It’s another week here at BCB After Dark: the grooviest get-together for night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. Glad you could stop by. We’re always glad to see a friendly face. There’s
no cover charge. There are still a few tables available. There’s a free ivy cutting with every purchase. 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 were off today, heading into a crucial six-game home stand against the Mets and Cardinals to clinch home field for the Wild Card Series. The Brewers and Padres are tied as I write this and man, is it weird cheering for the Brewers.
Last time, I asked you how the Cubs should set up their rotation for the Wild Card Series. Thirty-eight percent of you said it should be “Imanaga, Horton, Boyd.” In second place, 19 percent of you said it should be “Horton, Imanaga, Taillon.”
Just to let you know, I’m feeling better and I’m now testing negative for COVID. Maybe my strength isn’t back to 100 percent, but it’s probably at least 90 percent or so.
Here’s the part where we listen to jazz and talk movies. You can skip that if you want. You won’t hurt my feelings.
Tonight we’re featuring drummer Makaya McCracken live in KEXP Studios in Seattle in 2022. Along with McCracken are Junius Paul on bass, Jeff Parker on guitar and De’Sean Jones plays sax and the flute.
This is “Dream Another.”
Continuing on with our BCB Winter Science Fiction Classic (I guess we can name it now), we are now in some really rough territory.
As I’m sure you all know, Star Wars came out in 1977 (I refuse to call it A New Hope) and it made more money than any film since Gone With The Wind, adjusted for inflation. That meant that the industry decided that the public wanted science fiction movies and agreed to make a ton of them. Many of them stunk, so we don’t have to worry about those films. But many of them were really good as well.
If I break the third bracket into 1977 to 1983, there are still way too many good movies. And we only have room for eight.
Blade Runner is in. There’s no argument there.
The one film other than Blade Runner I absolutely believe needs to be included is Close Encounters of the Third Kind. The biggest reason that I think it needs to be in is not because I think it’s the best science fiction film in this era (I don’t), but because there aren’t any sequels. With Star Wars, there’s also The Empire Strikes Back in this time period. In a perfect world, we’d include both movies. But with only eight films maximum for the tournament, do we really have room for both films?
Of course, the first two Star Wars films presents a dilemma. I think most critics and fans think The Empire Strikes Back is superior to the first film. But the first film is the one that created the world and it was the one that had the most cultural impact. So if we have to pick one, which do we go with?
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan presents a different issue. I think most Star Trek fans consider The Wrath of Khan to be the best film in the series. But Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home and Star Trek: First Contact are also very highly regarded and could fit in a 1984 to 1999 bracket. So which Star Trek film do we use if we can only use one? (Probably Wrath of Khan.)
The same argument holds for Alien.
Anyway, the preliminary list of films that I’ve compiled for 1977 to 1983 is as follows:
- Blade Runner
- Close Encounters of the Third Kind
- Star Wars
- Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
- Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
- Alien
- The Thing
- Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)
- The Road Warrior (Mad Max 2 for non-Americans.)
- E.T.: the Extra-Terrestrial
- Escape from New York
- Scanners
- Altered States
- Liquid Sky
- Stalker
So that’s 15 films. We got to cut seven. And I imagine that some of you have a few others you’d like to add to consideration. I would like a variety of films, meaning I’d prefer for them to not all be big-budget franchise films.
As I said, Blade Runner and Close Encounters are in. I’d kind of like to have Invasion of the Body Snatchers because I think it’s a good contrast to the 1956 version, although it’s not a must. I’d especially like to hear your thoughts on the Star Wars/Empire Strikes Back conundrum.
The Cubs start a three-game series with the Mets tomorrow at Wrigley. Or today, depending on when you read this. After that, the Mets head to Miami to play the Marlins, who have been a better than .500 team in the second half.
The Mets had the best record in baseball on June 12 with a 45-24 record. Fangraphs gave them a 96.2 percent chance of making the playoffs. Since then, they’ve gone 35-52, which is the fourth-worst record in the game over that time span, only behind the Rockies, Twins and Nationals. They’ve fallen into a tie for the third Wild Card spot with the Reds, and the Reds hold the tiebreaker on them. The Mets are also only one game ahead of the Diamondbacks, who also hold the tiebreaker over the Mets.
The Mets chances of making the playoffs, per Fangraphs, is now 51.1 percent
I’m not here to go into why the Mets have collapsed like this. Some of it is pitching problems. Some of it is a lack of timely hitting. There are those that would claim that it’s just terrible luck or that the Mets are cursed somehow. That’s what you get for throwing a black cat on the field back in the day.
So tonight, do you think the Mets make the playoffs? As noted, they have three games at Wrigley and then three against the Marlins in Miami.
Here’s the schedule of the other two teams in the Wild Card hunt.
Reds: Three at home versus Pittsburgh. Three at Milwaukee
Diamondbacks: Three at home against Dodgers. Three at San Diego.
So the Diamondbacks seem to have the toughest path, but they may be playing two teams that have nothing to play for. The Dodgers seem locked into the third Division title spot and the Padres could be locked into the second Wild Card by the time they play Arizona.
The Reds have three games that look winnable against the sad Pirates. But while the three games against the Brewers in Milwaukee look tough if the Brewers are still battling the Phillies for the top overall record in the National League.
Remember, the Mets have to be at least one game better than the Reds over the next six games and have the same record or better than Arizona.
Needless to say, the Mets blowing a 8 1/2 game lead on a playoff spot (and over a ten game lead above the Reds and the Diamondbacks) would be historic. Of course, it could be forgotten if the Tigers blow a record 15 1/2 game lead over the Guardians over in the American League Central.
So do the Mets make the playoffs?
Thanks for stopping by tonight. We’re all just waiting for the playoffs to start. Please get home safely. Tell us if you need us to call a ride. Please recycle any cans and bottles. Tip your waitstaff. And join us again tomorrow night for more BCB After Dark.
