BCB After Dark: Where goes Bellinger?

Welcome back to BCB After Dark: the swinging-est spot for night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. Come on in out of the rain this evening. Or whatever it’s like where you’re from. We’ve got no cover charge tonight. There are a few tables still available. The hostess can seat you now. Bring your own beverage.

BCB After Dark 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.

The Cubs beat the first-place Pirates tonight, 11-3 on a wet and sloppy night. Jameson Taillon didn’t sparkle, but he did gut out a “quality start” and he picked up his second win as a Cub. So that’s good news. And the Cubs banged out 14 hits including home runs by Ian Happ and Christopher Morel. The bullpen pitched well and Anthony Kay threw a 1-2-3 ninth inning in his Cubs’ debut. I’m not going to declare the complaint department closed like Al does, but it was a good night. Except for the weather.

Last night I asked you what Kyle Hendricks’ future looks like. The vote wasn’t close as 72 percent of you think that the Cubs will pick up Hendricks’ option for next season. Only 16 percent of you think the Cubs will trade him.

On Tuesday night/Wednesday morning, I don’t do a movie essay. But I always have time for music, so those of you who skip that can do so now. You won’t hurt my feelings.

From last night’s birthday celebration of Chick Corea, I realized that I haven’t featured any fusion in a while and I hadn’t featured any Miles Davis in a while. Plus, I featured Chick Corea doing straight-jazz last night and not the fusion that he’s also well-known for. So I tracked down this video of Corea and his days with Miles Davis and the Bitches Brew album, This is “Miles Runs the Voodoo Down” live in Copenhagen in 1969. It’s got Corea on keyboards, Wayne Shorter on Saxophone, Dave Holland on bass and Jack DeJohnette on drums.

Welcome back to those of you who skip the jazz.

Cody Bellinger started his rehab assignment in Iowa tonight. He played first base tonight and the plan is for him to play first base again tomorrow. They do expect that he’ll get in some games in the outfield before he’s activated.

However, Bellinger playing first base has got some people talking. Matt Mervis hasn’t exactly been tearing things up in the majors, although he did have a nice RBI single this evening. Meanwhile, Mike Tauchman has been playing well in center field in Bellinger’s absence. He hasn’t shown much power, but he is hitting .274 with a .403 on-base percentage. Plus, Tauchman has been playing strong defense in center field as well.

So tonight’s question is simply where should Cody Bellinger play when he returns from the injured list? Should the Cubs return Bellinger to center field and Tauchman to the bench or Iowa? Or should Tauchman remain in center, Bellinger moves to first base and Mervis goes to the bench or Iowa?

I’ll let you weigh the pluses and minuses to the moves. And of course, wherever Bellinger plays is not a permanent option for the rest of the year. But it does mean that you think that David Ross should give the majority of Cody Bellinger’s time to either center field or first base until there is a reason to make another change.

I suppose you can also say that you want Bellinger in center and Trey Mancini at first. If that’s your first choice, vote for the center field position and explain yourself in the comments.

So where should Bellinger play when he returns?

Thank you so very much for stopping by. We hope you were able to keep tonight’s good times going a little longer. Get home safely. Tip the waitstaff. And come back tomorrow for more BCB After Dark.