The late-night/early-morning spot for Cubs fans asks what you think of the recent Cubs coaching changes
It’s Wednesday night here at BCB After Dark: the coolest spot for night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. Come on in out of the fresh fall air. We’ve got a table reserved for you. The dress code is casual. Let us know if we can do anything for you. 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.
I’m at an event for my daughter tonight, so I don’t know the scores of all the playoff games. You’re free to discuss them here if you’d like. But I do know that the Tigers eliminated the Astros early this afternoon.
That’s good news for all of you since yesterday I asked you who you were cheering for in the American League playoffs. The Astros got a big, fat zero votes. And the Tigers won the vote with 32 percent of the vote. My grandfather was a big Tigers fan from the days of Harry Heilmann and the end of Ty Cobb’s career. Maybe if hadn’t died when I was a toddler, then I’d be a Tigers fan today. On the other hand, my mom and none of her siblings were Tigers fans, so probably not. The Guardians were close behind the Tigers with 30 percent.
Here’s the part where I talk about music and movies. You’re free to skip those sections. You won’t hurt my feelings.
Man, I’m just playing the hits this week. Here’s pianist McCoy Tyner and the McCoy Tyner Trio playing “Fly With The Wind” on Later . . . With Jools Holland in 2011.
Tonight I’m just going to ask again for some reaction/recommendations for the BCB Winter Screwball Classic. I know that the problem with “screwball comedy” is one of definition, but here are some initial candidates that I have down for the tournament.
Please note that not all of these films will make the tournament. I’m thinking of a field of 26 or 28 to get us from the World Series to the Cubs Opening Day in Japan.
From the classic period (1934 to 1944):
It Happened One Night (1934)
Twentieth Century (1934)
My Man Godfrey (1936)
Libeled Lady (1936)
Easy Living (1937)
The Awful Truth (1937)
Nothing Sacred (1937)
Bringing Up Baby (1937)
Midnight (1939)
Ninotchka (1939)
His Girl Friday (1940)
The Philadelphia Story (1940)
Ball of Fire (1941)
To Be or Not to Be (1942)
Christmas in Connecticut (1945)
The Preston Sturges-directed films:
The Great McGinty (1940)
The Lady Eve (1941)
Sullivan’s Travels (1941)
The Palm Beach Story (1942)
The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek (1944)
Hail the Conquering Hero (1944)
And then screwballs that are post-World War II. They may not fit all of the traditional definitions of a screwball, but they’re close enough that we’re going to include them so weren’t not stuck in just a ten-year period.
Monkey Business (1952)
Pillow Talk (1959) The other two Rock Hudson-Doris Day-Tony Randall films—Lover Come Back (1961) and Send Me No Flowers (1964) can be considered well.
Some Like It Hot (1959)
One, Two, Three (1961)
It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963)
What’s Up, Doc? (1972)
Arthur (1981)
And finally two Coen Brothers movies.
Raising Arizona (1987)
The Hudsucker Proxy (1994)
I’m drawing the line at Hudsucker Proxy. No films newer than 1994 will be considered. That’s a lot later than the line I drew for the other two tournaments. (Noir—1959, Westerns—1972)
One film I’m probably leaving out is Something Wild (1986). The first half of the film with Melanie Griffith and Jeff Daniels is definitely screwball. Then Ray Liotta shows up and turns the film into a violent, dark thriller. It’s as if James Cagney showed up in the middle of My Man Godfrey and tried to kill William Powell and Carole Lombard.
I might consider After Hours (1985), although I’m not sure that’s actually screwball enough. I’m not sure it isn’t, however.
Anyway, offer your opinions of these films. Mention other ones that I’ve forgotten. Comment on which ones you think absolutely need to be included and which ones are less essential.
Welcome back to those who skip the music and movies.
The Cubs made some changes to the coaching staff this week, letting go first base coach Mike Napoli, assistant hitting coach Jim Adduci, bullpen coach Darren Holmes and strength and conditioning coaches Keegan Knoll and Ryan Clausen.
There was no reason given for the changes and team president Jed Hoyer praised the coaches let go in his press conference earlier this week. He just said the organization needed to “have the right alignment from the top down.”
That comment has generally been interpreted to mean that the Cubs wanted to let Craig Counsell hire his own people. When Counsell came over last year and David Ross was suddenly fired, most of the coaches were already under contract for this year. So while Counsell was allowed to hire a few coaches (bench coach Ryan Flaherty being the most prominent), Counsell was essentially working with Ross’ coaching staff. Although Holmes was one of the guys that Counsell brought in.
So how do we feel about this? Was this a good move? A bad one? Do we care?
One person who has worked with this coaching staff thought it was a bad idea:
What a JOKE https://t.co/2q9kq5PHXY
— Eric Hosmer (@TheRealHos305) October 1, 2024
Hosmer is trying to become the Pat McAfee of baseball in his retirement, so you can expect a hot take out of him. On the other hand, he could have offered a take that Napoli deserved to be canned and that would have gotten just as big a reaction. So I think it’s fair to take him at his word here. He didn’t like the move.
Obviously some coaches meshed in better with Counsell than others. Pitching coach Tommy Hottovy and third base coach Willie Harris, for example, were holdovers and Counsell didn’t fire them.
So what’s your take on the coaching changes?
Thank you to everyone who joined us this week. A second thank you to those of you who voted and a third thank you to those who comment. Please get home safely. Clean up around your table. Recycle any cans and bottles. Tip your waitstaff. And join us again next week for more BCB After Dark.