Cubs First‑Round Picks: The Greatest of All Time

BCB After Dark: The Nighttime Hangout

Drop in at BCB After Dark and you’ll find a cool spot for night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. No cover charge, casual dress code and a hostess who seats you right away. Bring your own beverage; there’s no waiting list.

This venue is where you can talk baseball, music, movies or anything else you need to get off your chest—within the site’s rules. Late‑nighters are encouraged to kick off the party, but everyone is welcome to join as the night drags into morning.

Last week’s poll showed a split on manager Craig Counsell: 60 % gave him a “B” while 23 % handed him an “A.” The writer admits they would have leaned toward that “A.”

Music & Movies: A Jazz Throwback

For older fans, a nostalgic moment arrives with Wes Montgomery’s guitar on “Windy.” Herb Albert introduces the legendary guitarist in this 1967 Hollywood Palace clip.

After the music, the true‑crime segment begins, inviting you to linger or skip as you wish.

True Crime Cinema: The Girl With the Red Velvet Swing

Director Richard Fleischer tackled four famous murders, two of which the writer has seen. Compulsion (1959) dramatizes the Leopold and Loeb case, while The Boston Strangler (1968) is described as a hot mess. The Girl With the Red Velvet Swing (1955) lands somewhere in between.

The film adapts the 1906 murder of architect Stanford White (Ray Milland) by railroad heir Harry Kendall Thaw (Farley Granger). White’s wife, Evelyn Nesbit (Joan Collins), is portrayed as the tragic mistress.

Nesbit was a celebrated “Gibson Girl,” the era’s version of a supermodel. White designed New York’s Washington Square Arch, and Thaw’s net worth topped $40 million in 1900 dollars. His mental instability was hidden by his wealth.

Thaw’s obsession with White stemmed from the fact that White had “deflowered” Nesbit before she married Thaw and possibly blackballed him from New York society. In 1906, Thaw shot White on a Madison Square Garden rooftop, shouted that White had ruined his life or his wife, and confessed on the spot. The trial became the first “Trial of the Century.”

Evelyn Nesbit was still alive in 1955 and served as a paid consultant, which tamed some of the story’s more lurid elements. The film shows White sympathetically and casts Nesbit as a love‑struck young woman. In truth, Nesbit was 16 when she met the 47‑year‑old White; he was something of a predator, a Jeffrey Epstein of his day.

Nesbit later said their sexual encounters after the initial encounter were consensual, though the first meeting would be considered date rape today. The movie shrinks Thaw to a merely controlling abuser, while real‑world records portray him as a violent psychopath, serial rapist and sadist.

Production Code and co‑writer Charles Brackett likely softened the narrative. Brackett refused to work on Double Indemnity because he found it too immoral. The resulting love‑triangle story feels less intense than the grim reality.

Acting choices also temper the drama. Farley Granger’s Thaw never fully conveys the true madness, and Joan Collins’s inconsistent American accent pulls focus. Ray Milland’s mid‑Atlantic tone suits the upper‑class setting, but Collins’s performance remains uneven.

Visually, the film shines. CinemaScope frames and vivid 20th‑century New York sets make the picture a treat for the eyes, even if the storyline does not.

Overall, The Girl With the Red Velvet Swing reduces a headline murder to a tame love story. It is not a failure, but the true crime deserves a more robust telling.

Cubs Draft Week: Ranking First‑Round Picks

The MLB Draft began in 1965, and the Cubs struggled for decades before improving around 2007. Draft picks eventually helped fuel the 2016 championship. To find the greatest first‑round pick, the writer examined bWAR and on‑field impact with the Cubs.

Baseball Reference’s top‑10 all‑time Cubs by bWAR include only one true draft pick: Rick Reuschel, chosen in the third round. Greg Maddux, a second‑round pick in 1984, delivered most of his value elsewhere. First‑round names like Rafael Palmeiro and Josh Donaldson rank high in bWAR but never contributed much to the Cubs roster.

Palmeiro’s brief 258 games and Donaldson’s non‑Cubs career make them ineligible, as does Jon Garland’s limited impact. The focus then shifts to players who starred for Chicago and left measurable footprints.

Listed below are the first‑round selections that earned the most for the Cubs, using both Cubs Wins Above Replacement (WAR) and career bWAR.

• 1995 Kerry Wood: Cubs — 25.5 WAR, Career — 26.8 bWAR.
• 2011 Javier Báez: Cubs — 21.8 WAR, Career — 26.9 bWAR.
• 2013 Kris Bryant: Cubs — 28.0 WAR, Career — 27.3 bWAR.
• 2015 Ian Happ: Career — 24.2 bWAR (Cubs WAR not listed in the original data).
• 2018 Nico Hoerner: Career — 23.1 bWAR (Cubs WAR not listed in the original data).

Kyle Schwarber, another first‑round talent, could have made the list, but his 5.4 bWAR before being non‑tendered and defensive struggles keep him off.

The numbers suggest Kris Bryant tops the group, but Kerry Wood’s dominance on the mound remains a benchmark for Cubs first‑round success.

Wrap‑Up & Call to Action

Thank you for joining BCB After Dark. May your night be cool, your week be lucky, and your Cubs fandom stay fierce. Tip your server, recycle, and see you next week for more music, movies, and draft talk.