Cubs fans set winning thresholds for June as Yahoo Sports column questions definition of success
With a 13-16 finish to May, the host suggests a 14-13 start to June is insufficient, citing a schedule featuring the Athletics, Giants, and Rockies as relatively soft.
Yahoo Sports’ Cubs BCB After Dark column has prompted fans to establish specific winning targets for the Chicago Cubs’ June schedule, following a difficult May that concluded with a 13-16 record and a ten-game losing streak. The host of the late-night discussion forum suggested that a 14-13 record would not constitute success, inviting readers to vote on higher thresholds such as 16-11, 17-10, or 20-7.
The column characterises the Cubs’ 27-game June slate as relatively soft, highlighting opponents including the Oakland Athletics, San Francisco Giants, Colorado Rockies, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Mets, Milwaukee Brewers, and San Diego Padres. The host described the Athletics as mediocre, the Giants and Rockies as poor, and the Blue Jays and Mets as below .500 or not currently strong.
Only the final five games of the month, featuring matchups against the Milwaukee Brewers and San Diego Padres, were identified as presenting a significant challenge. This assessment sets the context for the poll, which asks fans to determine the number of wins required to consider the month successful given the perceived ease of the majority of the schedule.
Prior to the baseball discussion, the column addressed a poll on Major League Baseball’s competitive balance. The results showed a divided opinion, with 53 percent of respondents believing there is a problem requiring action to support small-market clubs, while 47 percent felt the current state of affairs was acceptable.
The forum also included a tribute to the late saxophonist Sonny Rollins, acknowledging his pivotal role in the late-1940s bebop scene alongside figures such as Miles Davis and Charlie Parker. The host highlighted Rollins’ 1956 albums Tenor Madness and Saxophone Colossus, noting the enduring significance of the latter’s title track, St. Thomas, which incorporated calypso music from Rollins’ parents’ native Virgin Islands.
