It’s Wednesday evening here at BCB After Dark: the coolest club for night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. Please come in and sit with us for a while. There’s no cover charge. We validate parking. There are still a few tables available. The hostess will 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.
Last night I asked you if you thought Pete Crow-Armstrong would reach the rarified “40-40” mark this year. You all were quite optimistic, as 63 percent of you thought he’ll get there.
Here’s the part where we listen to music and talk movies. You’re free to skip ahead if you want. Or you’re free to join us.
Tonight we’re featuring guitarist Julian Lage with the SFJAZZ ensemble in 2025. John Medeski is on organ, Jorge Roeder is the bassist and the drummer is Kenny Wollesen.
This is a nice bit of funky fusion for those of you who like that. This is “Speak to Me.”
Sorry I don’t have a movie to talk about tonight, so I’m going to throw the floor open to you.
I wrote about The Roaring Twenties on Monday night, so tonight I thought I’d just ask you for your favorite gangster films. In particular, I’m curious as to whether you think one of the first two Godfather films is the greatest gangster movie of all-time (and which one) or whether you lean towards Goodfellas. Or maybe one of you will put in a bid for Infernal Affairs or its US remake, The Departed. (I don’t remember who did it, but a while ago one of you suggested that I watch Infernal Affairs and to whomever made that recommendation, thank you.)
There are a lot of other great gangster films, both classic and more modern. There are those who argue that Bonnie and Clyde is among the most important American films ever made, as it heralded the end of the old studio system and the Production Code and ushered in the New Hollywood Era of the late-sixties and seventies. That’s an era that many think is the golden era of American filmmaking.
I haven’t seen Miller’s Crossing in a long time, but I remember it being very good. I don’t think Casino is as good as Goodfellas, but it is pretty darn good. There are both versions of Scarface, although I think the Pacino version is too over-the-top. I guess that’s part of the appeal. Going back to the 1930s, The Public Enemy and Little Caesar are stone-cold classics.
There’s The Untouchables, which I haven’t seen in a while but which gives up the phrase “That’s the Chicago way!” There’s also that scene that’s an homage/rip-off of Battleship Potemkin.
Bugsy Malone has a certain insane charm that has never been recreated and never will be. If you’re familiar with the film, you know what I’m talking about.
So what great gangster films am I missing?
Welcome back to all of you who skip the music and movies.
The Cubs gave up a heck of a lot to get right-hander Clay Holmes for the final two months of the season and the playoffs. Infielder Jefferson Rojas was one of the Cubs top two prospects and he certainly has the potential to be an everyday regular and maybe even an All-Star. But after a poor first start with the Cubs (and we can forgive that since it was his first start in three months after an broken leg), he’s been nails in his two most recent starts.
Even before the Cubs made the deal for Holmes, there was a lot of talk about how Holmes was perfect for the Cubs. As an extreme ground ball pitcher, few pitchers are as well suited for the Cubs elite infield defense as Holmes. Over Holmes last two starts, he’s thrown 12 innings and has allowed just one run.
So the question is, should the Cubs make a long-term commitment to Clay Holmes? He’s a free agent at the end of the year. Right now, none of the current Cubs starters are under contract for next year. The Cubs rotation in 2027, if they don’t sign anyone else, is:
Edward Cabrera
Ben Brown
Javier Assad
Justin Steele (if healthy)
Cade Horton (if healthy)
Jordan Wicks (??)
Braxton Garrett (??)
So clearly the Cubs are going to have to sign some starters this winter. Should Clay Holmes be one of them?
In this article, written when Holmes was still a Met, estimated that Holmes would sign a deal for three years and between $60 and $75 million. (The Athletic sub. req.) Of course, the uncertainty of the upcoming lockout and the collective bargaining talks complicates things. But would you make that commitment to Holmes?
Holmes turns 34 in the offseason. That means that any three-year deal with Holmes would take him through his age-36 season. If you’re worried about age-related decline, you might not want to re-sign Holmes. But Holmes has been remarkably healthy throughout his career. Yes, he just missed three months, but that was the biggest injury of his career and it came on a comebacker that broke his fibula. That’s a freak injury and not the sign of someone who is injury prone. His other trips to the injured list in his career have been short, with the longest one coming in 2022 for back spasms. He missed three weeks that time.
So let’s say Holmes would sign a three-year, $70 million extension. If you were Jed Hoyer and Carter Hawkins, would you make that offer? Would you offer more?
I apologize for the crappy way this question is posted. This feed polling system doesn’t allow for many characters and options. I hope you know what I’m asking. If not, ask for clarification in the comments.
By the way, I also apologize for using a photo of Holmes in a Mets uniform. But I have a policy of only using photos taken at night for After Dark for thematic reasons and Holmes hasn’t pitched a night game for the Cubs yet!
Thank you for stopping by, both tonight and all week. I hope we’ve made your evenings a little brighter. Please get home safely. Stay cool and dry out there. Recycle any cans and bottles. Tip your waitstaff. And join us again next week for more BCB After Dark.
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