The late-night/early-morning spot for Cubs fans asks how many saves do you think Daniel Palencia will get this year.
It’s Wednesday evening here at BCB After Dark: the grooviest gathering of night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. Come on in and cool off with us. We still have a few tables available. There’s no cover charge. The hostess will seat you know. There’s a two-drink minimum, but 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 beat the Guardians tonight 5-4. Shōta Imanaga didn’t have his best game, giving up three home runs, but they were all solo home runs. He pitched well enough to get the win. Seiya Suzuki had two hits and three RBI. Pete Crow-Armstrong had two hits and two RBI. Dansby Swanson had two hits. And while Daniel Palencia’s save was “nervy,” some of that was because of an error and he was pitching on back-to-back nights.
Last evening I asked you which Cub other than Pete Crow-Armstrong and Kyle Tucker are most deserving of making the All-Star Game? Yes, I probably know that more than Cubs player deserved to be named to the National League pitching staff or reserves, but our poll software only allows for one choice.
Anyway, Seiya Suzuki finished in first place with 42 percent of the vote. Matthew Boyd came in second with 33 percent. Michael Busch was third with 13 percent.
I’m betting Suzuki and Boyd do make the All-Star Game. I’m doubtful on Busch. He’s having an All-Star-worthy season, but there’s Pete Alonso, Bryce Harper and Matt Olson in the NL East alone who are also having All-Star worthy seasons as a first baseman. I wouldn’t be shocked if Carson Kelly got named to the team, however. I also wouldn’t be shocked if he wasn’t named. Or both. He seems like the kind of guy who joins the team as an injury replacement.
Here’s the part where I talk movies and jazz. You’re free to skip that if you want. You won’t hurt my feelings.
Folks, I’ve been so busy and tired today (and battling a summer cold) that I’m going to do something I’ve never done before. I’m going to combine the jazz and the movie part.
This is a short film by legendary documentarian D.A. Pennebaker entitled Daylight Express. In fact, it’s the very first film Pennebaker made. He shot the film on trains in New York City in 1953, although he didn’t actually finish the film until 1957. He then synchronized the Duke Ellington recording of “Daylight Express” over the footage. Basically, it’s one of the very first music videos. It’s only five minutes of your time and it’s worth it.
I think Pennebaker really captures the beauty of mid-century New York and it’s clever the way he matches up the images he captured with the movements of the music.
I also watched Pennebaker’s documentary Monterey Pop (1968) and I don’t really have a lot to say about it. I’ve seen it before, of course. The highlights are The Who and Jimi Hendrix trying to outdo each other in the way they destroy their instruments, as well as Otis Redding announcing himself to white audiences.
But if you want a discussion question, why don’t you tell us some of your favorite music documentaries. Do you like Monterey Pop or Woodstock better? Pennebaker’s portrait of Bob Dylan Dont Look Back or Martin Scorsese’s The Last Waltz? Or maybe your tastes lie in something more recent than fifty or sixty years ago?
So tell us your favorite concert film or, if you’d rather, music documentary.
Welcome back to those of you who skip the music and movies.
I’m still needing a break from trade deadline rumors and trying to come up with good questions around it. So instead, I thought we could just talk about Cubs closer Daniel Palencia.
Palencia has always had closer’s stuff, but before this season, he was walking far too many hitters to entrust him regularly with high-pressure situations. And certainly coming into this year, Palencia wasn’t the Cubs first choice to close. That would be Ryan Pressley. Or the second choice. That would have been Porter Hodge. But when Pressley melted down in May (and note, he’s been good since then) and Hodge went down injured, manager Craig Counsell turned to Daniel Palencia.
Palencia has stepped up and seized the role. He’s 10-for-11 in save chances and he sports a 1.74 ERA in 31 innings. He’s got his walks down to just 11, which is one fewer than he issued all of last season in just 14 2⁄3 innings. Tonight’s save was a bit of a nail-biter, as mentioned above. but the run he allowed was unearned because of Matt Shaw’s error. (And Shaw made at least two great defensive plays tonight, so he shouldn’t be too hard on himself about the error.) But he was also pitching on back-to-back nights and he recorded back-to-back saves.
So we’re a little past the mid-way point of the season and Palencia has ten saves. How many do you think he’s going to finish with this year?
This is just a clever way of me asking “Do you think Daniel Palencia will keep the closer’s job all year?” If the Cubs trade for an experienced closer like David Bednar, that would likely mean that Palencia would move into a setup role. Or if you think Palencia will lose his effectiveness somewhere between now and October, then maybe he only gets five or six more saves before being removed from the closer’s role.
But if you think Palencia will hang on the closer’s job and the Cubs are going to be in a lot of close games between now and the end of the season, vote for the higher numbers.
So how many saves do you think Palencia will finish 2025 with.
Thank you for stopping by this evening and all week. A special thanks goes out to everyone who voted and commented this week. Let’s sweep the Guardians tomorrow. Get home safely. Recycle any cans and bottles. Tip your waitstaff. And join us again next week for more BCB After Dark.