BCB After Dark: Looking at seeding

It’s another Wednesday night here at BCB After Dark: the hippest hangout for night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. It’s been a great week around here for us and we hope it has been a great week for you too. Come on in and celebrate with us. There are still a few good tables available. Grab one before they’re gone. 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.

Today, the Cubs swept the Giants, 8-2. Jordan Wicks became the first Cubs pitcher of the modern era to win the first three starts of his career in one season. And according to McCovey Chronicles, at least, Seiya Suzuki was officially inducted into the Giant Killer Club. All because he felt Chicago is more like Tokyo than San Francisco.

I promised that if the Cubs completed the sweep today, I’d break out Judy.

Get happy, indeed.

Yesterday, I asked you if you thought that Marcus Stroman would pitch again for the Cubs this year. The vote was close, but by a vote of 52 percent to 48, you think Stroman is done for the season.

Here’s the part where I talk about music and movies. Those of you who skip that can do so now. You won’t hurt my feelings.

Tonight I’ve got the great bassist and vocalist Esperanza Spalding doing her take on the Louis Armstrong classic “What A Wonderful World.” It included the late, great Jimmy Heath on saxophone, Danilo Pérez on piano and Vinnie Colaiuta on drums. This is from 2012.

I’m still having trouble concentrating long enough to watch a movie, so I thought I’d throw it out for discussion to you. Tonight’s question is “What is the worst movie you ever went to see in a theater?”

Most people don’t see a lot of movies that they don’t like. You generally don’t buy a ticket unless you think you’re going to like the film. Now some people go to the movies regularly and those people end up seeing a lot of movies that they just don’t like because they’ve already seen everything else in the theater. I’ve never been one of those people. Even when I was young, single and desperate to get out of my studio apartment, I didn’t see that many movies in a theater. But I certainly saw more back then than I do these days when I’m old, married and have a kid.

Still, I have to say that the worst film I ever paid to see was Elvira, Mistress of the Dark. It was then that I learned that something that is a funny two-minute sketch is not necessarily still funny when you drag it out to ninety minutes. Another film that I paid to see that I did not like was Ace Ventura, Pet Detective. That one might be more controversial as I know that film has a cult following, but it fell flat with me.

And while I probably wouldn’t call it the worst film I ever paid to see, I remember getting dragged to see the 1993 version of Ethan Frome by a friend who wanted someone to go with and remembering that there were scenes in that film where the boom mics were clearly visible at the top of the screen. I can’t imagine how many people that had to get past for no one to do something about it. And while I could maybe forgive that if it was a good film, it was not.

So what are some of the worst films you ever went to see in a theater?

Welcome back to everyone who skips the jazz and movies.

With the Cubs win today and the Brewers’ loss, Fangraphs now estimates that the Cubs have a 91.9 percent chance of making the playoffs and a 32.6 percent chance of winning the division. They are 12 games over .500 for the first time since September 18, 2019. That was three games into the nine-game losing streak that caused the Cubs to miss the playoffs for the first time since 2014.

So tonight is pretty easy question. Which playoff spot do you think the Cubs are going to be in when the season is over? While I guess it isn’t impossible that the Cubs finish second in the National League and get a first-round bye, I don’t think it’s realistic to think the Cubs can make up a nine-game deficit on the Dodgers with 22 games to play. Although it’s really a ten-game deficit because the Dodgers hold the tiebreaker on the Cubs.

So let’s rule a first-round bye out. But the Cubs are only a game and a half behind the Brewers for the NL Central crown and the tiebreaker between those two teams will be determined by whoever wins two of three in the final series of the year in Milwaukee. So that’s certainly possible.

The Phillies are also just one and a half games ahead of the Cubs for the top Wild Card spot and home field advantage, although the Phillies hold the tiebreaker in that matchup.

As it stands now, the Cubs would be the second Wild Card and would play the best-of-three Wild Card round at Philadelphia. They’re three-and-a-half games ahead of the Marlins for the last Wild Card spot and four games ahead of Arizona, who are the first team out at the moment. Coincidentally, the Diamondbacks come to Wrigley for four games starting on Thursday.

Remember, the Wild Card Division Round plays all three games (if necessary) at the higher ranked seed. So it is in the Cubs’ best interest to catch either the Brewers or the Phillies in the standings.

So where do you think the Cubs are going to finish the season?

Thank you so very much for stopping by. It’s been a pleasure having you here. The celebration has been wonderful. We hope you’ve had a good time as well. Please get home safely. Recycle any cans and bottles. Tip your waitstaff. And join us again next week for more BCB After Dark.