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Jun 24, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell (11) gestures during the sixth inning against the New York Mets at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
It’s Tuesday night here at BCB After Dark: the grooviest hang for night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. Come on in out of the heat. There are cool people in here. There’s no cover charge. We have a few tables still available. The hostess will seat you now. 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 which team was most likely to claim the second National League Wild Card? The vote wasn’t too close as 50 percent of you picked the Phillies. The Diamondbacks just snuck past the Padres for second place, 23 percent to 22 percent.
On Tuesday nights, I don’t generally do a movie essay. But I always have some time for jazz, and that time is now.
Tonight we are honored to have trumpeter Freddie Hubbard in 1989 performing “The Night has a Thousand Eyes.” Peter Washington is on double bass, James Williams plays piano and the drummer is Tony Reedus.
Welcome back to everyone who skips all that jazz.
Rick Sutcliffe said something on social media a couple of weeks ago that’s stuck with me.
I’m the kind of person who thinks that managers get too much credit when things go well and too much blame when things go poorly. I do believe that managers make a difference, both good and bad, but the influence is normally small. I do think a bad manager can do a lot more damage to a team than a good manager can help one. Sometimes what we think is a good manager is just someone who isn’t quite as crappy as the guy before him.
But in this case, I gotta agree with Sut. I don’t need to tell you that this year’s Cubs team was decimated by pitching injuries. Things were ugly in May. But Counsell kept the boat afloat through the storm and managed to find some starters and relievers who could keep games close enough for the offense to win. When Pete Crow-Armstrong struggled early in the year, he didn’t bench him against left-handers. Bregman did get off to a poor start to his Cubs career (at least by his standards), but Counsell stood by him and now he looks like his same old self. Hoerner’s mid-season struggles seem to be over. I know a lot of you wanted the Cubs to bench Ian Happ and yes, Counsell did give him an off-day here and there. But the rested and refreshed Happ is starting to look like his old self as well.
Everyone says Counsell is a wizard with the bullpen. Except Counsell. He thinks that’s overstated. But he’s been forced to use 13 different pitchers to record saves this year. He’s put together a bullpen with chewing gum and piano wire.
Now, with the Trade Deadline passed, the Cubs have several reinforcements for those injured players just as the injured players returned. And over the past several weeks, the Cubs have been the best team in the National League, at least as far as wins and losses go. And I don’t think any other metric really matters.
So I’ve got to give Counsell an “A.” But what do you give him?
Thank you for coming in. We always enjoy having you stop by. Get home safely. Call a ride if you need one. Recycle and cans and bottles. Tip your waitstaff. And join us again tomorrow for more BCB After Dark.
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