Hour 1: ASG Reaction

Summary

Podcast Summary: Don, Hahn & Rosenberg – Hour 1: ASG Reaction Release Date: July 16, 2025

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Introduction

In the inaugural episode of "Don, Hahn & Rosenberg," hosts Don LaGreca, Alan Hahn, and Peter Rosenberg delve into an in-depth reaction to the recent Major League Baseball (MLB) All-Star Game (ASG). Broadcasting from ESPN New York, the trio offers their perspectives on the game's pivotal moments, controversies, and the overall execution of the event.

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1. Overview of the All-Star Game (ASG)

The conversation kicks off with the hosts reflecting on the excitement and unique occurrences during the ASG. Peter Rosenberg sets the stage by highlighting the anticipation surrounding the game, referencing the Home Run Derby and the main event itself.

• Peter Rosenberg [00:39-00:58]:
  "It's 3 o'clock in the big city. Don, Han, and Rosenberg, full frontal vehicle today till 7 o'clock as now we get the dog days of the All Star break. Monday we had the home run derby. Last night we had the All Star game and everything that came with that."

2. Key Moments and Swing-Off Controversy

A significant portion of the discussion centers around the introduction of the "swing-off," a novel method to resolve tied games during the exhibition ASG. The hosts dissect the implementation, execution, and reception of this new rule.

• Don LaGreca [05:30-05:42]:
  "We weren't kind of like, joking about, like, the possibilities, the ways you can end the tie? Because even some of the players said, I didn't know this was going to be a thing."

• Peter Rosenberg [07:14-07:43]:
  "Cal Raleigh's in skivvies because he's already out of the game and nobody's thinking about the possibility that it's a tie... Players were completely in the dark about the whole thing supposedly."

The hosts express concerns about the preparedness of players and managers, noting that star players like Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani were unavailable for the swing-off, leading to questions about fairness and transparency.

3. MVP Voting and Fan Reactions

The discussion shifts to the MVP voting process, where Jordan Schwarber was awarded MVP for his three home runs during the swing-off. Don and Peter critique the decision, arguing that Schwarber's performance during the traditional gameplay was overshadowed by his batting practice-like performance in the swing-off.

• Don LaGreca [17:47-17:46]:
  "It should have been Pete Alonzo. It should have been Peter."

• Peter Rosenberg [20:42-21:11]:
  "He didn't do anything during the game. But it's three batting practice home runs. And that's bigger than a three run home run hit against the pitcher that's trying to get him out."

The hosts are particularly critical of the media's role in MVP selection, questioning how media members could uphold the "purity of baseball" while awarding the MVP to a player whose contributions were limited to the swing-off.

4. Comparison to Other Sports' Overtime Mechanisms

Alan and Peter draw parallels between MLB's swing-off and similar overtime mechanisms in hockey and the NBA, discussing the effectiveness and entertainment value of sudden-death scenarios versus traditional extensions like extra innings.

• Don LaGreca [11:00-11:35]:
  "It was fun... More compelling than the Ghost Runner."

• Peter Rosenberg [13:02-14:00]:
  "But it doesn't make it right. It's like deciding a football game on field goals that I can't defend, that aren't defended... That would never do that."

While acknowledging the entertainment factor, the hosts maintain reservations about the fairness and integrity of the swing-off compared to established sports practices.

5. Panelists' Opinions on Execution and Future Implications

The trio shares their thoughts on the execution of the swing-off, debating whether it could be refined for future events or integrated into the regular season. They express enthusiasm for the innovation but emphasize the need for better preparation and communication.

• Peter Rosenberg [30:26-30:45]:
  "I wish there was a way to defend it. There's nothing wrong with at least having the conversation about how you could make it work if the players wanted to do it, if the fans absolutely love it."

• Don LaGreca [32:37-32:40]:
  "But I just don't think baseball purists would ever buy into something like it. All I was saying that it was a lot of fun to watch."

6. Listener Calls and Feedback

The episode incorporates several listener calls, providing diverse viewpoints and further enriching the discussion. Callers like Luke from Indianapolis and Connor from Scarsdale offer their perspectives, supporting the swing-off for its entertainment value while reiterating concerns about player participation and MVP fairness.

• Luke [27:23-28:45]:
  "I think it's great for the All Star Game. But what do you think they'd be given a team like the Yankees an advantage over... Maybe the Cleveland Guardians?"

• Connor [33:02-33:45]:
  "Pete Alonso definitely should have won the MVP, though. Without a doubt. That was a bad call on that one."

7. Concluding Thoughts

In wrapping up, Don, Hahn, and Rosenberg acknowledge the innovative aspects of the ASG but stress the importance of maintaining the sport's integrity. They advocate for ongoing dialogue among stakeholders to refine such changes, ensuring future events balance entertainment with fair competition.

• Peter Rosenberg [37:00-38:56]:
  "There's nothing wrong with at least having the conversation about how you could make it work if the players wanted to do it, if the fans absolutely love it... So I don't think it'll ever happen either."

• Don LaGreca [43:35-44:06]:
  "Thank you, David, for the call. The bulk-up part of it. You got to be careful because one of the things about Sauce is his speed, his athleticism, his ability to keep up with wide receivers and all that."

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Peter Rosenberg [03:46]:
  "Someone wants to win and it's a fun idea."

• Don LaGreca [05:03]:
  "The All Star Game needs a break."

• Peter Rosenberg [14:49]:
  "But you're right. That's compelling."

• Don LaGreca [30:24]:
  "The purists will throw up because they're already throwing. That's not even baseball anymore."

• Peter Rosenberg [34:53]:
  "The only way it's going to work is if you end up going to like a point system like the NHL has."

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Conclusion

"Don, Hahn & Rosenberg" provides a comprehensive and engaging analysis of the MLB All-Star Game's latest innovations. Through candid discussions, listener interactions, and critical evaluations, the hosts offer valuable insights into the evolving landscape of baseball, balancing tradition with modern entertainment demands. This episode serves as a must-listen for fans seeking a deeper understanding of the game's current dynamics and future directions.

Transcript

[Alan Hahn]

With the Venmo debit card, you can Venmo everything. Your favorite band's merch. You can Venmo this or their next show.

[Don LaGreca]

You can Venmo that.

[Alan Hahn]

Visit Venmo Me debit to learn more. The Venmo MasterCard is issued by the Bancorp bank and a pursuant to license by MasterCard International Inc. The card may be used everywhere. MasterCard is accepted. Venmo purchase restrictions apply.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Todd, there's no tush push if you're not pushing the tush.

[Don LaGreca]

Han, I want you protecting my blind side. And Rosenberg.

[Peter Rosenberg]

When I was seven, I was riding shotgun and smoking cigarettes. This isn't North Dakota, this is New York.

[Don LaGreca]

This is Don, Han, Rosenberg, the best.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Threesome I've ever heard.

[Don LaGreca]

On 880 ESPN and the ESPN New York app.

[Peter Rosenberg]

3 o' clock in the big city. Don, Han and Rosenberg, full frontal vehicle today till 7 o' clock as now we get the dog days of the All Star break. Monday we had the home run derby. Last night we had the All Star game and everything that came with that. And now we wait until Friday when the second half begins. Alan Hahn, how are you?

[Don LaGreca]

I'm good. Apparently. Like I'm trying to figure this thing out because for everybody that's going to see video today, it's going to look my face is like right in the camera for some reason. We got to fix this.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, when you say we, I think it's you, right?

[Don LaGreca]

It's me. There's nothing I can do.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Oh, no. When you say that, when you say we, what do you expect? Myself, Jacob and all of us.

[Don LaGreca]

All of us. What do you do about it? Don, this is a team.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You know what I'm going to use? I'm going to pray for you.

[Don LaGreca]

That's thoughts and prayers are always thoughts and prayers.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Dal and Han for trying to figure camera thoughts.

[Don LaGreca]

And so you know, the girls are home now. That's the reason why I could not make it all the way in. I had to pick them up at the airport. They are. Talk to me tomorrow.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's always the day after, right?

[Don LaGreca]

Girls are home, so all is well.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Good for you. So you have to pick them up at the airport. So you're home, I'm here.

[Don LaGreca]

Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And we're ready to to get into because I got a lot to say today, man. I got a lot to say. Of course, 4:30, we've got the list and enn of course is coming up at 6:00'. Clock.

[Don LaGreca]

Right.

[Peter Rosenberg]

The NHL schedule came out today for so people that are into it. It's always like a fun day to kind of plan out your life. And I'm literally going to plan out my life because now I'm going to know where I'm going to be. You give me a date, I'll tell you exactly where I'm going to be. Alan, right now. Do it. Throw out a date. Throw out a date between October 9th and. And April 14th.

[Don LaGreca]

December 12th.

[Peter Rosenberg]

December 12th. Very interesting. December 12th, I'm going to be home because that's between home games, between the Lightning and the Ducks.

[Don LaGreca]

Perfect.

[Peter Rosenberg]

So I'm going to be right here in studio alongside you.

[Don LaGreca]

I'm going to, I'm going to know. I think it's like, I think it's early August, so you still have another week or two before the NBA schedule comes out. And then you and I will know how often we'll actually be together during the winter months.

[Peter Rosenberg]

So I'm looking forward to all the how that's all going to be juggled, how that's all going to be worked out. And already the pinhead suits are asking me, you know, where are you going to be here? Where are you going to be there? And then you throw travel into the mix. But no, it's all going to be fun. And we've got, we've got months before we're going to have to worry about that. But I got a lot to say beyond that because last night was just so fascinating. All right. There are just so many jumping off points. We want you to climb aboard at 1-800-919-3776 because I even think casuals are going to have an opinion on this and diehards are going to have an opinion on this. And I really think last night was just so fascinating. First of all, I don't get caught up in the whole you need a ton of runs or a ton of points in order to be entertained. I thought last night was fun. We saw some home runs, we saw some, some nice pitching, and a six, nothing game ends up being tied at six. And going into what we saw the swing off, which they got to come up with a better name, but that's what people seem to be calling it.

[Don LaGreca]

That sounded way too ditty.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, it's. It.

[Don LaGreca]

Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Just too much. Too much going on there.

[Don LaGreca]

Too close.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I thought the game was fine. I thought honoring Hank Aaron the way they did was spectacular.

[Don LaGreca]

That was really, that was.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And I made sure because, you know, juggling the kids and it was late and they were fired up to watch the All Star game. Marco and Declan and I Got my nephew over for the summer, and. And I made a point to say to them, guys, you gotta pay attention. You gotta watch this. This was a major moment, not just in baseball history, but in our country's history, when Hank Aaron hit that home run. Now, I was only six years old, so I don't have a recollection of it. And the game, you know, probably wasn't available. Me, I don't remember the circumstances. It wasn't like it is today, where all the games are available. But 7:15, it falling on 7:15, July 15, the All Star Game happening in Atlanta, where that home run had taken place against the Dodgers. And to use the calls and the video and to use the field screen, I just thought they really did a great job. And I made sure that, you know, Declan, who next month is going to be 10, and Marco, who's seven and a half, I'm like, I don't know if they fully comprehended, but I want you to watch this because this is important stuff. And we just lost Hank Aaron not that long ago, and the circumstances were perfect, so we might hammer baseball for things, but I thought that was pitch perfect, what they did last night, honoring Hank Aaron.

[Don LaGreca]

Now that part. Yes. How did you feel about how they decided, by the way, did you know there was going to be a. What do we want to call it? Swing?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, this is what they're calling it. Shootout, whatever.

[Don LaGreca]

Yeah, but still, like, like, because we weren't.

[Alan Hahn]

Were.

[Don LaGreca]

Weren't we kind of like, joking about, like, the possibilities, the ways you can end the tie? Because even some of the players said, I didn't know this was going to be a thing. And so much so to the fact that, like, Aaron Judge wasn't available because he left.

[Peter Rosenberg]

See that? Now we're going to get to the crux of it.

[Don LaGreca]

So we didn't know, but it was a great. I thought it was a great idea that was executed poorly.

[Peter Rosenberg]

How about that? It's the best way to say it, because it's true. All right, listen, this is an exhibition game, okay? The result really is not supposed to matter, but at the same time, you're asking, you know, however many people watched it, I'm sure the ratings will come out a little bit later on today. They invested in something and they want to. They want to see a result. Right? They want to see who's going to win and who's going to lose the game. All right? Although, when I saw the tie in Milwaukee that time, I didn't think it was a big deal because you never See something like that, but you want to see some sort of resolution. You've invested three plus hours in watching this game, but it was fun. Somebody wants to win and it's a fun idea. But the lack of just knowledge of it coming and it wasn't on anybody's radar. The game was 6 nothing and then it was 6 4. But then you get to the bottom of the 9th, you get to the top of the 9th inning and then all of a sudden it's like there's a runner at second base and Bobby Witt Jr's up. You're like this guy, this game is still in doubt. This might end up being a tie. And then it starts entering that this is what they're going to do. But a lot of people were slack jawed that this was happening. So now because there's a lack of knowledge about stuff, the two managers send out their hitters and there's no Ohtani for the National League and there's no judge for the American League. So what happens? The managers start getting killed. Aaron Boone, what's the matter with him now? Now the world's getting to find out why Yankee fans hate Aaron Boone. How is Judge not in there? Don't kill Boone. He's not there. Can't use somebody that's not there.

[Don LaGreca]

You saw Scuba was dressed in regular clothes when he came out to watch it. He had already showered and cleaned, but he didn't leave. But other guys were given permission to leave because some of them wanted to just get a little bit of a break and so they were allowed to leave.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And now Cal happens all the time and Cal Raleigh's in skivvies because he's already out of the game and nobody's thinking about the possibility that it's a tie. And as you mentioned, even though the players association apparently signed off on this four years ago, the players were completely in the dark about the whole thing supposedly.

[Don LaGreca]

So the managers. So Boone and Roberts submitted a list of participants and also alternates should they need this swing off. So Monday they had their list of who would they would want to use. But you, you, you know when you look at that list and you're like, oh wait, oh yeah, Judge is gone. All right. Yeah, he's already gone. We got to get somebody else. So look, it was setting up for Pete Alonso to win the mvp, right? Because all he, he was and it was smart that Roberts did it, put him last and it basically was like, okay, let's see if we get to, to the chance for Alonzo to be the hero where he already was when he hit the three run home run. You would think he could walk off with the mvp, but he never, he never had. He didn't have to come up. He didn't have to get up because of what Schwaber did.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, and, but, but now you've got what feels like things are kind of disingenuous. Right. Because you're hearing players say, I didn't even know about it. You know, Schwaber's the, I mean, Raleigh is already out of uniform, so guys kind of got caught flat footed. Then you find out later on, well, they decided before the game, just in case it goes into a tie, let's figure out who's going to play. And then the guys that weren't like Ohtani and Judge were like, no, I'm good. You know, I want to get out of here. Because I'm assuming now a lot of things, Michael even brought this up on a show. Why would Judge be in a hurry to get out of there? The Yankees are there on Friday. No, Judge is probably like, I want to get out of here Tuesday. I want to spend Wednesday and Thursday somewhere and then, then report back to Atlanta. I don't want to spend three days with my family in Atlanta. No offense to Atlanta. I want to go someplace else. And they all got private jets and they want to just get the heck out of there.

[Don LaGreca]

Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And that's why when you get to the sixth inning, you're already taken out of the game. Hey, I'm going to jump out. So if they did figure it out before the game, guys like Judge and Ohtani are probably like, nah, I'm good. I want to get out of here. I'm hoping to leave before the game ends because you guys know if you wait till the game is over, no matter how super rich you are, unless you have a helicopter in the parking lot, you get stuck in traffic, you want to get out before the fans leave, you want to get to the tarmac, jump on your private jet and go to the Caribbean wherever you're going. So I don't fault them for that. But when you know that there's going to be a swing off, your players association has agreed to it. Well, then I think that it is your obligation as a player in the All Star game to stay until the game is over. Otherwise negotiated out of the cba. Why did they agree to it? Say, no, no, no. We want players to leave early. We don't want to get stuck at a swing off and our best batters aren't available. And then you don't make the. And then it makes Judge look bad. Like, oh, he doesn't want to be there. When maybe he had already arranged before the game started that he was going to get out of Dodge early in 2008, Alex Rodriguez left early. He was taken out of the game. He left. And that game in 08 at Yankee Stadium went texture innings. And there's Derek Jeter at the dugout watching the game. No Alex Rodriguez. And when the public found out that he had left early, they eviscerated him.

[Don LaGreca]

Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Now nobody's going to eviscerate Judge because at the time, Alex wasn't likable. That was before he won the World Series in 2009. Judge is likable. Nobody's going to kill him. Dodger fans aren't going to kill Ohtani. But it still looks bad. So you set it perfect. It's a great way to decide an exhibition, but executed poorly.

[Don LaGreca]

It was fun. And I would say now, because again, the NHL has already shown you that they are deciding games with this right now. It's a point system. So it's different than a win and a loss, which is there's a greater value in a win versus a loss than there is in a point system where I still get one point versus the extra point, the two points when it comes to hockey. But couldn't you argue that when executed properly, that that's a lot more compelling than the Ghost Runner?

[Peter Rosenberg]

No.

[Don LaGreca]

Oh, come on. It's a lot more compelling.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It might. It might be so much fun. You know, you say, and then, you know the game's over, but it's not right.

[Don LaGreca]

We're not here all night because you could still go to 12 innings and you could still do that even with the Ghost Runner. But this is like, we know we're done. We know this. Done. This game was over. It was almost midnight. It was an 8 o' clock game. It was almost midnight. I mean, come on, can we just, like, it was a marathon, this game. It took forever.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I get it. But you. You can't decide.

[Don LaGreca]

No, that's not what I said. I didn't say, should you, because I know you can't. It's not a point system. You can do it in hockey with it. Basically, it's a shootout because a the other team's goal, he's trying to stop you, versus a bullpen pitcher that's just throwing meatballs up there. If you did hit home runs, I'm saying compelling. It's way better than the Ghost Runner. As far as. Like this was. You're on the edge of your seat watching. You wouldn't. You don't take it. Don't take it for face value. I'm not saying this is what they should do. I'm saying when you consider the options of ways to end a tie, putting a ghost runner out there, which is like just you just planting someone at second base.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I get it.

[Don LaGreca]

Versus. I'm watching to see three pitches or three swings and who can hit the most out out of a group of six players. There's something about that that keeps you glued to the set.

[Peter Rosenberg]

True. But it doesn't make it right.

[Don LaGreca]

I think you morphed my point.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, no. I get what you're saying.

[Don LaGreca]

The rules. It's just way better of a watch.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's a way better watch. But the reason why they would it even if the fans demanded it, is that I don't have any way to defend it. Like in the shootout. And you're right. The shootout. I'm no fan of the shootout. If they got rid of it tomorrow, I'd be the happiest guy in the world. I had no problem. Don't like the shootout.

[Don LaGreca]

You hate the shootout.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Hate the shootout.

[Don LaGreca]

The shootout's kind of fun.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's not fun. I'm done.

[Don LaGreca]

Okay.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Especially coming off an electrifying three on three for five minutes. And then I got to go to take everything out of the game except the shooter and the. And the goaltender.

[Don LaGreca]

You say the three on three. The three on three has lost its luster because allowing guys to go into the. I say the back court. But. You know what I mean.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, I know. But. But I don't like that somebody that just is called games. Believe me, there's a lot. It's. Sometimes it's very compelling and fun when done the right way. But listen, not everything is going to be exciting. Sometimes everything is boring no matter what you do.

[Don LaGreca]

That's right. Yep.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But at least I can defend the shootout. I have my goaltender to stop you. This is an exhibition in the. In a glorious sense of. I can't defend it. I can't do anything about it. Young. The batter's gonna go out there. He's got his pitching coach throwing the ball. I get it. And now this would be similar to deciding a football game on field goals that I can't defend, that aren't defended that they just put it on a tee, let them kick the field goals. And the most out of 10 wins.

[Don LaGreca]

Completely understand.

[Peter Rosenberg]

So. So yeah. That's why I have no problem with it in the All Star Game. But it was fun. Like, it was fun, but I don't want to see it in the regular season. But you're right. That's compelling.

[Don LaGreca]

No, I don't think you can have it as a regular season thing. But I'm saying that it's just. There was something exciting about it. That baseball does lack that. Right? There is exactly what. When you say what's missing, Those are viral moments, which Schwaber did for all the Met fans that are pissed because it's a Philly and they took. Probably took the hardware right away from Pete Alonso. And I understand it, and I partially agree with it, because what Alonzo did was in the nine innings.

[Peter Rosenberg]

See, I was. That was the other thing Schwaber did.

[Don LaGreca]

Was in the novelty act. And I don't know if that's really.

[Peter Rosenberg]

The way it's not supposed to work.

[Don LaGreca]

It shouldn't work that way. But all that, all that. I still gotta admit that I was more at the edge of my seat on something like that than anything else.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It was.

[Don LaGreca]

And so I don't know how you take that now and say, okay, how do we make it still competitive? Where the other team, like, is there something that could be done that changes it? But it's still. It was so compelling and fun, and baseball doesn't have enough of that going on in its game.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah. That's all I'm trying to say. And that's why I got no problem with it in the exhibition. It just was executed poorly.

[Don LaGreca]

All right.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Where everybody should have been available. Nobody should have left early. Tough. Okay. You want to get your days off. They. Hey, listen, we grew up at a time. Actually wasn't that long ago they'd play games on the Thursday after the All Star Game, but they got rid of that. Everybody's got their two days off after the game. So that everybody, at least are in.

[Don LaGreca]

The All Star Game. Needs a break.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Absolutely. I understand. Hey, I'm lucky and Alan's lucky. We get to fly on charters, we get to stay in great hotels. But everybody has the same time to deal with. No matter how rich you are, it's still about time. Right? This is what they do for a living. And they want to be able to have time with their families. And even though they might travel in luxury and be millionaires, you're still away. They still want to be able to have that time in the middle of a season to say, let's take the family out to Disney, or let's just go to some island Someplace, rent a house, just relax by a lake before daddy's got to go back on Friday to work. And then you're not going to see me again until October. So I get it. But if you're going to agree to have this swing off and the players association is going to agree to it, then all of the players in uniform and have to be available to participate in it. It's just the way it is. Just. And that's. That was the only negative of it, that the best hitters in the game weren't available. You're right. Schwaber's a home run hitter. He's got big personality. He was the perfect guy. Maybe not in New York, as New York fans wanted Alonzo, but it was fine that it was won by that, but seeing some of the guys that participated in it just weren't on the level of the guys that were all on the tarmac flying home and not in the building where they should have been. That's correct. And, and I'm totally 100% with you on. And I'm not coming from. Schwaber's a Philly and Alonzo's a Met. Although you can see my bias is that you can't give the MVP to a guy that hit three batting practice home runs away from a guy that could have won the MVP with a three run home run against a pitcher that was trying to strike him out during the body of the game.

[Don LaGreca]

Right?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Come on, man. He didn't do anything during the game. He did the three home runs to win it. That. But Alonzo hit the three run home run or anybody else that did something to contribute to the six runs or the pitchers that contributed to the course of the game, not during a swing off. That was wrong.

[Don LaGreca]

And Heyman was saying that. What was it? It was it five, five voters. And not everybody submitted their votes for MVP because it's media voted and, and it was like it was close. So I think it was three to two. And there were some votes that never like they, they didn't get them in or whatever it was. So you know the media, they're the ones that decided the mvp. And you know how the media, especially baseball writers, you know how they, you know, you always say it, Don, and it's so true. The way they talk about their sport. It's like it's religion. So that's what surprises me that if it was the media voting for mvp, how are they the ones that are the caretakers of the sport and the purity of baseball and they're Giving it to the guy that hit three batting practice home runs in this extra novelty act that they added to the game. How. How do you change your vote and give it to Schwaber because it was the most fun moment of the game. Is that what you wanted to say? Is that the guy, the guy hit three bombs and helped them win the game because of it. That's why you change your vote. But I thought baseball was religion. This is certainly outside of the realm of the religion of baseball doing something like this. So it really surprised me that media members who voted for this award voted this way. When you consider the way media, baseball writers, baseball, media talks about it, caretakes their spot.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I wonder if they care. Take this, though, because how many of them were looking to get out of Dodge after they wrote the game story done. They were all, like, ticked off, I guess, that this. They were hoping the game ended. 6, 4. They get out of Dodge and then they get stuck. Because I can tell you how it works with hockey, right?

[Don LaGreca]

Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Is that in the press box? The PR will come around with the three stars, and they usually will come around sometimes in the middle of the third period.

[Don LaGreca]

Yeah. Oh, yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But then the game gets tied, goes into overtime, after the, after everything has been tabulated, right? Then they go to the shootout. And nine times out of 10, whoever had the shootout winner is the number one star. It's like, wait a minute. Nobody could have possibly had him on the list because we submitted in the middle of the third period. The guy hadn't done anything. But then he's the last shooter in the shootout, wins it. They give him, or maybe scores the goal in overtime and they give it to him. So I'm just wondering when they tabulated the thing and maybe they didn't get all the votes. Maybe it was a tie and then Schwarber won it the way they did. Just give it to him, you know, just. That makes sense. He's the one that hit the three. It's the first time we're ever doing this. He's being interviewed after the game. Just give him the mvp.

[Don LaGreca]

I, I, again, like, I, I get it, but that doesn't make sense. It doesn't make sense.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Right?

[Don LaGreca]

It should have been Peter Alonzo.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I would.

[Don LaGreca]

It should have been Peter.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And you're no Met fan. I'm a Met fan. So it's gonna sound like I said to myself, that was a big home run, you know, And I looked at what everybody else had done in the game, and I said, I think leading up to that moment, that he was the mvp. And now you're giving the MVP to a guy that didn't do anything during the game. But it's three batting practice home runs. And that's bigger than a three run home run hit against the pitcher that's trying to get him out.

[Don LaGreca]

Yeah, but for a National League that never wins, which is so crazy.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Right? I mean when I, we grew up, you can, you could look it up. The National League always, always won. Always won. And now it's, I think, what, two in 10 National League in the last 12.

[Don LaGreca]

I think you're right. I think now it's two. Yeah, I think it was one out of the last, I think. Right. That was nine of 10 that the American League one going into yesterday. Yeah. Or something like that.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But I thought, I thought that the, the, the Aaron thing was terrific. Them going back to wearing their old uniforms. And I love. Boone took the shot during the interviews.

[Don LaGreca]

Yeah, that was great.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You know, so you know that because listen, he's a third generation ball player. He saw his dad, you know, playing those All Star games as a Philly, wearing the Philly uniform for the National League, like it just, it just makes sense, you know. So good. We can go back to all the stuff that we go back to. But it was, overall, it was a great night. It was, it was fun. We'll see, we'll see what the ratings were.

[Don LaGreca]

Good night for baseball.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's a good night for baseball.

[Don LaGreca]

The Miz comes in, you know, it wasn't, it wasn't a big distraction. I don't think there was a viral moment there. Everybody was so excited.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Three pitches over 100. He had a slider over 98.

[Don LaGreca]

Yeah, he did also. Right. He did have the gun humming and that's great. But it, it, the good thing is a, he came in and did what he does, but it didn't become like a bigger deal than it needed to be. And I thought that's exactly the way it should have been. What was it, the eighth inning? Right. It was pretty late in the game too. But it was an important moment. So all that was good. Like there was, you know, there really was, was. No, there was nothing about it. I'll tell you this. How did. And I'd love to hear from the callers on this two, 800 now. 3776 is the, the ABS thing. I'm into that. Yeah, I loved. They went to it right away and you saw Scubal like started. They smiled because, you know, it's, it's the difference between a ball and A strike for a pitcher. That's a big deal. The catcher makes the call. I think it was Raleigh that made the call. And. And school is that you got to get them any way you can, boys. Right? I love that line. I think that will add. And we're going to have it next year, if I'm not mistaken. Right, Don? Like, it's official. I love that for baseball and I love that they use it just like the. Just like they do in tennis. The whole crowd sees it. They show it on the scoreboard. So there's no question. There's no wondering. There's no waiting for somebody has got a headset on. We're just staring. No, we see it and we keep it moving.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Notice. Like, it's not even. I think. I think the fans will be cool with it, but.

[Don LaGreca]

But it's, I think, more than cool, I think. And there'll be times, I think you'll start hearing people shout. Shout it out. Challenge it. Challenge it. Like, let's not get crazy like in the NBA where we're always doing the stupid, you know, finger circles.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But I like that it takes no.

[Don LaGreca]

Time as a way to also show the umpires, most of the time, get it right. And that when there are ones that are wrong, we can fix it and we can fix it immediately.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And this is not. And that truly is in the spirit of replay. Spirit of replay is not that his foot come off the bag after the play and you're sitting there analyzing and it's all like with the fouls in the NBA, like, five minutes going over every single angle, fraction of an inch. That's not what it's for. It's supposed to correct the egregious. The Dinkins are playing the 85 World Series. The Galarraga playing the perfect game, supposed to erase those and quickly. Ball to strike. That's it. No debate. No 1700 angles, right. It was actually perfect.

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[Alan Hahn]

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[Don LaGreca]

Thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I didn't listen to anything you just said.

[Don LaGreca]

Catch the show on demand whenever you want. Just subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts.

[Peter Rosenberg]

A lot of calls coming up at 1-800-919-3776. That's your general. Three thoughts on last night. 4:30, we got the list. 6 o'. Clock. Enn. So you ready for these calls there, buddy?

[Don LaGreca]

I think so.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Scared me there for a second.

[Don LaGreca]

I'm just, you know, technical difficulties here?

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, you're fighting. You sound great.

[Don LaGreca]

Good. That's all I'm trying to. I'm a cheat. I'm looking for great.

[Peter Rosenberg]

All right, Listen. Always looking for great.

[Don LaGreca]

Absolutely.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Let's go to Luke. He's all the way in Indianapolis. You get us started off here on Don Hanna. Rosenberg. What's up, man?

[E]

Hey, guys, thanks for taking the call. I think the swing off in the regular season is a little bit too, you know, kooky for me. I think it's great for the All Star Game. But what do you think when you don't you think they'd be given a team like the Yankees an advantage over, you know, maybe the, say, the Cleveland Guardians? A team that builds their roster around slug versus a team that builds the roster around speed and contact and defense?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, any team that's got slugger. You look at the Yankees, right? If you had three guys, I guess it would be what, Judge Stanton Bellinger. Right. Those would probably be the Three guys that you would have in that every night. As a matter of fact, I was thinking about it. If you instituted this during the regular season, you might find a way to extend Stanton when his contract is up. Like, wouldn't you have a guy just like, listen, I'm just going to bring him in as a right handed power hitter to come off the bench.

[Don LaGreca]

Does the NHL have that? Are there like, remember there was a time you thought they would be you. You would have guys on your team that were just like, you knew they were shootout specialists. Yeah. And then you realize that it did. It wasn't worth it to take up a roster spot for something like that.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, there were guys that were specialists, but they belong. Like Matt Sugarella was like a lock to get done.

[Don LaGreca]

Yeah, well, those are the people.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But he was a good player and you wanted him on the team. But I don't ever. Not like, like the old day goons where like the guy's just out there to fight. This guy's just out there for. Yeah, no, I never.

[Don LaGreca]

Shouldn't the rule though be that you have to be on the roster for the game. Like you have to be on the the game lineup.

[Peter Rosenberg]

So you're not.

[Don LaGreca]

Can't take somebody that's not in the lineup. It has to be in the lineup. And how about this too? If the player was replaced early in the game, let's say, well, for whatever reason, like, okay, I did a switch and so he's now pinch hitting the guy he pinched it for or ran for. Can't. He can't come in. You can't use him.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Right. But could you see a scenario if they instituted this rule where you've got Stanton because the Yankees are awful in extra inning games, especially on the road. Right. And you know how important these games are. You're like, you know, I'm going to live with Stan just being on my bench, hardly ever playing, but for the 15 times we go to the extra innings, you know, I got a guy that's going to help me win that. Like, would it be worth it to have it? Because he'd be perfect for it. Right?

[Don LaGreca]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, that's the problem I have with it overall is I can't defend it it. Right. So yeah, it's a disadvantage to the teams that are.

[Don LaGreca]

That are make it clear it's never going to be used in a regular season.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I hope you're right. I never say never with this sport.

[Don LaGreca]

No, but all I was saying was though is that it's just, it was just way more Compelling, because there was just something. Again, it's like an exciting. There's a lot of pressure, like, to say, oh, it's easy. Now. The only thing I'll push back is this to tell me that it's easy, because all this guy's doing is throwing you, you know, batting practice pitches where you want them. There's still a pressure now. Now, the problem I have is it shouldn't be a coach throwing, right? It should be one of your pitchers. Like, again, you. Or. Or even a position player. Like, it shouldn't be a coach. It should be an actual player.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I just wish there was a way to defend it. There's.

[Don LaGreca]

I completely agree. That's the problem. Again, in hockey. You have a goalie, but to say that it's easy, there's still a pressure on you to perform in that moment. And if someone else starts getting hot, your guy now has to get hot. Like, it's people that claim it's. It's easy, don't understand that.

[Peter Rosenberg]

There's still pressure, but it's still easy.

[Don LaGreca]

But it's way easier than facing another pitch.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, of course.

[Don LaGreca]

I'm not trying to say they should. I'm just saying that was a lot of fun and maybe more fun than anything that baseball has instituted in a long time. And it's way better than just throwing a guy on second base, you know, the. The ghost runner, and just giving you that advantage already of a guy in scoring position. Now all you got to do is get a base hit and you win the game. You know, that's also a bit of a novelty. The other team can't defend the fact that there's a guy on second.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, that's why I. That's why I can't 100% rule out it ever happening. Because if 10 years ago I told you, hey, they're thinking of this idea, putting a runner at second, maybe like, that would never do that.

[Don LaGreca]

That's stupid.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Give me a break. But they agree to it. And the players are very powerful when it comes to the cba. And the owners want what they want. The players want what they want. And if the players like this enough and are willing to go to go to bat literally for it in the cba and the owners think they can get something out of it on their end. You never know, man. Like these. These players might be like, listen, it's fun. I don't want to play extra innings. Because you said it, too. Just because you put a guy in second doesn't mean the game's over in the 10th. Sometimes these still games go 12, 13 innings. They got a day game the next day. I don't want. I don't want to have to deal with that. I'll just get a couple of boppers, go out there, hit some home runs. The fans will love it. So I don't think it'll ever happen either. But the players are powerful, and if they want it and they're willing to go to bat for it in the cba, and the CBA is up at the end of next season and don't. I would still put it probably in a very like 10%, but I could never say zero. When these two go to battle.

[Don LaGreca]

If enough people said they liked it, you might get it. But I just don't think baseball purists would ever. Would ever buy into something like it. All I was saying that it was a lot of fun to watch.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, no, it was fun for what it was.

[Don LaGreca]

Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's an exhibition. The result doesn't matter. I wonder, would they ever do this if it was still attached to home field advantage of the World Series? You know, would they still consider something like that? Because now it. Now it's. Now you've made it more than just an exhibition.

[Don LaGreca]

Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Let's go to Connor in Scarsdale. You're on ESPN New York. What's up, Connor?

[E]

Hey, guys, thanks for taking the call.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No problem.

[E]

First thing, I'm a Yankees fan, so I'm not biased here. I mean, Pete Alonso definitely should have won the mvp, though. Without a doubt. That was a bad call on that one.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I agree.

[E]

Yep. But as far as the swing off goes, listen, like Michael K was saying at the end of his show, if they do it right and you give two, maybe three extra innings of real baseball with no ghost runner, and if you can't win the game in 12 innings of defending against each other, do the swing off. I'm all for it. I think it bring in the younger generation. It's exciting. You know, the fans like it. Don't. Sometimes baseball has got to get out of their own way and evolve. You know, it's. We're losing the younger generation. I really think it'd be an enjoyable thing, so.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, listen, there's no question there's enjoyable, but then there's also competitive fairness to it, and I just don't like the fact that it's not defended. Now, could we come up with an idea where it is defended? Well, then that would mean having the opposition pitch to the guy like you have the same format. But now I bring in my own pitcher on the other team to try to stop him from hitting.

[Don LaGreca]

We'd be there all night, but we'd.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Be there all night.

[Don LaGreca]

You know pitchers. No, I just don't. You're not going to throw him anything that he can hit. You're going to throw everything that's going to turn into either ground ball.

[Peter Rosenberg]

If you wanted to say you're only allowed to throw a fastball, well, then these guys could get hurt. Because you know, what if you run out of pitchers?

[Don LaGreca]

Right, Exactly. No, that's the problem is you, you can't do anything like that. And you can't, like, you know, you want to really make it a joke. You put, you put a pitching machine out there. Like, you know what I mean? Like it just.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Then it's.

[Don LaGreca]

Now it's not even. You can't do anything like that.

[Peter Rosenberg]

How about this? Well, because I want to. I want to make this work. Right. The only way it could work is if you ended up going to like a point system like the NHL has.

[Don LaGreca]

Yes.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Where. All right, we're gonna, we're gonna give you two points for a win. You win the game, then it works in nine innings, you get two points. If you go to the swing off, each team gets a point. And now you're kind of just battling for the extra point. Now are you willing. Are the purists gonna like flip out and soil themselves that now it's a point system to determine who goes to the playoffs? And now not that many games are going to be decided like this. So it's still the best teams are going to be the best teams, but instead of 100 win season, we're going to be talking about this team had a 212 point season. Like, are you willing to go there for it? Because that's the only way it's going to work. Like, that's the only way. Only way that three on three in the shootout works in the NHL, I'm telling you, is because you already get a point once you go to overtime. If that was the way to decide the game, you got nothing. There's no way they would have agreed to it. But I already got a point in the old days. I would, I would have. We would have had a tie. We both would add a point. So why don't we do something funky to decide the extra point that wasn't there in the old days anyway.

[Don LaGreca]

I think that's too dramatic. I get what you're saying and it makes sense on the hockey side, but it just feels you already had Points feels too dramatic.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It does.

[Don LaGreca]

But you know what it does do, though? I know the game's over. Like, I know that that's the best thing about the shooter in hockey. It's over. The game's over. This would be the same thing. You know that there'll be an end. Not how late into the night are we going to go here.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And, boy, to be strategic, too. Right. Because you'd make sure. Like, normally I got a pinch run for Stanton in a 6. 6 game when he leads off the 9th inning with a hit.

[Don LaGreca]

Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Because I need. He's slow, but do I really want to take him out? Because I might need him in. In the swing off. Right. Like, you start talking things out. I. It's not.

[Don LaGreca]

Is it that it's not. I don't think it happens, but it's not as crazy. Like, when I first said it, you were just like, no, but the more you talk. Talk it out, the more at least you start to say, like, can we figure out a way it can work? Like. Like, what if I told you you could put four guys in the outfield that if. If it's at the wall and they can catch it to keep it in, it's. It's an out.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Ooh. How about this? See, this is fun.

[Don LaGreca]

All right, what do I got? What do you got?

[Peter Rosenberg]

I get. I get three outfielders.

[Don LaGreca]

All right.

[Peter Rosenberg]

If. If any of my fielders catch it on the fly, game's over. Game's over. Yeah. So there's the pressure of I gotta hit this so hard that if it doesn't go out, it can't be caught or I have to hit a home run where if I pop up, if I fly out the game or. Or at least the innings over, like, you're done. That's it.

[Don LaGreca]

Or you're at bat is over. Because it's six guys. So if you're telling me if you hit one. See, I was just thinking, if you can steal one, you steal one. If it's at the wall. But it's not. You know, it's still catchable.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But if you made it so like.

[Don LaGreca]

Cloud, you have guys. Spider man, you climb, that would.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But now you're at least getting a chance to defend it. Alan. And there would be punitive for not hitting the home run. Now there's pressure. Now there's a lot of pressure on you that if I don't hit a home run and they field this thing and it's up.

[Don LaGreca]

Yeah. If they catch it on a fly, I'm done. My at bat's done right now.

[Peter Rosenberg]

If I hit a ground ball.

[Don LaGreca]

Yeah, but you don't want to hit it down. You want to hit it up. Everything's swing up anyway. See, again, if you start putting caveats.

[Peter Rosenberg]

In, it at least makes it more powerful.

[Don LaGreca]

The purists will throw up because they're already throwing. That's not even baseball anymore. But exactly where are we now? Like, we got robots telling us, we got computers telling us what's a ball and a strike, and we're just, we're planting someone on second base, you know, like they're a silver spoon kid at Yale.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, it's. It's. No, no, just. I still don't like it. But there's, there's nothing wrong with at least having the conversation about how you could make it work if the players wanted to do it, if the fans absolutely love it. It's. It's something to consider. Close your eyes, exhale, Feel your body.

[Alan Hahn]

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[Don LaGreca]

1-800-Contacts contacts.

[Alan Hahn]

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[Don LaGreca]

Thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I didn't listen to anything you just said.

[Don LaGreca]

Catch the show on demand whenever you want. Just subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, don I already have a date to circle for you on the calendar.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yes.

[Don LaGreca]

This December 14th. Gracie has already sent me a text.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Okay.

[Don LaGreca]

Because it's the Canucks at the Devils at the Rock.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah. So that's the. The Hughes brothers.

[Don LaGreca]

That's exactly why she wants to be there. It's a 12. 1230 affair.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, 1230.

[Don LaGreca]

So if you could work out, you know, something right by the glass, preferably facing the benches, that'd be great. Thank you. Just to me and Gracie, I think.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I can make that happen for you.

[Don LaGreca]

Could you really?

[Peter Rosenberg]

I mean, I was.

[Don LaGreca]

I was. I was doing that tongue in cheek, because, you know, that's coming. Like, the one thing that people assume is like, oh, Don. You. Like, they hand you a roll of tickets in the season. They tell you, you know, if anybody needs tickets here, just peel them off here.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I thought about putting it in my social media bio, because right now, since I. Since I've got Twitter up and I had to change it, I was told by. What do you have up my social media? The bio, because Anthony had to remind me, is like, you still have Rangers up there. Like, dude, I don't pay attention to what's on, like, the bio.

[Don LaGreca]

You might want to update that. No, It's a little sensitive to Devil's fans, you know? Right.

[Peter Rosenberg]

So. But I always wanted to put up, you know, double play by play announcer, a host on Don Han and Rosenberg on ESPN New York. I cannot get you tickets or a job.

[Don LaGreca]

Right.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Like, those are the two things people think.

[Don LaGreca]

Broker.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Like, is that whole. Well, get me tickets. So listen, you're working, so you must be able to get me. I'm better than you.

[Don LaGreca]

You.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You could be able to get me a job. But no, I. I think I could try.

[Don LaGreca]

I say, I think even you got a job. I should help me get a job. But. But, like, it's like, was there a time that, like, Vin Scully just walked around handing tickets out to all the kids in the neighborhood before the game? Like, was that happening at one time in our world?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, I don't.

[Don LaGreca]

That the people just assume this. And I'm not saying this to be mean. I really just want this to be a psa. Like. Like, there was a time I remembered msg. Like, Al Troutwick told me that his. His earliest contracts. Yeah, it was a way to almost like, keep the cost down on how much they're paying you. They would give him two season tickets in his contract, and they stopped doing that. Yeah, because the season tickets became more valuable than your freaking contract.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, exactly. Because I remember When I. You build daughter used to do the pre and post for the Jets.

[Don LaGreca]

Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Before me. He had season tickets in his deal and they did away with it when I started because it was around the same time. It's like, listen, this is too lucrative. These tickets are too expensive to just be able to give away or put into a contract.

[Don LaGreca]

Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

So I don't, I don't, I don't get tickets that I'm aware of. I looked at the contract, I didn't see that. But I'm sure I could probably, you know, make a call or try to do something. Might have to pay for them.

[Don LaGreca]

No, no, here's the thing. I don't mind paying for the tickets. What I'd need you for is the little like, you know, post game access where Gracie can actually meet her heroes. Well, that's all she did.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You just need a credential, that's all. You're Al. You could do that yourself. You're Alan Hahn.

[Don LaGreca]

Listen, I don't like to swing it like that.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well. But it's okay for me to. Yeah, I just got the job. But, and listen, I think there's going to be a chance because again, I didn't look at the NFL schedule, but that, that's a, that's an NFL Sunday. So you might be missing a Jet or Giant game to do that.

[Don LaGreca]

That's a Saturday.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Might be some.

[Don LaGreca]

Isn't that a Saturday?

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, it's a Sunday.

[Don LaGreca]

That's a Sunday at 12:30.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, they, they play the Ducks on Saturday at 12:30 and the Canucks at 12:30 on Sunday.

[Don LaGreca]

Well, they. All right, so they must know like if you put that game in, the jets of Giants are playing at home. Like why would you, you would never do that.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, but I got to tell you, you know, it's surprising. Rangers 2, they just do like the.

[Don LaGreca]

Six o' clock Sunday.

[Peter Rosenberg]

They still do well like up against football because the fans are die hard, you know. And listen, the football hasn't been particularly good over the last few years, so. But I've always said that like I'd be at a Ranger game. I'm like, God, the Giants or jets are playing and the Garden's packed and I, I'll turn on a Devil game. I'm like, or an Islander game even and say, well, it's going to be rough today with the tickets because of football. Now people go, man, so I'll see what I can do.

[Don LaGreca]

Well, let you know that she's all about the devil.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That could be hot though. Who knows by then you Might not need the Canucks. All three of them might be on the same team.

[Don LaGreca]

You don't know teammates. Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

1-800-919-3776. Let's go back to the busy phones. Talk to Chris in Jersey City here on espn. New York. What's up, Chris?

[E]

Hey, what's up, guys? Thanks for taking the call. I just want to go to back to the availability of players for the swing off. I heard an interview with Aranda that they asked him when he arrived in Atlanta if he would, if there was a swing off, if he would want to be in it. And he said yes, he would love to. So is it possible that rally maybe was asked on arrival and said, I'm in the Home Run Derby, I'm the starting catcher, like, no, let somebody else do it?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, that's what they're trying to tell us, Chris. Well, they're trying to tell us that it was predetermined before the game who was going to be in the swing off. I'm wondering, is that true or was that something they just said to kind of bail out Ohtani and judge who left? I don't know, but let's just say for sake of argument, it's true. Why? Why wouldn't you want to do it if you're there? Like, I judge, you know, I don't know. I. Again, I don't know if they were there or not. It didn't sound like they were there. Raleigh was there. How? At 64 with the tying run at the plate in the ninth inning. Allen, you can't. Aaron Boone say, cal, get your uniform back on. We might be going to a swing off here. We may need you, you know, or was it predetermined? And these guys are like, nah, I'm good.

[Don LaGreca]

I'm leaving. Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Or you know what, I'm not leaving, but I don't want to. I don't want to have to deal with that. When I'm done, I'm done.

[Don LaGreca]

But you got to also know, like, if you're judged that, you know, it's not like you called an Uber, you know, and the plane showed up, you had that predetermined, like, all right, you know, Boone tells him, I'm going to Fortunate. That was his manager. Yeah, I'll take you out after the third and, you know, you're free to go. And he probably was all right by the. Let's time it out. And by this time, I'll be able to get to the airport and go wherever I want to go. Or.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Or was it just A case of.

[Don LaGreca]

So he knew he wasn't going to be.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Listen, I'm starting the game and I'm not finishing the game. So at some point you're taking me out of the game. If you're going to take me out of the game, I don't want to go back in. Like, I want to just relax. I'm going to have a beer. I'm going to. I'm going to. I'm going to put my. I'm going to take my uniform off.

[Don LaGreca]

It's amazing.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I'm done. That's probably it, right? Like, I'm sure that's why Ohtani, I'm starting the game. If you're. I'm not finishing the game. So you're going to tell me to completely shut down, I'm done, I'm out. And then you're going to tell me to go out there and swing. I'm not doing it. That's probably why they didn't want to do it, even if it was predetermined, because they knew they were starting and they're going to be taken out of the game and didn't want to have to go back in.

[Don LaGreca]

Think about, it's four hours later or by the time you're out of the game, it's three hours later. This game was four hours long. The whole event. That's too much time.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Let's go to David and Elizabeth. You're on espn, New York Hollywood.

[E]

Hi, Donnie Parks. What up, baby?

[Peter Rosenberg]

What's up, man?

[Don LaGreca]

What's up? David, hang on a second. Before you go, I want Don to know this, so Kofi, of course, because he's always on the spot. I didn't have a chance to check it yet. Giants play the commanders at MetLife at one o' clock that day when the Devils play the Canucks at 12:30 at the Rock.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That's a big deal.

[Don LaGreca]

I mean, but if the giants are.

[Peter Rosenberg]

1 in 11, how are you getting.

[Don LaGreca]

I mean, are you going to take helicopter down? What are we doing here? Are you kidding me?

[E]

That's a big deal if they're 1 in 11.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I'm just saying, it's really. I'm there anyway. I mean, if it would never happen. But listen, I. Do you realize I was at the Bell center calling a Ranger Canadiens game the night that the Giants beat Aaron Rodgers in January 2012 at Lambeau in the playoffs.

[Don LaGreca]

Wow. Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I had the game on while I was calling the game. So, like, I'm doing the game.

[Don LaGreca]

This is what we do.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I'm talking from Allen's perspective. You know, that's a big game for him to miss, but it's his daughter, and he's got other ways to be able to keep an eye on what's happening with the football.

[Don LaGreca]

Easy enough. Plus, we have Peter. Remember, it's a Commander's game.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Peter will not be attending the Devil's Canucks game.

[Don LaGreca]

No, no, no. But we opened the mic. We opened the mic that Monday the 15th, and we just let Peter go for the whole. I'm sorry, David. Go ahead.

[E]

No, no, it's all good, fellas. All right, so this is one thing. Two things I wanted to say. Number one, the All Star game was magnificent. I wish that NFL and NBA would do that, where they're playing competitive. Like how they were trying to get Alonzo out, and Alonzo smacked it out the park, which is beautiful. Another thing, I'm not gonna lie, mlb, you guys cheated. My man Pete, he should have got the mvp.

[Don LaGreca]

Yes, I'm happy.

[E]

I'm happy. Yes, I'm happy that Schwaber did his thing. Three home runs in a row is definitely, you know, talent. Even though, you know, they're lobbing him the ball that weren't real pitches. But I. I think Pete earned it. And I'm just really happy for all my. All the Mets guys that attended. It was beautiful for us. Real quick, before you gentlemen let me go, I just want to say, really happy to fault Gardner. I think that he deserves that extension. The one weakness that I would think that he should work on this year is tackling.

[Don LaGreca]

He bucks up, so let's see if.

[E]

Let's see if he tackles.

[Don LaGreca]

Well, the bulk up part of it. Thank you, David, for the call. The bulk up part of it. You got to be careful because one of the things about Sauce is his speed, his athleticism, his ability to keep up with wide receivers and all that. So, you know, add too much weight. That could slow you down. So you got to be careful there.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And I don't need him to do that. But I think you don't necessarily have to bulk up. None of these guys, all these defensive backs will just throw their shoulder pads at the lower body. Nobody's wrapping up. But he's just got to be better than that, and I think he's just got to be better than he's been, you know, the last couple of years. He set the precedent where he was drafted his rookie year.

[Don LaGreca]

Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Just the need to be better.

[Don LaGreca]

Thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast. I don't want to know how the sausage is made, man. I just want to know. It's good. Hear more of Don Allen and Peter Weekday afternoon starting at 3 on 8 80, ESPN, the ESPN New York app, and your smart speakers.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You've seen the headlines, heard the debates.

[Don LaGreca]

Some say the three point ball has.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Created a monotonous rhythm to the game. Has the three point ball ruined basketball? And how did we get here? The rise of the three point shot can be partially traced to an eccentric Kansas genius named Martin Manley, whose story didn't turn out quite the way he imagined.

[Don LaGreca]

I decided I wanted to have one of the most organized goodbyes in history, and I think I will be successful.

[Peter Rosenberg]

30 for 30 podcast presents a brand new original series, Chasing basketball heaven, available July 22. Wherever you get your podcasts.