Podcast Summary: Don, Hahn & Rosenberg

Episode: Hour 1 – Baseball Woes & Volpe’s Shoulder
Date: September 11, 2025
Hosts: Don La Greca, Alan Hahn, Peter Rosenberg

Overview

This episode centers on the ongoing struggles of New York’s baseball teams—the Yankees and Mets—as both franchises face significant late-season adversity. The panel dives deep into bullpen disasters, offensive inconsistencies, the precariousness of the Mets' wild card chances, and a developing controversy around Yankees’ shortstop Anthony Volpe’s lingering shoulder injury. The episode also respectfully commemorates 9/11, discussing its legacy for New Yorkers and the healing role sports played after the tragedy.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Remembrance & Significance of September 11

• Recognition and Reflection: The hosts open by acknowledging the significance of 9/11, offering thoughts on the losses, the ongoing impact on families, and gratitude to first responders.
  • [00:44] Don Hahn: “A day of remembrance… so many heroes, so many people, so many people just worked in that area who are still affected, who lost people years later.”
• Role of Sports After 9/11: Discussion about sports helping New Yorkers and Americans return to normalcy, highlighting the absence and eventual return of baseball as pivotal in the city's recovery.
  • [01:55] Peter: “Sports was a way to usher in the normal—the day in, day out… what are the baseball teams doing, and kind of getting back to that normalcy.”

2. Yankees: President’s Visit, Security, and On-Field Struggles

• Presidential Attendance and Logistics: President’s attendance at Yankee Stadium creates logistical challenges; security is heightened, and fans are advised of new protocols.
  • [04:21] Richard Rosenberg: “Gates are open for ticketed fans at four… today would be thinking can you get there as close to five o'clock, or sooner if possible.”
  • [04:52] Peter: “Bags will not be allowed in Yankee Stadium with the exception of one clutch… there’s no storage for prohibited items.”
• Team Performance: Yankees have been dramatically outscored in the series against the Tigers.
  • [06:13] Don Hahn: “Yankees have been outscored 23.3 so far in this series… Detroit are not a team to be messed with or overlooked.”
• American League Outlook:
  • Detroit Tigers’ improvement under A.J. Hinch and their strong pitching are highlighted as a “sleeper” playoff threat.
  • Skepticism is expressed about Houston and Toronto, but some believe Yankees can still secure top playoff seeding despite recent form.
  • [07:21] Peter: “The team that seems exempt from that because of their recent history is Houston… but maybe we should take a closer look at this Detroit team.”

3. Mets: Collapse and Young Pitching as Only Hope

• Mets’ Mid-Season Fade:
  • Shocking statistics since June 13: Mets have the fourth-worst record in baseball over 79 games; only the Rockies, Twins, and Nationals are worse.
  • [09:43] Peter: “Since June 13th, the Mets have the fourth worst record in baseball… talking about a half of a season of baseball.”
  • “The wheels… fell off. Find the wheels and then the wheels fall off.” --[09:06] Richard Rosenberg
• Wild Card Race and Lack of Optimism:
  • Mets' wild card grip is tenuous (Reds only two games back, hold tiebreaker), and pessimism abounds about their potential for a playoff run.
  • [11:17] Don Hahn: “Even if they do make it, this team does not inspire any confidence to make a run.”
• Bullpen, Offense, and the "Curse":
  • Major blame is assigned to a leaky bullpen and inconsistent offense; a running joke is made about a “K curse” after an event derailed the season.
  • [10:01] Don Hahn: “Some people are telling me it’s the curse… they have not been the same team since.”
• Bright Spots: The emergence of young pitchers is a lone hopeful narrative but seen as not nearly enough to reverse the Mets' fortunes this year.
  • [13:22] Don Hahn: “The thing you have to cling to is the three young arms… but then you go to your bullpen and then what?”

4. Yankees & Volpe’s Shoulder – Mishandling and Front-Office Confusion (Main Segment)

• Revelation and Timeline: News breaks via the NY Post that shortstop Anthony Volpe required a cortisone shot for a left shoulder injury dating back to May. The hosts voice frustration at the team’s handling, asking why he was played for so long through struggles, both offensive and defensive.
  • [28:56] Peter: “Volpe got a shot in his left shoulder and didn’t play last night. That’s the shoulder he hurt back in May… We thought it was mental. They might have mishandled him physically.”
• Organizational Process Questioned: Why did the Yankees persist with Volpe amid clear decline, especially after trading for Caballero, who could have filled in at short?
  • [30:14] Don Hahn: “Why would they [the Yankees] send him out there at not 100%—especially after they get Caballero at the trade deadline?… What’s the end game of honestly continuing to trot him out there?”
• Analytics to Blame?:
  • Hosts posit that Yankees’ devotion to analytics may have overruled common sense and player welfare—perhaps the numbers still valued Volpe over alternatives up until this week.
  • [41:14] Peter: “Whatever metrics they use… it usually skews towards the offense. There must’ve been some sort of offensive metric stating having him in gave them a better chance… until today.”
• Concern for Volpe’s Future:
  • Serious concern that mental toll, relentless playing time, and public criticism (when the injury could have excused his struggles) could have lasting consequences.
  • [38:09] Don Hahn: “Now you’ve probably destroyed the kid’s psyche. When he does come back healthy, what state is he gonna be in?”
• Previous Yankee Injury Blunders:
  • Reference to past mishandlings (Rizzo’s concussion, Teixeira’s wrist) as part of a pattern.
  • [34:55] Peter: “You know, there is a history of this, guys… didn’t Anthony Rizzo play with a concussion way longer than he should have?”

5. Memorable Quotes & Exchanges

• On Met fans’ despair

  • [21:27] Caller (Danny):
    “I feel like I’m on the back of the Titanic. I’m like Leonardo DiCaprio riding down as we get sucked into the abyss of the season… Do I want to hang on the door and freeze to death because there’s no chance of us winning, or just [sink] immediately?”

• On sports’ healing power after 9/11

  • [23:25] Caller (Danny):
    “All we want to do is be on the side of the field or the ice or whatever, and this kid never got that opportunity [after losing his dad on 9/11].”

• On Volpe’s mishandling

  • [39:23] Don Hahn:
    “This organization is too busy fighting the analytics… rather than… think about the different things that they have done, the moves that they’ve made and how they’ve failed. And of course, how you’re handling this kid—it’s unreal.”

6. 9/11 Legacies and Personal Stories

• Hosts and listeners share deeply personal stories:
  • The lingering effects for victims’ families, survivors, and the city.
  • Music trivia: Marking the anniversary—Jay Z’s "Blueprint," Fabulous's debut, and System of a Down’s “Toxicity” all dropped on that fateful day.
  • [47:59] Caller (Javier): “My dad was a security guard at the World Trade Center and he got out of there. I’ve had 24 bonus years with my dad. So hug your loved ones… you never know what could happen.”

Notable Timestamps

• [00:44-03:14] Discussing 9/11's legacy, role of sports in healing the city
• [06:13-09:54] Yankees’ & Mets’ bullpen/offense woes, AL playoff picture
• [10:01-12:09] "K curse" and shocking Mets record
• [13:22-16:20] Wild card race, evaluating if youth movement could rescue the Mets’ season
• [20:16-21:06] The Volpe injury revelation and teaser for discussion
• [28:56-42:05] Deep-dive: Volpe’s shoulder injury timeline and the Yankees’ decision process
• [21:27, 23:25, 47:59] Listener calls—heartfelt stories and creative analogies related to the Mets and 9/11

Conclusion

This episode is quintessential New York sports radio—raw, skeptical, passionate—with hosts questioning front office decision-making, commiserating over lackluster baseball, and weaving in heartfelt remembrances about 9/11’s impact. The Mets’ and Yankees’ flaws are dissected without mercy, especially the possibly mishandled Volpe injury situation. Listener calls add local color, humor, and powerful emotion, ensuring anyone tuning in feels both the sting and camaraderie of being a New York sports fan on a day no New Yorker can forget.

End of Summary