The late-night/early-morning spot for Cubs fans asks if Rule 5 pick Gage Workman will last the season in Chicago.
It’s the night before (domestic) Opening Day here at BCB After Dark: the hippest hangout for night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. Come on in and sit with us for a while. We still have a few tables available. There’s no cover charge. 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 two questions. The first was “Will the Cubs have a 30 or more home run hitter in 2025?” You seem to be optimistic about that, with 77 percent saying “Yes.” Then when I asked you who did you think would lead the team in home runs, 70 percent of you said “Kyle Tucker.” Which makes sense.
Here’s the part with the jazz and the movies. You can skip these parts if you want. You won’t hurt my feelings.
Tonight we’re featuring pianist Hiromi Uehara, or just “Hiromi” as she often goes by, playing the Beatles tune “Blackbird.” I know some of you are Beatles fans and many of you like to hear jazz takes on their songs. So see if you like this one. It’s definitely not as experimental as some of Hiromi’s music can get.
This is from Montreal in 2023.
With the regular season upon us, it’s time for our annual discussion of our favorite baseball movies. I’m especially looking people to recommend things beyond Major League, A League of Their Own, Moneyball, The Natural, The Bad News Bears (1976), Bull Durham and Field of Dreams, although if we want to have our annual argument about Field of Dreams, we can. (For the record, it stinks.)
My favorite baseball movies are definitely in that list—The Bad News Bears and Moneyball are among my favorites. I’m a big fan of Eight Men Out as well. I’m going to make a pitch for something you may not think is a baseball movie, director Blake Edwards’ 1962 film Experiment in Terror. The entire climax of the film takes place during a Dodgers/Giants game at Candlestick Park and there is lots of footage of the stars of the Dodgers and Giants of the early-sixties. (Here’s MLB’s official historian John Thorn trying to figure out what game(s) they got footage from.) Yes, it’s technically a film noir and not a movie about baseball, but how many baseball movies can you see Don Drysdale, Harvey Kuenn, Mike McCormick, Felipe Alou, Johnny Roseboro and Vin Scully? (OK, we don’t actually see Scully. We just hear his voice, which is what we want, right?)
The other day there was a discussion of The Bad News Bears and the two sequels—The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training and The Bad News Bears Go to Japan came up. Breaking Training isn’t bad—it’s definitely not a masterpiece like the first one, but it’s OK and it has the iconic “Let them play!” chant at the climax. Go to Japan is terrible and was proof that Tony Curtis’ career had gone to pot by 1978.
The 2005 remake of the original The Bad News Bears starring Billy Bob Thornton is just freaking pointless. Thornton is good in the Walter Matthau role, but a lot of what made the first film work is missing—especially with the kids. Some of it had to be. The original film would have gotten an “R” rating had it been released this century. But they got a girl who could pitch (Sammi Kane Kraft) rather than a girl who could act to play Amanda, so while Amanda’s pitching isn’t laughably bad like Tatum O’Neal’s was, they have to move her storyline to a different kid because she really couldn’t act.
I remember seeing Thornton promoting the film on a talk show back in 2005 and he was asked why they were re-making the film. Thornton very honestly responded “Because kids today won’t watch old movies.” And really, that seems to have been the only reason to actually do the re-make.
So give us some of your favorite baseball films and I especially want to hear about some more off-the-beaten-path ones.
Does anyone like Fear Strikes Out? It’s . . .strange, I’ll give it that. Although it’s been a while since I’ve seen it. From what I remember, watching Anthony Perkins, you’re not sure whether he’s playing Jimmy Piersall or Norman Bates in the film.
Welcome back to everyone who skips the music and movies.
There’s been no official announcement, but it’s been reported that Rule 5 pick Gage Workman has made the Opening Day roster. The Cubs had to make a big decision between Workman and Vidal Bruján for the last spot on the bench and Bruján made things easy by injuring his elbow by running into the outfield wall.
But Bruján’s injury is not expected to keep him out for an extended period, so in a couple of weeks the Cubs will again have to make a choice between Workman and Bruján. The advantages of Workman is that he’s been impressive so far in Spring Training, both at the plate (leading the team in home runs) and defensively in the infield. The disadvantage of Workman is that he’s never played a game above Double-A and his ability to play the outfield is in doubt. He also struck out a ton in the minors, although that was cut down somewhat by giving up switch-hitting.
The advantages of Bruján is that he has lots of major league experiences. Certainly he hasn’t hit much in the majors, but once upon a time he was a Top 100 prospect, something Workman has never been. He’s also played all three outfield positions in the majors and he’s generally considered a solid glove wherever he plays. He’s also a switch hitter. The disadvantage of Bruján is that aforementioned lack of hitting in the majors. He has 550 major-league plate appearances and a batting line of .189/.261/.270, although he was somewhat better in 2024 with the Marlins, going .222/.303/.319. That career line is unplayable. That 2024 line is OK for a defensive replacement and the last bat on the bench.
The problem is that both players must stay on the 26-man roster or the Cubs will lose them. Workman has to be offered back to the Tigers, and they’ll take him if he somehow manages to clear waivers, which he most likely wouldn’t. Bruján is just the old-fashioned out-of-options dilemma. But there certainly isn’t room for both of them on the bench unless Jon Berti or some other infielder gets hurt.
So we have another two-part question tonight. The first question is do you think that Gage Workman will make it through the season without having to be offered back to the Tigers? He has to spend at least half the season on the active roster. As a Rule 5 pick, he can spend one-half of the season on the injured list and not be offered back. Sometimes Rule 5 picks come up with mysterious injuries at mid-season. (Technically, he can spend more than half the season on the IL without being offered back to the Tigers, but then he would have to spend at least half the 2026 season on the active roster—with half a season on the IL—or be offered back to Detroit. The stipulations just carry over one more year.)
The second question is simpler. Which player would you keep if both Workman and Bruján are healthy and needing to be on the active roster?
And also:
Thank you for stopping by tonight and all this offseason. We’ve enjoyed spending time with you as we’ve waited for baseball to return. Please get home safely. Check around you for any personal belongings. Recycle any cans and bottles. Tell your friends about us. Tip the waitstaff. And join Sara Sanchez tomorrow night for more BCB After Dark.