolo Badrena on percussion. We’re about a month away from the first anniversary of Jamal’s death. </p>
<p id="SH9dKZ">This is from 2014.</p>
<div id="GsxUYl"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RaivdOxCiLE?rel=0" style="top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; border: 0;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" allow="accelerometer; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share;"></iframe></div></div>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="XkI52Z">
<p id="CkFV8V">Maybe some of you are watching <em>Manhunt</em>, the new Apple TV series about the search for John Wilkes Booth after the Abraham Lincoln assassination. If so, or even if you aren’t, you will probably enjoy the Anthony Mann-directed The<em> Tall Target,</em> a 1951 <em>noir</em> (or <em>noir</em>-like. More on that later.) about the Baltimore Plot, the alleged attempt to assassinate Abraham Lincoln in Baltimore in 1861 before he was inaugurated. </p>
<p id="uvx3JD"><em>The Tall Target</em> stars Dick Powell as John Kennedy, a New York City policeman who, through undercover work, has uncovered a plot to assassinate President-elect Lincoln. Before we go on, the name is just another one of those bizarre coincidences surrounding the Kennedy and Lincoln assassinations. The name John Kennedy didn’t mean a whole lot in 1951. </p>
<p id="mAULEm">The “Baltimore Plot” was a real thing, or at least Lincoln and those around him thought it was. Historians debate whether or not it was just a rumor, but Lincoln received round-the-clock protection from Pinkerton detective Kate Warne throughout his train trip to DC and his scheduled speech in Baltimore was cancelled because of the rumors of an assassination attempt. </p>
<p id="Krks9M">Mann and screenwriters George Worthing Yates and Art Cohn turn the Baltimore Plot into a thrilling crime drama that can actually be considered a forerunner to the conspiracy thrillers of the 1970s. Kennedy brings evidence of the assassination plot to his superiors at the NYPD who dismiss it out of hand. But, the NYPD is listening to newly-commissioned US Army Colonel Caleb Jeffers (Adolphe Menjou) who dismisses the evidence out of hand. You can probably guess that the NYPD has been infiltrated with Confederate sympathizers and that Jeffers is actually the mastermind of the entire plot.</p>
<p id="FjhL3b">After being denied permission to travel to Baltimore to stop the assassination, Kennedy turns in his badge and goes rogue, which wasn’t the same kind of movie cliché in 1951 that it is today. He tries to board the train to Baltimore, but his friend Inspector Reilly (Regis Toomey,) who was supposed to have a ticket for him, has gone missing. Kennedy boards the train anyway, discovering that another man (Leif Erickson) has stolen his ticket and that Reilly has been killed. </p>
<p id="211Zkc">In what Kennedy initially thinks is a coincidence but we know isn’t, he encounters Colonel Jeffers on the train. Jeffers, presumably to throw suspicion off himself, vouches for Kennedy and pretends to be his friend. But at the next stop, the “fake John Kennedy” takes the real one off the train at gunpoint, intending to kill him too. But in another future action movie cliché, Kennedy distracts the shooter for a second, just long enough to overpower him. In the struggle between Kennedy and the killer, Col. Jeffers shoots and kills the conspirator. Kennedy immediately starts to suspect Jeffers of being in on the plot because there was no way that he could have gotten a clear shot at the fake Kennedy in the dark. The bullet could have just as easily killed him.</p>
<p id="UGvYoy">On top of all that, we meet four more travelers on the train. Charlotte Alsop (Florence Bates) is an abolitionist writer who is naturally supportive of Lincoln. Lance Beaufort (Marshall Thompson) is a West Point cadet who has left school to return home to Georgia to serve the Confederacy. (The Civil War is still about six weeks into the future.) Lance’s sister Ginny (Paula Raymond) and her slave Rachel (Ruby Dee) accompany him. Beaufort is part of the plot to assassinate Lincoln, although Kennedy determines that he’s too young and dumb to actually know what the plot is about. He’s judged a pawn of Colonel Jeffers.</p>
<p id="vvrdVX">The rest of the film is all about the parry and thrust between Kennedy and Jeffers and his allies. There are a whole lot of great scenes of people walking up and down darkly-lit train corridors and smoky train stations at night. There are fistfights and narrow escapes. Really just enough action to keep the audience involved.</p>
<p id="YVgcN0">The film also looks absolutely terrific. I can’t stress enough how good the trains and the stations look. Most of the film takes place at night and shadows obscure the scenes, adding that traditional <em>noir</em> mystery. There is steam from the locomotive engine everywhere—outside the windows on the interior shots and in the air on the exterior ones—giving a spooky fog-like atmosphere to everything. It actually plays a part in the plot at one point as well. Cinematographer Paul C. Vogel often sets the camera in a low corner of the set, giving us a view as if we were watching the conspiracy unfold while hidden underneath a blanket. </p>
<p id="dPWz5a">At this point in his career, Powell was on a string of playing <em>noir</em> tough guys as he tried to shake the pretty boy romantic lead parts that he had been typecast as earlier. He’s perfectly credible as the rogue cop John Kennedy. There’s a bit of Lincoln hagiography in his character—he undertakes this quest because even while he’s not a Republican, he once served as Lincoln’s bodyguard and found him to be the most impressive man he’d ever met. </p>
<p id="9nkrYa">Paula Raymond gets second billing as Ginny, the female lead, but in reality, it’s a small and inconsequential part. Ruby Dee, as her slave Rachel, is the real female hero of the film. It’s a sign that things were slowly changing in Hollywood that Rachel is given an important role in foiling the plot to kill Lincoln. She also shows agency and stands up to her mistress. When Ginny claims to Alsop that she and Rachel are just like sisters, Rachel coldly adds “Except you are free and I am a slave.” The film has to tack on a small symbol of racial reconciliation between Ginny and Rachel at the end, but only after Rachel is allowed to make her point several times.</p>
<p id="edRh6r">Also, for fans of classic television, future Grandpa Walton Will Geer is the train’s conductor and future Beaver Cleaver mom Barbara Billingsley is uncredited as a young mother riding the train. </p>
<p id="ZOkJzl">Is <em>The Tall Tower</em> a <em>film noir</em>? It certainly looks like one and plays out like one. What it lacks is the moral ambiguity that most <em>noirs</em> have, especially on the part of the protagonist. It’s pretty clear Kennedy is a hero and the people trying to kill Lincoln are villains. Noted <em>noir</em> expert Eddie Muller says it’s not a <em>noir</em>, although he adds that he loves the picture anyway, calling it one of the best train films ever made. </p>
<p id="DJdpHZ">My feeling is that if you call <em>The Naked City</em> a <em>film noir</em>, and many do, you need to call <em>The Tall Tower</em> one as well. In fact, I think <em>The Tall Tower</em> fits the definition much better than <em>The Naked City</em>, which also lacks any real moral ambiguity. Either way is fine with me, but there should be some consistency.</p>
<p id="RsSr7U">But no matter what genre you drop it in, <em>The Tall Tower</em> is a great picture. It’s a crime suspense film with a lot of elements that would get picked up by conspiracy thrillers twenty years later. And as Eddie Muller said, it’s one of the greatest train movies ever made. It’s a must-see if you’re a fan of nineteenth-century locomotion. </p>
<p id="BYTXLl">I don’t have a trailer for <em>The Tall Target,</em> but here’s the scene where Kennedy finds the body of his slain comrade. You get a great sense of the way the trains are shot in this clip.</p>
<div id="iJoasY"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UTBgxfe9OUY?rel=0" style="top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; border: 0;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" allow="accelerometer; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share;"></iframe></div></div>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="TtQpmk">
<p id="yUdP7U">Welcome back to everyone who skips the music and movies.</p>
<p id="BasQLr">Back when I was growing up, there used to be a pitcher called a “swingman.” Teams generally went with four-man rotations back then, but would occasionally need a fifth starter because of doubleheaders or an occasional long stretch without an off day. So there were pitchers who would have be ready to make that intermittent start, but otherwise pitch out of the bullpen the rest of the time. Dave Roberts and Doug Capilla are examples of this from the Cubs of the late-seventies. </p>
<p id="OOh3wq">The official “swingman” has gone out of vogue since the universal adoption of five- and even six-man rotations. A “swingman” is now more likely to be a reliever who can step in when a starter gets injured. They generally don’t relieve in-between starts and usually go back to the bullpen when the original starter gets healthy. That is, of course, unless the guy pitches so well that the team decides they need to stay in the rotation permanently. But then they aren’t a swingman anymore. They are a starter.</p>
<p id="SFOdll">But Javier Assad is the closest we have to an old-fashioned swingman on the Cubs. Over the course of his two years in the majors, he’s made 18 starts and 23 relief appearances. But even those numbers are a bit skewed by his 2022 season, when he made eight starts and one relief appearance. In 2023, Assad made ten starts and 22 relief appearances, which worked out to 53 <sup>2</sup>⁄<sub>3</sub> innings and a starter and 55 <sup>2</sup>⁄<sub>3</sub> innings and a reliever. Can’t get much closer than that.</p>
<p id="pSg59l">So tonight’s question is “Will Javier Assad throw more innings as a starter or a reliever in 2024?” Assad is certainly in line (along with Drew Smyly) for the fifth-spot in the rotation to start the season as Jameson Taillon works to get healthy and in game shape. But you know that there are going to be more injuries to the Cubs pitching staff as the season goes on and Assad will be looking to position himself to make as many of those starts as possible.</p>
<p id="2EHYi1">How confident are you that Assad can step up and handler the role? Or maybe he’ll be too valuable in the bullpen that manager Craig Counsell decides to start someone else? Assad is extremely likely to make more relief appearance than starts, but by making the question about innings, I personally think it will be very close.</p>
<div id="hjhkOT"><div data-anthem-component="poll:12285346"></div></div>
<p id="lnY6eo">Thank you so much for stopping by. I hope you’ve had a pleasant week. Special thanks goes out to all of those who vote and comment. Please make it home safely. Recycle any cans and bottles. Tip the waitstaff. And join us again next week for more <em>BCB After Dark.</em></p>
<p id="Buhv11"></p>
https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2024/3/21/24107423/bcb-after-dark-chicago-cubs-javier-assad-swingman-start-reliefJosh Timmers2024-03-20T00:00:00-05:002024-03-20T00:00:00-05:00BCB After Dark: Who will be the King of K?
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/SYNIm-RAd76cux54dbn48sffUxI=/142x371:3762x2784/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73219672/usa_today_21466369.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The late-night/early-morning spot for Cubs fans asks who will lead the pitching staff in strikeouts</p> <p id="wGKD5e">Welcome back to <em>BCB After Dark: the grooviest get-together for night owls, early risers, new parents and </em><a href="https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/"><em>Cubs</em></a><em> fans abroad. </em>Please come on in and sit with us. There’s no cover charge. We still have a few tables available. Bring your own beverage.</p>
<p id="JXXL9H"><em>BCB After Dark</em> is the place for you to talk baseball, music, movies, or anything else you need to get off your chest, as long as it is within the rules of the site. The late-nighters are encouraged to get the party started, but everyone else is invited to join in as you wake up the next morning and into the afternoon.</p>
<p id="aHle2D">Last night, I asked you <a href="https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2024/3/19/24105521/bcb-after-dark-chicago-cubs-christopher-morel-third-base-errors">how many games will Christopher Morel play at third base this year?</a> Thirty-three percent of you thought Morel will play between 71 and 100 games at third. So a about half the season. Another 24 percent thought he’ll play between 41 and 70 and 22 percent think he’ll be pretty much a regular all year with 101 to 120 games.</p>
<p id="SwDWoQ">On Tuesday night/Wednesday morning, I don’t do any movie talk. But I always have time for jazz, so those of you who skip that may do so now. You won’t hurt my feelings.</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="B1iXX9">
<p id="cPrBPt">I guess since it’s the first day of Spring, I will feature the Rodgers and Hart song “Spring is Here.” It’s a jazz standard and there were a lot of choices for me to make. I picked this sedate one for the evening by pianist Kenny Barron. I think we could all use something soothing. At least I know I can.</p>
<p id="i06XO4">This is from 1990.</p>
<div id="kfCoxN"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2j4-w3eNeOk?rel=0" style="top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; border: 0;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" allow="accelerometer; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share;"></iframe></div></div>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="qozhw5">
<p id="KuqCLB">Welcome back to everyone who skips all that jazz.</p>
<p id="LmET9T">Tonight is a simple question. Who will lead the Cubs in strikeouts this season? And by that, I mean the good kind of strikeouts. Justin Steele and not Patrick Wisdom.</p>
<p id="oXaqlt">With Jameson Taillon injured, I kind of feel that it’s a two-person race between Justin Steele and Shōta Imanaga. Although it doesn’t sound like Taillon is going to be out long, so I guess he could still come back and take the Cubs strikeout title.</p>
<p id="TWvJiU">But Steele led the team last year with 176 strikeouts in 173 innings. And Imanaga led all of Nippon Professional Baseball with 174 strikeouts in 148 innings, which was five more than the <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers’</a> Yoshinobu Yamamoto. </p>
<p id="waS5uC">Drew Smyly, believe it or not, was second on the Cubs in strikeouts last season with 141 in 142 innings. That’s one more strikeout than Taillon had. I’ll also let you vote for Jordan Wicks, since he appears to have won a spot in the starting rotation, at least for now.</p>
<p id="7vZCfH">I will not let you vote for Kyle Hendricks, unless you want to go the “other” route. Javier Assad and Julian Merryweather had more strikeouts last year than Hendricks did. </p>
<p id="8x0egw">So who will lead the Cubs in strikeouts in 2024?</p>
<div id="p0810Z"><div data-anthem-component="poll:12284376"></div></div>
<p id="z9n5lv">Thank you all for coming this evening. Please get home safely. Tell us if we need to call a ride for you. Recycle and cans and bottles. Tip your waitstaff. And join us again tomorrow for more <em>BCB After Dark.</em></p>
https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2024/3/20/24106493/bcb-after-dark-chicago-cubs-justin-steele-shota-imanaga-jordan-wicksJosh Timmers2024-03-19T00:00:00-05:002024-03-19T00:00:00-05:00BCB After Dark: The great Christopher Morel experiment
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<p>The late-night/early-morning spot for Cubs fans asks you how many games at third base will Christopher Morel play.</p> <p id="YrenBi">It’s another week here at <em>BCB After Dark: the coolest club for night owls, early risers, new parents and </em><a href="https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/"><em>Cubs</em></a><em> fans abroad.</em> We are so glad to start out another week with you. New friends and old, all are welcome. There’s no cover charge. Ring in the new season with us. Grab any available table or join a friend. Bring your own beverage.</p>
<p id="Te7NZM"><em>BCB After Dark</em> is the place for you to talk baseball, music, movies, or anything else you need to get off your chest, as long as it is within the rules of the site. The late-nighters are encouraged to get the party started, but everyone else is invited to join in as you wake up the next morning and into the afternoon.</p>
<p id="7k7SHj">Last week I asked you if you thought that <a href="https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2024/3/14/24100315/bcb-after-dark-chicago-cubs-david-bote-opening-day-roster">David Bote would make the Cubs’ Opening Day roster.</a> By a margin of 69 percent to 31 percent, you think Bote and his contract are heading back to Des Moines, at least to start the year.</p>
<p id="mHziDr">Here’s the part where we listen to music and talk movies. You’re free to skip ahead to the Cubs stuff at the end. You won’t hurt my feelings.</p>
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<p id="jlXBaZ">It’s been a long time since I featured saxophonist Sonny Rollins in this space, so I thought I’d rectify that this evening. This is Rollins in Sweden in 1959 playing “Love Letters.” Henry Grimes is on bass and Joe Harris mans the drums.</p>
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<p id="Cf0AUM">It’s been a while since I’ve had to throw out a movie question for discussion. But the tournament is over and I’ve run out of films to write about this evening. I have seen one indie film since we met here last (and it’s less than ten years old!) but I’m really not prepared to write about it intelligently tonight. I’ll say it was pretty good though. Despite being an indie, it featured an Academy Award winner (albeit before she won but she was already famous), a five-time nominee and two one-time Oscar nominees. </p>
<p id="gFE9Rh">So building off what <a href="https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2024/3/14/24100315/bcb-after-dark-chicago-cubs-david-bote-opening-day-roster">I wrote about <em>Walk on the Wild Side</em> last week</a>, tell us a movie that you disliked despite featuring some actors that you really like? I watched <em>Walk on the Wild Side</em> because Barbara Stanwyck was in it (despite being fifth-billed) and Stanwyck is a top-five actress of all time in my book. (Did you know Stanwyck and her first husband were reportedly the inspiration for the original <em>A Star is Born</em>? By the way, her first husband, Frank Fay, was a really awful person. He was a huge Vaudeville star at one point and is now thankfully forgotten.) </p>
<p id="S7DvBN">Oh, I got off track there. Stanwyck is older (mid-fifties) in <em>Walk on the Wild Side</em> and is clearly just going through the motions of a bad movie. Neither Jane Fonda nor Laurence Harvey, who had much bigger parts in this movie, are among my favorite actors of all time, but both have been in films that I very much enjoyed and turned in performances that I thought were excellent. <em>Klute</em> and <em>The Manchurian Candidate</em> to name just one for each of them. They’re good actors in a bad movie. </p>
<p id="dT3rXG">So have you ever watched a movie that you thought you’d like with an actor you enjoy that you just didn’t? I actually have an example of a film I really enjoyed but I could tell the people in the audience with me did not. I found the 2006 film <em>Stranger than Fiction,</em> starring Will Ferrell, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Dustin Hoffman, Queen Latifah and Emma Thompson, to be a very clever and enjoyable offbeat rom-com. I mean, if you looked at the credits past Will Ferrell, what else would you expect? But I was in a theater with a bunch of young men who were expecting <em>Old School</em> or <em>Anchorman</em> and I can tell you they were not happy. So I’ll allow you to throw out a film for discussion that you just didn’t like because it wasn’t what you were expecting or it just wasn’t your style, even if you might grudgingly admit that others might find it better. </p>
<p id="ZwlOEX">That’s me with <em>Field of Dreams.</em> I’d read the book and I was looking forward to seeing it. I certainly liked Kevin Costner in <em>The Untouchables</em> and <em>Bull Durham. </em>It got mostly good reviews. But after renting the VHS tape (remember those?) and watching it, I wondered why everyone was saying how good it was. I still think it’s terrible. But I guess I can see some aspects of <em>Field of Dreams</em> that would appeal to other people.</p>
<p id="PjZKWf">So what movies did you expect to like with actors that you liked that you just didn’t like?</p>
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<p id="c3GRuL">Welcome back to everyone who skips the music and the movies.</p>
<p id="eu6xu7">It seems like the Cubs are committed to putting Christopher Morel at third base, at least to start the season. They really don’t have a lot of other choices. Nick Madrigal, who certainly surprised me last year by being pretty solid defensively at third base, looks to me like he’s going to start the season on the injured list. On top of that, he doesn’t hit much anyway. </p>
<p id="qf6DF3">The other choices to play third base are Patrick Wisdom, Miles Mastrobuoni and David Bote. I think we talked about Bote enough last time—the general consensus is that he stays in Iowa. Wisdom gives the Cubs light-tower power and not a whole lot else. Plus, he’s probably going to be in a platoon at first base with Michael Busch. Mastrobuoni can handle third base defensively, but he’s not much of a hitter. </p>
<p id="I6OBwX">As much as I, the minor league guy, would like to see Matt Shaw or BJ Murray get a shot, I realize that’s probably not the best decision either for the Cubs or the prospects. Maybe later in the season, but not in April.</p>
<p id="nw3J3e">So that leaves us with Morel. Obviously Morel has tremendous power. He’s hit 42 home runs in just 220 career games. He doesn’t hit many cheapies, either. </p>
<p id="PE6nSD">Morel certainly strikes out more than you would like, but his 31 percent K-rate isn’t terrible for a power hitter. You’d like to see more walks and a higher OBP, but again, last year’s .313 OBP isn’t terrible. It’s not good, but it’s not bad for someone with that much power.</p>
<p id="H0auH5">So the issue becomes, can Morel handle third base? On some plays in Spring Training, he looks terrific. On others, he looks terrible. The biggest problem is his arm. The arm is certainly strong enough to play third base, but sometimes his mechanics on a throw get all messed up. His arm slot drops and then neither he nor anyone at first base has any idea where the ball is going. Ironically, I think Morel does better on the hard plays and worse on ones that he has more time to think. But I admit that I haven’t watched a lot of Spring Training games this season and the last time I saw Morel play a significant number of games at third base was 2021 and he was in the minors.</p>
<p id="WPdI3V">Manager Craig Counsell says that he’s not worried about Morel’s errors this spring, saying that “you learn from mistakes.” I guess we’ll find out quickly if he meant that or whether he was just trying to keep Morel’s confidence up. </p>
<p id="DVmTSo"><a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516590&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftheathletic.com%2F5325015%2F2024%2F03%2F08%2Fcubs-christopher-morel-third-base-2%2F&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bleedcubbieblue.com%2F2024%2F3%2F19%2F24105521%2Fbcb-after-dark-chicago-cubs-christopher-morel-third-base-errors" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">More on Morel’s defense</a> comes from Sahadev Sharma in <em>The Athletic</em> earlier this month. (sub. req.)</p>
<p id="B31nhv">So how many games will Christopher Morel play at third base this year? Do you think that this experiment will be a failure and Morel will get moved to another position (or DH) quickly? Or do you think it will be a success and he’ll play there all year? Somewhere in between?</p>
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<p id="DJ92hn">Thanks for stopping in this evening. I hope you enjoyed yourself. Let us know if we can do anything else for you. Please recycle any cans and bottles. Get home safely. Tip your waitstaff. And join us again tomorrow evening for more <em>BCB After Dark.</em></p>
https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2024/3/19/24105521/bcb-after-dark-chicago-cubs-christopher-morel-third-base-errorsJosh Timmers