Good evening from all of us here at BCB After Dark: the coolest spot for night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. We’re all getting excited around here as the season is about to start. Come on in and sit with us for a while. We’ll waive the cover charge. We’ve got a patio set up in case you want to sit outside. We still have a few tables inside if you want. The hostess will seat you now. Come have a drink with us, but it’s 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 who should get the most time in right field until Seiya Suzuki returns from injury. Thirty-five percent of you would put Michael Conforto out there and 31 percent said Dylan Carlson. Another 20 percent said Kevin Alcántara should get a shot and just 13 percent said Matt Shaw.
On Tuesday nights/Wednesday mornings, I don’t normally do a movie essay. However, last night I posted our regular BCB After Dark just 20 minutes before the news on Pete Crow-Armstrong came out. So I think it may have gotten overlooked, so if you’d like to take a look at what I wrote about Man with a Movie Camera, I’d appreciate it. But in any case, it’s time to break for jazz, so if you skip that, we’ll catch you on the other end.
Last night we featured the Jazz Crusaders playing The Beatles’ “Eleanor Rigby.” So I heard from some of you—like you over in the corner—who said “The Rolling Stones were better.” OK. That may have been just the voices in my head, but the point still stands.
So tonight we’re featuring vocalist Lisa Fischer singing “Gimme Shelter” with the Georgian Philharmonic Orchestra in 2018. That’s the Georgia that has a Tbilisi in it, not the one with an Atlanta.
Fischer has toured extensively with the Stones and regularly sings the Merry Clayton part of this song live opposite Mick, so she knows this tune well.
Welcome back to everyone who skips the music.
Michael Busch is one of the best-hitting first basemen in the majors. Last year, he hit .272/.356/.554 with 30 home runs in 497 plate appearances. That’s pretty close to what Freddie Freeman did last year. Freeman put up a line of .295/.367/.502 with just 24 home runs over 627 plate appearances.
Except that I cheated there. Did you catch it? I compared Busch’s line against right-handed pitching to Freeman’s overall line. But the point is that against right-handers, Busch has more power and almost as much on-base skills as Freeman, whom I would argue is still the best first baseman in the National League. That’s true even if you look at just Freeman’s line against right-handers. (.299/.374/.500)
Cubs manager Craig Counsell didn’t give Busch much of a chance against left-handed pitching last year. He rarely started against lefties and most of the time faced left-handed middle relievers whom he only got one look at. Busch didn’t do too well when he did face a lefty, hitting just .207/.274/.368 with four home runs in 175 plate appearances.
Counsell has said that he expects Busch to start against left-handers this year. As some have mentioned, how is Busch supposed to get better against southpaws if he never faces them?
But the Cubs are clearly preparing for Plan B if Busch fails to get better against left-handers. They signed first baseman Tyler Austin over the winter in what looked to be a clear option against left-handers at first base. Unfortunately for the Cubs and for Austin, he’s going to miss at least half the season after knee surgery.
But there are other options for first base if Busch falters. Miguel Amaya has experience in the minor leagues at first base at least in the minor leagues. So does Moisés Ballesteros, although he’s also a left-handed hitter. Ian Happ has played a few games at first. And while neither Michael Conforto nor Dylan Carlson have any real experience at first, I’m sure they could learn to play there. First base is not that hard. Tell ‘em Wash.
So my question tonight is not whether Busch should be platooned. We can’t possibly know that until the Cubs give him a bigger opportunity to hit left-handers. But what I am asking you is how optimistic are you that he’ll be able to adjust and stay there all season. Do you think come August, will Busch still be starting regularly against lefties? Or will the Cubs be forced to look for other options because he just won’t improve enough to keep putting him out there.
By “everyday,” I don’t mean that Counsell might not give him a day off against Chris Sale. But I am meaning that he’ll get the strong majority of starts against lefties throughout the season.
Thanks for stopping by tonight. Please get home safely. We wouldn’t want you to miss Opening Day. Clean up around your table. Don’t forget anything. Recycle any cans and bottles. Tip your waitstaff. And join us again tomorrow evening for more BCB After Dark.
