Hour 1: Don's Coming Home

Summary

Podcast Summary: Don, Hahn & Rosenberg – Hour 1: Don's Coming Home

Podcast Information:

• Title: Don, Hahn & Rosenberg
• Hosts/Authors: ESPN New York’s Don La Greca, Alan Hahn, and Peter Rosenberg
• Description: A dynamic trio discussing New York sports and more, featuring ESPN's Don La Greca, New York Knicks broadcaster Alan Hahn, and hip-hop and WWE personality Peter Rosenberg.
• Episode: Hour 1: Don's Coming Home
• Release Date: July 7, 2025

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1. Yankees’ Struggles and Performance Analysis (00:22 – 22:39)

The episode opens with a heated discussion about the New York Yankees' disappointing performance in the current MLB season. Hosts Don La Greca, Alan Hahn, and guest Michael Kay delve into the team's ongoing issues, primarily focusing on their pitching woes.

• Admitting Faults:

  • Alan Hahn expresses his reluctance to admit when he's wrong, setting the tone for honest criticism. (00:22)
  • Don La Greca asserts, "This isn't North Dakota. This is New York," emphasizing the high expectations for the team. (00:10)

• Pitching Problems:

  • Don La Greca criticizes the Yankees' pitching, stating, "The Yankees are just not a good baseball team right now. And they need to answer to why." (01:25)
  • Michael Kay elaborates on the severity of the pitching issues, highlighting injuries and the thin rotation: "Luis Heel is still not back... Schmidt now gone and you're missing Heel... this pitching has been cursed." (03:00)

• Comparisons to the Mets:

  • Alan Hahn compares the Yankees to the Mets, noting that both teams face similar challenges but speculates the Yankees might still make the playoffs. (02:22)
  • Don La Greca counters, emphasizing the Yankees' dependency on high-scoring games: "Now scoring five runs isn't going to be enough... they do feel like a one trick pony." (07:33)

• Organizational Criticism:

  • Allen Hahn expresses frustration with the Yankees’ management, suggesting that despite a hefty payroll, the team is underperforming due to poor pitching and defensive strategies. (02:22)
  • Don La Greca decries the management’s failure to utilize their resources effectively: "Why am I going without when I've got all this money to work with?" (14:45)

• Future Outlook:

  • Michael Kay predicts that the Yankees’ response to their pitching crisis will involve urgent trades to bolster their rotation before the trade deadline. (04:21)
  • Don La Greca urges the organization to acknowledge their shortcomings honestly: "Instead of just sometimes admitting we're not playing well, I'm concerned about what's going on here." (19:00)

Notable Quotes:

• Allen Hahn: "The three game series against the Yankees could have very easily gotten swept." (01:07)
• Michael Kay: "I predict they finish the season with a better year." (05:58)
• Don La Greca: "Aaron Boone should know better than that." (17:10)

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2. Announcement: Don La Greca Joins New Jersey Devils as Play-by-Play Announcer (25:07 – 54:50)

The latter half of the episode shifts focus to a monumental announcement: Don La Greca has been named the new TV play-by-play announcer for his hometown team, the New Jersey Devils.

• Breaking the News:

  • Michael Kay reveals the exciting news: "Don La Greca has been named the new TV play-by-play announcer of his hometown New Jersey Devils." (25:07)
  • Allen Hahn shares his elation, recounting his journey and deep connection with the Devils and broadcasting: "I've been on cloud nine since I heard the news." (26:32)

• Hosts’ Reactions:

  • Peter Rosenberg and Kenny Albert express overwhelming joy and support for Don’s achievement, comparing it to significant career milestones like Mike Breen’s role with the NBA. (40:35 – 50:20)
  • Michael Kay emphasizes the significance of the opportunity for Don, highlighting his passion and dedication: "This is a dream job for you, is it not?" (30:05)

• Personal Stories and Emotions:

  • Allen Hahn reminisces about his early days in broadcasting and the mentors who influenced him, illustrating the personal growth leading to this moment: "I was in the Devil's fan club dinner in 1989... Gary Thorne said, good luck in broadcasting." (30:11)
  • Don La Greca reflects on his lifelong love for hockey and the Devils, sharing heartfelt stories that underscore his suitability for the role: "My first hockey game was at the Meadowlands on February 22, 1987." (26:32)

• Future Expectations:

  • The hosts discuss the balance Don will maintain between his new broadcasting role and his existing commitments with ESPN New York, expressing confidence in his ability to excel in both. (37:25 – 38:04)
  • Kenny Albert praises Don’s authenticity and passion, ensuring that fans will resonate with his genuine approach: "Just be you. And obviously you have the institutional knowledge of the franchise." (49:28)

• Interactive Segment:

  • A celebratory goal call is featured, showcasing Don’s announcing style:
    • Don La Greca: "But he catches up with it. Puts it back behind the net... He scores." (38:11 – 38:22)

Notable Quotes:

• Michael Kay: "This feels like a conversation I was having with you about two, three weeks ago..." (08:46)
• Allen Hahn: "I've never had a chance to work full time for a team that I followed growing up. And it wasn't a problem." (26:32)
• Don La Greca: "Aren't you a little concerned? Wouldn't Hal or Brian be a little concerned?" (17:10) — (Note: This appears to be misattributed in context)

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3. Conclusion and Call to Action (54:50 – End)

As the episode nears its end, the hosts wrap up the celebratory segment by encouraging listeners to congratulate Don La Greca and tune into future broadcasts featuring him as the Devils’ announcer.

• Final Congratulations:

  • Kenny Albert and Michael Kay offer heartfelt congratulations, emphasizing Don’s deserving nature and the positive impact he will have on the Devils’ broadcasts. (46:02 – 50:20)

• Encouraging Listener Engagement:

  • The hosts invite listeners to call in and share their congratulations, fostering a community celebration of Don’s achievement. (42:12 – 54:50)

• Closing Remarks:

  • Peter Rosenberg and Alan Hahn remind listeners to subscribe and catch future episodes on various platforms, ensuring continued engagement with their audience. (43:56 – End)

Notable Quotes:

• Kenny Albert: "You are the Michael K. He is the Kenny Albert. He is the Gary Cohen." (40:35)
• Don La Greca: "Trust your people. Trust the fans. If baseball fans in New York are anything, they're intelligent." (21:38)
• Michael Kay: "What makes me feel really good is how much you love this." (46:10)

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Key Insights and Takeaways:

• Yankees’ Performance Issues: The hosts provide a critical analysis of the Yankees' struggles, primarily focusing on pitching deficiencies, injuries, and organizational shortcomings despite a significant payroll.

• Don La Greca’s Career Milestone: A central highlight of the episode is the announcement of Don La Greca’s new role with the New Jersey Devils, marking a significant achievement in his broadcasting career. The hosts and guests celebrate this transition, sharing personal anecdotes and expressing confidence in his abilities.

• Authenticity and Passion in Sports Broadcasting: The discussions emphasize the importance of genuine passion and deep-rooted knowledge in sports broadcasting, as exemplified by Don’s dedication to the Devils and his commitment to his craft.

• Community and Listener Engagement: The podcast fosters a sense of community among listeners, encouraging active participation and celebration of milestones within the sports community.

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For listeners who haven't tuned in: This episode offers a blend of insightful sports analysis and uplifting career news, making it an engaging listen for fans of New York sports and broadcasting enthusiasts alike. Whether you're following the Yankees' season or excited about Don La Greca's new journey with the Devils, "Don, Hahn & Rosenberg" delivers a comprehensive and entertaining discussion.

Transcript

[Don La Greca]

Don, she fell in love with the sex.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Han Sauce was everywhere. And Rosenberg, if you want to stay.

[Alan Hahn]

Up, he's got the energy that matters.

[Don La Greca]

This isn't North Dakota. This is New York.

[Peter Rosenberg]

This is Don Hahn and Rosenberg. John French Fu Fuqua on 880 ESPN and the ESPN New York app.

[Allen Hahn]

I hate to admit that I'm wrong. I hate to admit when I'm wrong.

[Michael Kay]

You're like Fonzie. You can't even say it. Remember that episode when he couldn't even.

[Don La Greca]

Pronounce was it wrong?

[Allen Hahn]

Or sorry?

[Michael Kay]

No, it was wrong. Yeah, Yeah.

[Allen Hahn]

I couldn't even say the word wrong.

[Michael Kay]

Embarrassing.

[Allen Hahn]

I gave my guy, Allen Hahn all kinds of grief early. What are you worried about the Yankees?

[Don La Greca]

Stop it. They're gonna win this division. Going away.

[Michael Kay]

Oh, sure.

[Don La Greca]

Stop it, Alan. You're embarrassing yourself. The Mets are the ones with the problems. Well, you know what? The Mets, they didn't really drape themselves.

[Allen Hahn]

In glory this weekend either. But you know what? As a Met fan, I'm taking it. I'm taking the wins that I'm running.

[Don La Greca]

But the Yankees dropped.

[Allen Hahn]

The three game series against the Yankees could have very easily gotten swept. When you looked at the pitching matchup, an opener versus Max Freed, who's going to win the Cy Young of the American League, you're like, oh, at least the Yankees will get a game. And there were times even yesterday where.

[Don La Greca]

You'Re like, oh, my God, the Yankees might get swept, but the fact is, is that the Yankees are just not a good baseball team right now. And they need to answer to why. Because the one thing I'm getting tired.

[Allen Hahn]

Of over all the years of covering the Yankees, especially with Michael, is the excuse making, oh, well, there's no Cole. There's no heel.

[Don La Greca]

We just lost Clark Schmidt.

[Allen Hahn]

Now he's going to have to get Tommy John surgery.

[Don La Greca]

Oh, we're bang. This guy's nursing an elbow.

[Allen Hahn]

This guy's nursing a shoulder.

[Don La Greca]

I don't want to hear about injuries.

[Allen Hahn]

When you've got a payroll like this.

[Don La Greca]

It shouldn't be the struggle to win the games that it has been now forever. And it's the same thing every June.

[Allen Hahn]

They struggle, then they eventually find it.

[Don La Greca]

And everything's going to be okay.

[Allen Hahn]

But if I'm a Yankee fan right now, even with the win yesterday, Allen, and I think the. The concerns that you had early are starting to show.

[Don La Greca]

And now I don't think you could.

[Allen Hahn]

Say this division's a fait accompli. I still think they'll make the playoffs.

[Don La Greca]

And if I had to Bet I.

[Allen Hahn]

Still think they find a way to win the division, but I'm getting more and more doubt with each passing day.

[Michael Kay]

They scored five runs a game each game, right? At least five in each one. And they lost. They lost two of them. Don, when you score five runs in a game, you really should win them. And I know everybody's going to focus on runners left, on base and all that kind of stuff, right? Runs in scoring position. Those are the frustrating things because those are the things you see. Their pitching has become a major issue. Not a minor one, not a thing. You get through major. Luis Heel is still not back and might not be back for another month or so. So let's start there. Three of the five projected starters that you were supposed to have are not available to you. So the excuse is built in already that our pitching now is thin. And so you need Carlos Rodin to not have the first inning that he had on Saturday. You need him to be an ace. He wasn't. Freed was good and you needed him to be the stopper, and he was. But aside from that, I mean, again, you're going to Stroman for the. How many times are going to that. Well, you know, Schmidt now gone and you're missing Heel and we already know that, you know, good. Gary Cole's been gone since the start of the season. So their pitching has been cursed. So we're going to focus because that's what we do on the offense and the moments that you have runners in situations and you're. You're getting a strikeout or you're getting a bad at bat and those are the areas that get heightened the most. But I'm telling you, the Yankee problems pitching and their response will be name another franchise that could survive losing three of your five rotation starters. That's what they'll say.

[Allen Hahn]

I know.

[Michael Kay]

And now what's going to happen is as they will and they should, is they will now focus on finding a starter that they can get as a rental to. To finish the season. Somebody that's going to be a free agent. There's a bunch of them that can give you some help, that has some experience and you can hope get us through it and then let them walk and maybe you can get them for pennies on the dollar. You're not going to have to give up something major to get them. They're going to do that. Which means that any assets they're going to give up for a starting pitcher is not going towards getting a third baseman, which means Jazz, Chisholm and His bad shoulder. That's your third base scenario. Unless it's Perazza and you're going to live with the lack of at bats. But we know that the Yankees, I was saying this to Anthony, we were talking before about it. They are like their, their approach to the game is a lot like when Mike d' Antoni was coaching the Phoenix Suns when he was all about offense and defense was sort of like, well, if you score fast, that's our defense. If we, if we make more threes and they take twos, that's our defense. We'll outscore. Like the Yankees are about outscoring opponents. They don't focus nearly as much as the importance of defense and playing players in the right position and all that stuff. It's their starting pitching and it's their. And it's their offense. That's what matters. Their offense is still there. They proved it against the Mets. Still there. They're pitching major issue. That's what they're going to focus on now before the trade deadline.

[Allen Hahn]

But you know what I mean. I can look at the Mets and again the Mets have their issues as well. They have a better record than the Yankees, but they're both in the same position.

[Michael Kay]

I predict they finish the season with a better year.

[Allen Hahn]

Probably.

[Don La Greca]

But here's the thing. Didn't the Mets lose 3/5 of their rotation? Venga on the IL no montage to start the season.

[Michael Kay]

Right.

[Don La Greca]

They eventually got him back. No maniah.

[Allen Hahn]

I mean everybody's got their pitching problems.

[Don La Greca]

Look at all the Dodgers starting pitchers that weren't available even in the World Series last year.

[Michael Kay]

That's right. And what they do. What did the Dodgers do?

[Don La Greca]

They went out and they got flirty.

[Allen Hahn]

They got flirty. They went out, made sure yeah. That they got the pitchers that they needed.

[Don La Greca]

But here's the other thing, like you mentioned, Saturday.

[Allen Hahn]

Saturday was a track meet. Right.

[Don La Greca]

It was well watching and listening and consuming that game.

[Allen Hahn]

Even at 7:2, I'm like, this isn't over.

[Michael Kay]

You felt like it was still going.

[Allen Hahn]

To be close because the Yankees can hit.

[Michael Kay]

Yes.

[Don La Greca]

But what you do have to understand is other teams can hit two. All right, The Mets with the problems.

[Allen Hahn]

At the bottom of their order, they still have Alonzo and All Star. They have Soto, who's a forever player. Nimmo's been hot two grand slams last week.

[Don La Greca]

All right, there's pop in that order that can take advantage of what. The other problem the Yankees have is the inability to defend. So if you're going to kick the.

[Allen Hahn]

Ball all over the place.

[Don La Greca]

And your pitching is not going to be good. Well, now scoring five runs isn't going to be enough, Allen. Now you got to score 7, 8, 9 runs. And you know what? That's not going to happen on a consistent basis, no matter how good your offense is. And that what happens in the playoffs when you face good defensive teams, good pitching teams, you're not scoring five, six runs, you can't get bailed out. And the other thing, too, even though they're a great offensive team, Allen, the majority of their runs are based off of homers.

[Michael Kay]

Yeah, I get it.

[Don La Greca]

But they're not building. They're not, they're not having a beginning where they get two, three doubles in a row. It's all just home. How many home runs they hit in that series against the Mets?

[Michael Kay]

Yeah, I got a chance to count. It was a lot.

[Don La Greca]

I think it was like up to seven. And so it's just. And that's good. And maybe you hit some home runs in the postseason, too, but those numbers are going to start to go down.

[Allen Hahn]

The better the pitching, the better the.

[Don La Greca]

Teams and the circumstances aren't right. So as good as their offense is, it does feel like a one trick pony, like, we'll hit our home runs. But Saturday was the perfect example of why it doesn't work.

[Allen Hahn]

Because. Because if you don't get the, if you don't get the bullpen help, you.

[Don La Greca]

Don'T field the ball, then it doesn't matter how many runs you score, the.

[Allen Hahn]

Other team will find a way to score more.

[Michael Kay]

Donny, this feels like a conversation I was having with you about two, three weeks ago when I was expressing frustration, just like you said when you opened the show and you were telling me to chill out, that it's too early. And I was telling you it's not about where we are in the season, it's about what it looks like. And it's that same issue that's what bothered me is that the Yankee problems are not new year to year to year. They always feel like the same complaints. Like if you had a complaint department every season and you, you chronicled, right, every single complaint that was made from year to year, and then you put them all together into a database and you wanted to see, all right, what are the top three complaints you're going to see consistently that the same complaints are made every year to. Because that has just been their issue all the time. And we're there again. So I don't care about the all or nothing offense right now because it's still good enough. Most games. Most games. And we saw against the Mets that it was good enough. They scored enough runs and hit enough home runs to sweep the series and they damn near got swept. Think about that. And that game, by the way, yesterday was in the balance. Like that game itself, too. Yanks got off to a good start. Mets didn't even use a real starter. They went with the opener, they went with a bullpen game. And you were just saying to yourself, well, you have Max Freed, they're going opener, they're handing you the game. Take it. And even early on when they got the early lead, I kept saying to myself, when Freed comes out of this game, watch it turn. And it did.

[Allen Hahn]

It did turn five.

[Michael Kay]

Devin Williams got the close, by the way. Give credit where credit's due. But still that game was there to be had for the Mets. So the issues remain. Pitching and when you need certain guys to step up. Like again, Radon on Saturday, I don't want to pick on him. He has had a good year. But think about this stat that I saw and I wish I could give the right credit. I've read a lot of stuff today, so I apologize. I don't know which media outlet had this, but it's really good. So Rodan now has given up eight multi run homers this season. I believe it was two right in Saturday's game. Yeah, eight of them. Now on the season, nine of the 14 baserunners that were on base when he gave up the multi run home run were on base because he walked them. And there's another. So it's 10 of the 14 he either walked or hit by a pitch. That's a pitcher that's causing his own problems. We complain about defense and kicking the ball around, all that stuff. He's, he's his own worst enemy a lot of times. Now, again, he's had a good season, but now they don't need him to have, they can't ask him to have a good season. He's got to have a great season. Him and Freed have to be great at almost every outing because you can't afford it now with what's happened to your starting pitching. It's been ravaged and now the Yankees have to put all their focus and whatever assets they're willing to use before the trade deadline on starting pitching. Yep, that's it. They have to. Because this is not about now. This is about October. And in October you don't need. You need three that you can rely on. And Radon, sometimes you think you can but you're not quite sure. I think Freed you trust. After that, who do you trust?

[Allen Hahn]

You don't trust.

[Michael Kay]

It's only pitching, Jeff.

[Allen Hahn]

And you're right about yesterday because we could talk about a 6, 4 win, but going into that game, you know opener versus freed is going to win the American League Cy Young Award. And at the bottom of the sixth.

[Don La Greca]

Inning, it's five three, bases loaded, nobody out.

[Allen Hahn]

Singer hits into the double play, makes it five, four, he sneaks a single through there.

[Don La Greca]

Then you got the big bats coming.

[Allen Hahn]

Up that could have gotten away from it.

[Don La Greca]

Didn't give him credit. Yankees did win the game. Snapped the six game losing streak.

[Michael Kay]

Bellinger made an MVP play. He was not a big play.

[Allen Hahn]

That was a big time play. We're killing their defense, but that was a big moment in the game. Bellinger's been good on both sides defensively and offensively too. But let's not excuse the fact again, the overall view of this team. Yes, they need pitching, but Jazz is shoulders bother him. Oh, but you're playing third longer throw than at second base.

[Michael Kay]

How about that story, though? I mean, when, when. This is the part, I think when fans. Understandably now, because you know, I have seen some people, they get on Yankee fans for grumbling early in the season and a lot of times you'll say that they're spoiled fans because their expectations are too high and all that matters. October and all that stuff. But I'm telling you, I'll say it one more time for the people in the back. It's not the struggles that frustrate you. It's the fact that it's the same ones. It's looking like that again. And when you're a fan and you've seen it year after year, after a while you're like, how come this is not fixed? Guys playing out of position gets hurt because of that. Dominguez should be a center fielder. He's not. He's. He's playing out of position. These are young players that you're affecting by doing this. And those are things that are maddening to watch. And then have the Yankees just go, oh, well, oh well, well, you know. Yeah. I mean, it could have happened at any time. Like, that's stuff that bothers me. And one more thing, Don. I'm a big fan of Aaron Boone, but can we stop now with the all is well and everything's great and we're this and we're, you know, and we're not, we're not phased by this. We're not Rattled by this. Can we start to be. Is it okay for a manager to publicly admit, you know what? We should be a little pissed off right now because we're not playing the way we should and our starting pitching's hurt and we gotta get right, and we have to. When we come back out of this All Star break, everybody's gotta come in locked in, like, you wanna take a breather, take a breath, whatever it is. But can we just get a little bit more. More of like, just a little more urgency out of the organization, please?

[Allen Hahn]

Because it's. And we're gonna take your calls. 1-800-919-3776. Because we'll get to the MET side of things, too. We've got an NFL binge coming up at 4:30. Be a lot of fun today, believe me. But we got to get to this Yankee stuff and we want to get you on board as well. But you just nailed, like, everything perfectly. It's just the frustration of the same old problem.

[Don La Greca]

Same time of year. Every year they go into this swoon.

[Allen Hahn]

They find a way out of it. But, you know, maybe sometimes they don't.

[Don La Greca]

Because the injuries pile up. They like did in 23 and.

[Allen Hahn]

And they finish 82 and 80.

[Don La Greca]

And guys playing out of position. Jazz has got now a barky shoulder. We can't blame the fact that maybe.

[Allen Hahn]

He'S playing third and shouldn't be playing third is maybe a reason.

[Don La Greca]

Dominguez, a good younger kid, he didn't.

[Michael Kay]

Train for third base in the offseason.

[Don La Greca]

And you look at Dominguez, a good.

[Allen Hahn]

Young player, the Martian, highly touted. It looks like they found themselves a leadoff hitter.

[Don La Greca]

He can hit, but he's not a left fielder. And you're starting to see he cost runs, especially on Saturday. He's supposed to be a center fielder, but you're making him play left. Jazz is a second baseman. You're making him play short.

[Michael Kay]

Third.

[Allen Hahn]

Third. Excuse me.

[Don La Greca]

You're making guys play out of position. It's hurting the defense. It's the same thing every year. I've got a $300 million payroll. If I'm Hal Steinberg and I want to assess the product right now, why do I have all of this money to spend and you're forcing a square peg into a round hole Too many times. Every year wasn't that long ago. Don't have a left fielder, don't have a closer. You know, so many times. Why am I going without when I've got all this money to work with? I'm going without I'm forcing guys out of position. And then your point about Boone, and we're fans of Boone, we like Boone and I think he's a good manager. But at what point does the song and dance of Everything's Fine, the Kevin Bacon from Animal House, All Is well, at what point? If I'm a Yankee fan, I don't even watch the post game. I don't want to hear it. I really don't want to hear from Boone because whatever I'm going to hear is going to be some excuse or everything's okay, or, you know, he's still getting great swings or he's still doing this the right way, talking to you like you're a moron. You can't understand we're playing three dimensional chess. You're just a fan. You can't understand how we see it. But these fans are smart. They watch the games. They watch it as much as Cashman and Boone do. And they can see it. Why can't they? Because they're looking at different numbers. Because they're high up in their ivory tower and we just know better than you. Instead of just sometimes admitting we're not playing well, I'm concerned about what's going on here. I don't need to hear when everything's falling apart. Aaron Boone saying he told his team we're still the best team in baseball. Why? You weren't the best team in baseball last year or the year before. You haven't been the best baseball team since 2009. They've never been the best team in baseball under Aaron Boone. They haven't won a championship and you're sitting here three games behind. The Blue Jays just got swept in a four game series for the first time ever. Swept in a four game series in Toronto since they came into existence in 1977. And you've got the audacity to send.

[Allen Hahn]

This message out, I still think we're.

[Don La Greca]

The best team in baseball. Aren't you a little concerned? Wouldn't Hal or Brian be a little concerned? That your manager looks like a fool?

[Michael Kay]

No.

[Don La Greca]

That you're lying to people?

[Michael Kay]

No, they don't. They don't don.

[Don La Greca]

What do you think we're just sheep? We're going to believe anything that you say? Oh, Aaron says we're the best team in baseball, so we are. Or are they going to collectively look at it and go, this guy must be a moron to think they're the best team in baseball? And I know Boone's not, but why would you want to have the face of your franchise as your manager. Not the face, but you know what I'm talking about. To be the voice after games in a post game press conference and lie to you and tell you fables and stories and get you to eat it up with a spoon. Don't you get insulted as a Yankee fan that they think that you're that dumb that you're going to believe it. What is so wrong with just having that moment, that Denny Green moment.

[Kenny Albert]

Right.

[Don La Greca]

Of just anything but even the Allen Iverson.

[Michael Kay]

You want us to crown them? Crown them.

[Don La Greca]

Want to crown their ass. Crown them. Amora with playoffs.

[Michael Kay]

Yeah.

[Don La Greca]

What is so wrong with just a dose of reality? We got garbage right now and we got to change things.

[Michael Kay]

Thank you. And you know what? And that's the other problem here is. And again, this just feels like an attack on Moon. It's not. This is an attack on the organization and the way they want to do things. It's funny because it's a family owned business. They essentially are mom and pop, right? I mean, a billionaire mom and pop, but still, it's mom and pop, right? Mom and pop.

[Allen Hahn]

Yeah.

[Don La Greca]

How about sitting on $20 billion?

[Michael Kay]

No, no, this is. This is money in, money out. Right? This is all about revenue. This is all about always, you know, closing in the black. Like that's all the things that they're doing. But yet they, they operate like they are a large conglomerate with a PR firm that tells them that everything you put out is either benign or positive. It's never negative. You never admit anything. You never acknowledge anything. Everything you do spins up to make it look like we're in control. We're not worried. We have no problems. We got it. And that's supposed to give the customer confidence. That's. That's the idea. That's the corporate way. You always let me give the court, give the customers this sense that you. To be confident in you. Because you speak as if you're in total control. We knew this was coming. Oh, this is. The numbers always do this. We're fine. We know what's going on here. It's like my financial advisors always tells me, anytime things go wrong in the market, he's always just telling me like, don't even look. You'll be fine. It's coming back. It's coming back. Now, luckily he's been right, but the Yankees, not so much. Now they'll tell you we did this last year and look how it ended up. Look where we got. They do this. But I still say this is not just corporate America this is a sport. These are fans that care about your team. You are giving them incredible anxiety right now, when all you have to do every now and then is just sit at the podium and just say something to the effect of, listen. You guys see it? We suck right now. We got to get right. We got to get better, but we need to be better. This is not good enough. This is not our standard. I expect more. And I'll also say with Aaron judge, this stuff he said after the loss on Saturday, that was a little like the same, like, come on, Aaron. Like, you know the temperature right now and you can't lean into it just a little.

[Don La Greca]

Just be human.

[Allen Hahn]

Honestly.

[Michael Kay]

Show emotion. It's okay. Be pissed off.

[Don La Greca]

Just be real. Just be human.

[Michael Kay]

It takes Volpe to throw a ball at you. I'd be throwing it. I mean, like, you're just like that. And that looked embarrassing because it's again, one of these embarrassing slapstick moments that just make the Yankees right now look like anything that can go wrong will go wrong. And they're a mess and they got to get right. But I don't need to hear that, you know? Oh, just going with a little something.

[Don La Greca]

Trust your people. Trust the fans. If baseball fans in New York are anything, they're intelligent. I know sometimes they fly off the handle. I know sometimes we're even critical of the Yankee fans and met fans that are just too over the top with their opinions. Fire everybody and all that garbage. But come on, just treat us like human beings, okay? Don't treat us like sheep. That we're gonna believe any pap that you say. Because we watch. Okay? We don't know the game that you the way you do it, but we understand the game enough. But we know what we know what we see isn't working.

[Michael Kay]

Yes.

[Don La Greca]

And we want to look at our manager and our general manager and our owner and acknowledge what we see and not be sold a bill of goods. Don't be a salesman. Be a manager. Be a human being. The fans will appreciate it. They'll appreciate it a lot more than they are right now.

[Kenny Albert]

They.

[Don La Greca]

Because right now they're being treated like cattle, like they don't matter. We'll feed them any line and they'll believe it. And I think people deserve better than that. Yankee fans deserve better than that. Aaron Boone should know better than that. But I'm sure he's forced because this is the Yankee organization saying, this is the message we want to send, that that's why Joe Girardi doesn't have a job anymore. But don't insult the intelligence of the paying public and feeding into their addiction of your team, knowing they're still gonna show up and still be a part of this team. But at least treat them more than just people that have no brains and are just gonna follow you like a herd of sheep. 1-800-919-3776.

[Michael Kay]

We got calls to get to and we need to talk to the Yankee fans on this. But coming up. Don, I have breaking news.

[Allen Hahn]

You have breaking news?

[Michael Kay]

I have breaking news, and it involves you.

[Allen Hahn]

Okay. I'd like to know what this is.

[Michael Kay]

Well, you're gonna find out.

[Alan Hahn]

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[Jacob]

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[Don La Greca]

You can Venmo this or you can Venmo that. You can Venmo this or you can Vemo that.

[Michael Kay]

You can Vemo.

[Jacob]

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[Michael Kay]

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[Don La Greca]

Sold.

[Allen Hahn]

Give it a [e-mail] Switch upfront payment.

[Jacob]

Of $45 for 3 month plan equivalent to $15 per month required new customer offer for first 3 months only. Speed slow after 35 gigabytes of network's busy taxes and fees extra.

[Michael Kay]

See mintmobile.com thanks for listening to the.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Don Hahn and Rosenberg Podcast.

[Alan Hahn]

I didn't listen to anything you just said, Catch.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Just subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts.

[Michael Kay]

Apropos, don't call him a fraud anymore. I have breaking news. Everyone listen closely. Don Lagra is indeed coming home. What? Just announced by MSG Networks moments ago. Don Lagreca has been named the new TV play by play announcer of his hometown New Jersey Devils. How about that? This is literally, and I'm not going to speak for you, Don, but I know this is how you feel because we've seen it. Michael K. Is living the dream. Mike Breen is living the dream. You yourself, my friend, now get to do the same and live the dream. For somebody that grew up wanting to be a broadcaster, this feels to me like a dream job for you, is it not?

[Allen Hahn]

Oh, there's no question. I've been on cloud nine since I heard the news and I had to sit on it for a long time. So there's a lot of people that I didn't get a chance to talk to for a couple of reasons. Number one, you've heard Kevin Meininger, our boss over at msg, talk about the cone of silence. And I was under that for a long time and I didn't want to jinx anything, so I wanted everything to go right. So I've been like floating on air for the last couple of weeks and.

[Michael Kay]

Now I was wondering.

[Allen Hahn]

Everything's very happy lately. Yeah, it's a lot of things not bothering me. No rants or anything. And now it finally came down and the press release was sent out by msg and it's pretty amazing stuff to be for sure. I 16 years I did the jets as a Giant fan, doing the Rangers for 20 years as a, as a Devil fan and then being a Met fan, working on the K Show for 22 years and being on yes, which is a lot to do with the Yankees. I've never had a chance to work full time for a team that I followed growing up. And it wasn't A problem. And I was telling the truth when I did the Rangers. I loved doing the Rangers. I loved the Rangers. How could you not be into calling games for an original six classy organization. And I got to know all those guys and consider a lot of them friends. Chris Drury, text me when I was in the hospital with COVID Dave Maloney, Kenny Albert, John Giannone, These are people that I got to know and became friends with. So that was my job. That's what I did. And I had to kind of freeze over my Devil fandom and kind of put it in hibernation. But now to be able to work for a team that I grew up, that got me into hockey. My first hockey game was at the Meadowlands on February 22, 1987. A 6 nothing loss to the Islanders. A goal went off of Claude Loisel's head into the net. And even though they lost, I fell in love with the sport, I fell in love with the team. And to be able to go back to that, and that's a very interesting song that Jacob came back with because that's what it kind of feels like. And the story I told people when I first got the gig is that back in 1989. I've told this story on the K show before. I was, I was in the Devil's fan club dinner in 1989 and you got to have dinner with a Devil. And my, the devil I picked was Jim Corn. Jim corn was number 14. He bounced around the NHL and Lou picked him up because he was from Providence and he was kind of a goon and he didn't show up. And they said, sorry, your player didn't show up. We're gonna put you at the broadcast table. I'm like, if I knew there was a broadcast table, I would have picked that. And I got to have dinner with Chris Moore, who was the radio play by play voice at the time, the late Peter McNabb, who was salt of the earth guy, and Gary Thorne, who was the TV voice at the time. And I've got the, the table sign still in my man cave. Like table. It's a table a with the Devil logo. And, and everybody signed it. All three signed it. But Gary Thorne said, good luck in broadcasting. And if you had told that 21 year old Don Lagreck in 1989 that I'd be calling games for the Devils, I would have been like, no way. So it took a long time, but it does feel like it's full circle. It's, it's, it's really Cool.

[Michael Kay]

That's a great story. And it just shows you again, though, that, you know, the tri. The trail you take sometimes, the path you follow sometimes is not necessarily the direct A to B, but you do end up going where you belong, right. What feels right. And for you to have this opportunity, it's. You know, it's funny, when you're younger, you wish you had, like. Oh, you know, you want these opportunities. You're more ready for it now than you ever were. And I know you know that deep down. And I think that's the best part of this, is that you're stepping into something where you are ready.

[Allen Hahn]

Yeah.

[Michael Kay]

And that's the bet. That's what I love. And you get to work with one of the great people to work with in Ken Danico.

[Allen Hahn]

Yeah, Ken. Ken's a friend. I've got to know him. Bryce Salvador. Looking forward to working with him as.

[Michael Kay]

A really good broadcast.

[Allen Hahn]

Everything they have, it's not lost on me, the legacy of the people that have called games. Doc Emmerich, you know, Doc Emmerich and Gary Thorne and Steve Canelosi and most like, most recently, Bill Spalding. Go back to the radio. I became friends with Mike Miller because I wanted to know more about play by play. And when I was covering the team and following the team, I loved the broadcasters. I talked to Mike Miller and Randy Velicheck, who used to do color on radio. Larry Brooks used to do color on radio back in the day, talking to him, picking his brain. And John Hennessy. I don't remember John. And Chico Rescho.

[Michael Kay]

Yeah.

[Allen Hahn]

You know, and now Matt Lachlan doing radio for the Devils. I mean, this is it. Just really. I'm floating on air. It's just like the coolest thing because I just love the team and I love the broadcasting. But again, this opportunity does not happen without the chance that MSG gave me. With the Rangers working alongside Kenny Albert, Dave Maloney.

[Don La Greca]

I never told Dave this.

[Allen Hahn]

Whenever I would call a game, the guy that I wanted to impress more than anybody was Dave. And the guy that intimidated me the most was Dave. And I'm gonna tell you why.

[Don La Greca]

Because anybody, even the bosses that would.

[Allen Hahn]

Listen to the broadcast trusted everything that I said. But I couldn't fool Dave because he's watching the same game I'm watching. So if I had the wrong player, the puck in the wrong position, Dave.

[Don La Greca]

Would know it like, so I. And Dave would correct me because he.

[Allen Hahn]

Wanted me to do better. But I wanted to represent for him. Plus, I wanted to represent the Rangers.

[Don La Greca]

Because he Bleeds Rangers blue.

[Allen Hahn]

And I'm sure working with a former.

[Don La Greca]

Devil fan, he probably was laughing.

[Allen Hahn]

He'd get his digs in every once in a while. About. I remember one time said we were in Anaheim, I'm like, let's get Pat Verbeek on. He's general manager of the Duck. Get him on between periods.

[Don La Greca]

Yeah, of course you want Pat Verbeek, Don.

[Allen Hahn]

Big Devil guy.

[Don La Greca]

Like, he would never let me live.

[Allen Hahn]

Down the tattoo on my calf because.

[Don La Greca]

I think he was testing me to.

[Allen Hahn]

See that if I was going to, you know, honor the tradition of the Rangers. And that's what I tried to do. So whenever he said good job to me, I was over the moon about that because I wanted to be able to impress him. None of this happens without that opportunity. So all the people, all the coaches I got to know with the Rangers, going back to Tom Rennie, who was like salt of the earth. AV was a great guy. I used to watch the K show all the time. David Quinn, in the brief time that I got to know him, great. And Peter Laviolette, who I knew for a long time. So getting the opportunity to work with that great organization, you know, opened the door for me to get. To get this gig. So there's always gonna be a special place in my heart for all the team, even the Islanders. When we first started this radio station, the Islanders were the team. And we would do those shows across the coliseum from AT Champions. Remember, Alan, you'd come by, Rick would come by like, so. Hockey's in my heart. So as much as representing a team I grew up following, representing a state that I live in and have never left New Jersey, the biggest thing is to be handed the responsibility of being the voice of a team full time.

[Michael Kay]

And that's.

[Allen Hahn]

You live for that stuff, man. So I'm really looking forward to this. Hopefully, I'll do the Devil fans right. I'm sure they're going to hold me to a standard that's been held by some of the greatest announcers ever to do it for the New Jersey Devils. And I. Hopefully I'll make all the Devil fans proud.

[Michael Kay]

Like I said, you're ready for the pride of. The pride of Ramapo College now, the voice of the New Jersey Devils. And can I read the statement from Andrea Greenberg, who's the president and CEO of MSD Networks? Because it just shows you, again, this is not an outside hire. This is an inside hire. This is somebody that we all at the network know. We all know Don. Everybody knows Don, even on the basketball Side, everybody knows Don legreco. And so, as Andrea said, we're excited to welcome Don to our Devils broadcast team. Don's top notch play by play skills and his love for the Devils will endear him very quickly to Devils fans, many of whom know him from his presence as a cherished Tri State area sports personality on ESPNY Radio. So yes, the fact that you have been on these airwaves for 20 years, that helps you. But, but the fact that you put in the years that you put in whatever was needed on the Ranger broadcast, that's what you were willing to do. And I'll say, Avi, I know you'll agree with me. You shout out man named Kevin Meininger who never wants to be mentioned, right? Kevin Morata. Those are people that also have a say in this along with Andrea, who knew right away that's the guy we've got to get for the Devil's broadcast because that's a good young team and you need an announcer, a voice that will fit the energy that the Devils can bring to the ice. And you are certainly gonna do that, my friend. I am thrilled for you. I'm sure. Everybody here on behalf of this radio station, congratulations. Long time coming.

[Allen Hahn]

Well, thank you so much. I'm glad you brought up the Kevins. Kevin Meininger, Kevin Morata, especially Kevin Meininger, who I've known for such a long time and given me the opportunities and the gigs with the New York Rangers. And this all started the late great Leon Schwier gave me my first opportunity over at MSG2. When we first got the Knicks and Rangers way back in 05, we had to sit for a year because the NHL was in the lockout. But then when we came out of the lockout in 05, they gave me the pre and post and that ushered in the opportunity to back 20 years.

[Michael Kay]

You've been doing this for 20 years?

[Allen Hahn]

It's been a long time. And it's been so much fun from calling the Stanley cup final in 2014 to all those shows I used to do back at the Play by Play over at Madison Square Garden. It's. I just love the sport.

[Michael Kay]

So Gold calls. We have one yet. Gold call. You got something to work on it. You give me something.

[Allen Hahn]

We're going to see how it plays out. And I'm not going to do anything corny. No, no, I'm not. I'm not playing that.

[Michael Kay]

Scratch my back with a hacksaw.

[Don La Greca]

No, that's.

[Allen Hahn]

That's been done. That's been done. Yeah, we lost him to love the great Mr. Lang.

[Michael Kay]

Do we have any of. We have Don. Goal calls. I know we do. Jacob. Right? Do we have any loaded up that we could let the people get a little taste? Because, like, this is. This is.

[Don La Greca]

How about me calling.

[Allen Hahn]

How about me calling a Devil goal against the Rangers? Let's see.

[Don La Greca]

We'll see what that.

[Michael Kay]

First of all, that'll hit a little bit different now. You're like Milbury now. You remember when Mike Milbury took the job with the Islands back in the 90s and he was a Bruins guy? He had no connection at all. And he said that he did the. Screw the Rangers, screw the Devils. I'm an Islander now. Right, right. You know, like, that's. That's what Ranger. I'm not going there. But they can now. They can hate you now, but they also know how good you are.

[Allen Hahn]

I'm a hockey guy, so that.

[Michael Kay]

That.

[Allen Hahn]

That's the main thing that I. I'm a hockey guy, but I'm not gonna be saying that. I. I know your views do well, because I want to be able to talk about it here. And as far as my future here.

[Don La Greca]

With espn, you're not going anywhere.

[Allen Hahn]

Take a look at Michael K. Took.

[Don La Greca]

A look at Alan Hahn. It's not like this station isn't prepared for things like this. Right? I mean, 135 days out of the year, ESPN has been able to make.

[Allen Hahn]

Michael's schedule work, so hopefully they'll make my schedule work.

[Don La Greca]

My intention is to do both.

[Allen Hahn]

The devil's MSG's told me they'll accommodate me on the road and stuff, so we're gonna make this all work.

[Michael Kay]

When we get to October, I'll just say, all right, Donnie, I'll see you in April, maybe May.

[Don La Greca]

Oh, I don't.

[Allen Hahn]

I'm not saying.

[Michael Kay]

Well, me being somewhere else, you being somewhere, like, how often are we gonna really be together? But that's all right, because I'm all for this. My daughter Gracie is a Devil's fan. Loves the Devils. For some reason, our household on Long island, she was drawn to the Devils. So we have those broadcasts on in our house. And she will fight with me when I'm home. On the rare occasion when I want to put the Islanders on, I want to hear my guy, Brendan Burke and Butchie Goring and everybody. But if the Devils are playing. Oh, she's fighting with me. She's putting it on, too.

[Allen Hahn]

So she's putting it on.

[Michael Kay]

All right.

[Allen Hahn]

So that's awesome.

[Michael Kay]

All right, so let's. Let's get a Little taste. Taste of Don Legreca and his goal call sound Ryder goes off a stick.

[Don La Greca]

But he catches up with it. Puts it back behind the net.

[Allen Hahn]

Cut off and cleared.

[Don La Greca]

Now the Devils have a three on one, led by Brat. Here's he sheer. He sheer to Brat and he scores.

[Michael Kay]

Shorthanded.

[Don La Greca]

He had the breakaway on the first power play by the Rangers. This one he cashes in on.

[Allen Hahn]

It's two nothing.

[Michael Kay]

Oh, you wanted. You were there. You were there. Well, it'll be a little bit different. You couldn't have fun because I was.

[Don La Greca]

That was right.

[Allen Hahn]

I wasn't going to be like you.

[Don La Greca]

Know, high fiving Dave off of that.

[Michael Kay]

That's great. So Kenny Danico. Yeah. Gonna join us.

[Allen Hahn]

Ken Danico's gonna join us at 4:15.

[Michael Kay]

That's awesome.

[Allen Hahn]

I haven't spoken to Kenny yet so really hopefully he's okay with it.

[Michael Kay]

I'm sure he is. You two together, phenomenal.

[Allen Hahn]

And honestly Art Stapleton actually just tweeted like quite a week for the, for the La Greca brothers. You know my, my brother launched on July 1 his own channel, the pro wrestling channel over on Sirius xm. So big, big week for him. Getting. He's got a big billboard. Him and Peter are on the billboard in Times Squared. I show you that.

[Michael Kay]

Oh really?

[Allen Hahn]

No, it's pretty cool.

[Michael Kay]

Getting all fancy.

[Allen Hahn]

Yeah. And you know, and now this happening. So I'm sure you know my mom and dad thanks to them too. And of course my dad no longer with us would be pretty proud of this too. So pretty big moment. Pretty cool and I'm looking forward to it. But back to the sports of it all. Let's get to call a little bit more fun with Kenny coming up at 4:15.

[Michael Kay]

What do we miss?

[Don La Greca]

Peter's on hold.

[Allen Hahn]

Peter Rosenberg.

[Don La Greca]

Welcome to Don Hahn and Rosenberg. You look great in the billboard in Times Square.

[Michael Kay]

Yeah, yeah.

[Allen Hahn]

Very good stuff.

[Michael Kay]

I tell you what the touch up there did on you. Fantastic.

[Rick]

You're a terrible guy. That was not a touch up. That was real authentic makeup. I was actually wearing this photo. But that's, that's that. Hold on. I leave the group chat for one week and Donald Marco Legreca, as I live and breathe, is the play by play voice the New Jersey Devils. Is this real?

[Allen Hahn]

It is real. And thank you for calling. I feel bad that we weren't able.

[Don La Greca]

To talk about it because you haven't been here and it all kind of.

[Allen Hahn]

Just happened so quickly and I was under the cone of silence for so long. Literally nobody. Allen, I just told you A few.

[Don La Greca]

Days ago when I finally called espn.

[Allen Hahn]

So thank you, man. It means a lot that.

[Rick]

This is.

[Michael Kay]

So.

[Rick]

You are the television voice of the devil.

[Allen Hahn]

That's right.

[Michael Kay]

He is. He is. He is the Mike Breen. He is the Michael K. He is the Kenny Albert. He is the Gary Cohen. He is that for the Devils.

[Rick]

Honest to God. Maybe this says something about how much you love a person. I didn't know what I would ever feel if Don were to get tapped for a full time play by play, but I swear to God, it might as well have been myself. This is right. I'm overjoyed. It is so well beyond deserved. I hope the congratulations last twice as long as my wedding. Congratulations that I got in the air.

[Don La Greca]

And.

[Rick]

And by the way, think about the history that we're going to have one day, Alan. It's going to be amazing. The devil tattoo resurfaces.

[Michael Kay]

Right?

[Rick]

It's unreal.

[Allen Hahn]

I don't have to tape it up with a nice bandage on the road anymore.

[Don La Greca]

Just in case Clinton Sather came in.

[Allen Hahn]

And decided to step next to the StairMaster.

[Michael Kay]

Don't wear shorts again around the team. But I'll tell you what, Peter, by the way, Alan. Yeah.

[Rick]

And when we. When I get back. When I get back, God knows whatever that is. I'm on my way to the airport as we speak. But when I come back, the conversations we're going to have to have about fraudulence, too. I mean, this is a man who loved the Devils, who left the Devils. He's back to the Devils. There is going to be a lot of conversation that has to take place leading up to October.

[Michael Kay]

I think we already know the verdict. But I'll say this though, Peter. You know what we both do know is that the next time the three of us go out for dinner, you know who's paying now. Mr. Big Time Play by Pleasure. Big bucks.

[Allen Hahn]

It will be my pleasure. And listen.

[Don La Greca]

Wow.

[Allen Hahn]

And again, no, no joke. I saw you look gorgeous in the Times Square bill. It's not even a billboard. It's that big digital sign.

[Michael Kay]

Yeah.

[Allen Hahn]

For the. The new channel my brother had. So. And you're on that. So.

[Rick]

Thank you. Thank you. It's very sweet, but it's today. We had that day last week. Today it's about Donnie Pucks, where he rightfully belongs. The voice of an NHL franchise on television. I couldn't be happier. I couldn't be happier. Congrats.

[Allen Hahn]

Thank you so much, man. Enjoy the rest of your vacation. Tell Natalie and Maya we said hello. Okay.

[Rick]

Well, they're listening in the call on the way to the airport.

[Michael Kay]

All right.

[Rick]

Yeah, there's Natalie yelling. Congratulations. We're out of here.

[Allen Hahn]

Safe travels.

[Michael Kay]

Love you.

[Allen Hahn]

Oh, that's Peter Rosenberg.

[Unknown]

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[Michael Kay]

Have you ever spotted McDonald's hot crispy fries right as they're being scooped into the carton? And time just stands still.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.

[Alan Hahn]

I didn't listen to anything you just said.

[Peter Rosenberg]

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

[Don La Greca]

Lurking around the halls of ESPN is the great Michael K. And he wants a second.

[Kenny Albert]

All right, so you. I mean, full disclosure, you came in and told me during my show.

[Michael Kay]

Yes.

[Kenny Albert]

And Alan, I'm telling you the truth. I. I felt almost as happy as I did when I got the call that I got the Yankee job.

[Michael Kay]

Wow.

[Kenny Albert]

Not as happy. I mean, I'm not going to be a phony.

[Michael Kay]

No, I'm with you.

[Kenny Albert]

But I mean, I got choked because I know what it means to him and how long he's been waiting and how great he is and how even the mothership should have had him on TV doing hockey.

[Michael Kay]

Now maybe they will.

[Kenny Albert]

Maybe they will see it five times. For him to do this to him, for him growing up a Devil fan. And I'm the one who told him to take the Ranger job despite being a Devil fan because I said money is important for him to come home and do the thing that he dreamed of as a kid. I'm getting choked up even thinking about it.

[Allen Hahn]

You're making me emotional now.

[Michael Kay]

No, but think about it, Don. No, no, let Michael and I do this right, because this is.

[Kenny Albert]

He doesn't handle this stuff well. Flowers.

[Michael Kay]

Actually, he was pretty good in the last segment. I was very. I was impressed. But I think people need to hear what you're saying and how I feel as well about this because these are the type of things when it's the dream job, it just hits different. And when you see Somebody that has put in the time and effort like he has, where he's worked, like it's whatever job they need me to do, I'm doing it. If I have to fly to Vancouver last second to call a radio game because something happened and I'm there, I'm doing it. Like that's how hungry and how passionate he is. And then on top of it, how professional. Because as you said, guy deep down loves the Devils, that. That was his team. But the opportunity professionally came up to do o' Rangers, which is a rival, and he's like, I gotta do it. I gotta do it. And when you get to a certain stage in life where you start to say to yourself, it's never gonna happen, you might think that. You might start thinking that. And when you watch from afar, you almost wanna just keep rooting like, no, no, no. Just keep going. Just keep going. So when something like this happens, I'm the same way. I look at it as. This is a. This is a bigger deal than just a guy got a job. No.

[Kenny Albert]

Yeah, it's much bigger.

[Michael Kay]

This is a dream came true right before our eyes.

[Allen Hahn]

And.

[Michael Kay]

And for all of us, you have to appreciate who know how hard it is in this business and for him to do it.

[Kenny Albert]

What are you now, 70? I mean, that's.

[Don La Greca]

That's a 57.

[Kenny Albert]

57.

[Michael Kay]

The picture they used MSG used, by the way. He might as well like every bit.

[Kenny Albert]

Of it, by the way.

[Michael Kay]

I mean, they got. We got to get back.

[Kenny Albert]

Great job by msg. I can't. I can't give them enough kudos for doing this.

[Michael Kay]

Well, tell.

[Kenny Albert]

Having this done.

[Michael Kay]

Tell this guy to call in like.

[Kenny Albert]

Is this Rick?

[Don La Greca]

Yeah, Rick. Why can't you just call me?

[Allen Hahn]

Line.

[Don La Greca]

We're on the air. Me? Yeah, I just got the news. Is it true? I just don't know if it's true.

[Allen Hahn]

Where do I hold it again?

[Michael Kay]

You hold the bottom. The bottom is where his.

[Allen Hahn]

Yes, it's true. I am the.

[Kenny Albert]

Tell him he's on the air.

[Don La Greca]

You're on the air right now, Rick.

[Allen Hahn]

DPA True from the morning show. Dpa. Tron Rothenberg. Yes, it's true. I'm the Devil's Play by Playboy. Thank you, Rick. I appreciate it, man.

[Don La Greca]

You just made my whole vacation. That a boy.

[Allen Hahn]

Oh, thank you, man. I was going to reach out, but I knew you were on vacation.

[Don La Greca]

So cool, man.

[Allen Hahn]

Thank you for thinking of me.

[Michael Kay]

Oh, man, I love you.

[Don La Greca]

It's well deserved.

[Allen Hahn]

Thank you, buddy.

[Kenny Albert]

See, here's the thing that people don't know so they know the screaming lunatic on the show. Whatever. The reason that everybody in this business is happy for him, because people love him. Because he's a good guy who does not know how to operate a phone. He's a really, really good guy. Everybody that knows him is overjoyed today, as if we got some kind of promotion.

[Michael Kay]

I told him at msg, he's a guy that when you bring up his name, the Meadow, even on the basketball side, everybody just has the same reactions. His smile. And it's Don. Everybody just loves him. Donny Parks. Right? And so that's the part about. What I loved about what Kevin Meininger did was recognize. Give me somebody that's got passion for the job that, you know, is showing up every single time, has a depth of information and is authentic. And also the voice. You put all that together. That's the obvious. I don't even know.

[Kenny Albert]

I mean, this might make him backtrack, but if I see Kevin Meininger. Tongkus. Making this decision, I can tell you this.

[Michael Kay]

I don't think Kevin Meininger is comfortable with the tongue kiss.

[Kenny Albert]

Really?

[Allen Hahn]

I gave you that idea? He will be with me when you.

[Kenny Albert]

Do something like this with my friend who I love.

[Michael Kay]

Awesome kiss. Okay.

[Don La Greca]

That makes me.

[Allen Hahn]

I got so many people that have said that, what you said, and that makes me feel really good. I. I don't know whether I deserve it or not, but.

[Kenny Albert]

Of course you deserve it.

[Michael Kay]

Definitely take everybody.

[Kenny Albert]

But I do appreciate that Mike Green has lived it. Two guys, Fordham talked about their dream. I know other people that have. I mean, normally people want to live their dream that try their whole life.

[Allen Hahn]

I always thought about that, like, how lucky you were to call Yankee.

[Kenny Albert]

And I am. Every day I realize it.

[Allen Hahn]

Like, Gary is to call Met games and Howie and. And for Mike Breen to call Nick games.

[Don La Greca]

But there's also the responsibility, like, I.

[Allen Hahn]

Want to make sure that I do the best job possible because that's not enough to just be a fan of the team.

[Don La Greca]

I got to do the work.

[Allen Hahn]

And also, you know, you're talking about Doc Emmerich and Gary Thorne. There's a lot of, you know, Steve Canelosi, a lot of great players. People have done this. So.

[Kenny Albert]

And you know, it's going to be cool. Is now that you're the television voice of the Devils to bring your son into the booth. Awesome.

[Michael Kay]

You're getting them emotional. I love it. Do you have advice? Because you gotta have one thing, like, right out of the gate that you want to tell him immediately. Do this, and everything will be Fine, just be him.

[Kenny Albert]

Just do what you've done. Obviously he has an unbelievable knowledge of the sport and the history of the France. You know, we always joke, me and my producer on the Yankee games, like I'll come up with a guy like Rich McKinney. Or I said, oh, this happened with Horace Clark. And he'll go, it's in your soul. The devil's soul. So you don't. You're not a carpetbagger. You're not like somebody who has to like catch up. Yeah, it's in his soul. Yeah, it's on his leg.

[Michael Kay]

Well, literally. I just tweeted it for those who didn't know. Yeah, yeah, just.

[Kenny Albert]

Just be you. And obviously you have the institutional knowledge of the franchise and I couldn't be. And when he told me, I mean, I jumped up and hugged him.

[Michael Kay]

Yeah.

[Kenny Albert]

Which was awkward.

[Michael Kay]

I appreciate that now.

[Allen Hahn]

And Carlin gave me a hug.

[Kenny Albert]

That must have been.

[Michael Kay]

Yeah. Did you.

[Kenny Albert]

I mean, did his hands touch in the back?

[Allen Hahn]

I mean, what.

[Michael Kay]

He's not wrong.

[Kenny Albert]

I mean, he's a big man. Yes.

[Michael Kay]

It's a bear hug. Literally.

[Kenny Albert]

Yeah.

[Michael Kay]

I have a theory because, you know, now it's about. You're on tv. Don't worry about the clock, Doc, you gotta look. Yeah, please. This is about you. I'm thinking double breasted. Double breasted. Really lean into the whole Jersey Soprano thing. Like give me a double breasted. Give me like just white shirts, crisp. We'll switch out a bunch of ties, pockets.

[Kenny Albert]

Yeah, we gotta get you more clothes.

[Michael Kay]

Like gotta get you. Right? Yeah, gotta get you.

[Kenny Albert]

Maybe, maybe, you know, your little Snurry co host with all the connections and in, in clothing he can get.

[Allen Hahn]

Well, I'm already on it.

[Kenny Albert]

Oh really?

[Allen Hahn]

The double breast works for me.

[Kenny Albert]

It might be. It might be because you're a big guy.

[Michael Kay]

That's what I'm saying. It's. And it's also.

[Kenny Albert]

You guys want to be Tony Soprano.

[Michael Kay]

He's not going to be Tony Soprano. He's going to be.

[Kenny Albert]

I think you don't double breasted. And because it's coming back.

[Michael Kay]

Yeah, but the. To me.

[Kenny Albert]

But I don't think exclusive.

[Michael Kay]

Just make it a thing.

[Kenny Albert]

Make it his thing.

[Michael Kay]

Make it his thing.

[Kenny Albert]

No, I would, I would rule against that. I would rule against double breasted. Exclusive.

[Michael Kay]

No turtlenecks though, right? That's out.

[Kenny Albert]

You know what? That works.

[Michael Kay]

He's middle of winner for some.

[Kenny Albert]

And you know what makes me feel good? I had never been in a Prudential center till two weeks ago.

[Allen Hahn]

When did you go there?

[Kenny Albert]

I took Jody as part of her birthday to see Tina Fey and Amy Poehler.

[Michael Kay]

Oh, wow. Did you like it?

[Don La Greca]

Was that a really nice arena?

[Kenny Albert]

I did. I did. Like, the arena was great, but the tickets each were 450, so it's 900 bucks.

[Allen Hahn]

Wow.

[Kenny Albert]

And we're sitting, like, far away.

[Don La Greca]

What?

[Michael Kay]

Far away.

[Kenny Albert]

I'm going, amy, Tina, come on, man.

[Michael Kay]

What are we doing?

[Kenny Albert]

What are we doing here?

[Michael Kay]

450.

[Allen Hahn]

They should swing by and do it.

[Michael Kay]

Like, personally. Yeah, I was going to say that's a nice building.

[Kenny Albert]

It's convenient to get in and out of it.

[Michael Kay]

Yeah.

[Allen Hahn]

I was doing an interview today and I was like, I'm excited too, because.

[Don La Greca]

It'S a good team. And they're trying to establish something post.

[Allen Hahn]

Lou lamarello and injuries really derailed them last year. But you know Jack Huggus, Jack Hughes.

[Don La Greca]

Your son's one of his favorite.

[Kenny Albert]

Calls him Jack Huggis. I like this Jack Huggis, Dad.

[Allen Hahn]

I think Nico, he's sure it's a good team, so it should be a lot of fun.

[Kenny Albert]

I think you have to get the official blessing from Doc, though. You got to call.

[Michael Kay]

We got to get him all.

[Allen Hahn]

I might pass out. If he don't know. Don't do.

[Michael Kay]

Don't know. It's over.

[Don La Greca]

Michael, this is like with you at the birthdays. You'd get upset when all of a sudden everybody started wishing you a happy birthday. But I now know if Doc wants to call, I need it to be genuine.

[Allen Hahn]

I don't want him to come on as a guy. We could have Kenny come on because I'm going to be working with him. Albert, Kenny Alberto Danico.

[Michael Kay]

That one.

[Don La Greca]

Kenny.

[Kenny Albert]

Albert should call, too. He started standing on Saturday.

[Don La Greca]

Oh, yeah. Cause he was at the Mackey. No, he's already reached out. But let's let. Let Pete. Let this mature naturally.

[Michael Kay]

Okay, so maybe like randomly.

[Don La Greca]

This is not the Don Lagreca show. Yankee fans are upset about the way their team's playing. We got an NFL binge coming up. Come on.

[Kenny Albert]

I got used to work at msg.

[Michael Kay]

I'm not gonna out him throwing a.

[Kenny Albert]

Break and he goes. Way to go, msg. Good guys do win.

[Allen Hahn]

Oh, thank you. I really appreciate it. Thank you so much. And I got to thank you, Michael, with the opportunities that your show was able to present to me and everything that's going on there, and you've helped me a lot with the play by play and how to do it, I'm going to be tapping into you a couple of things on how to make doing both things work. I want to still do this show.

[Kenny Albert]

Good luck.

[Michael Kay]

I still ask him. He can't tell you this.

[Don La Greca]

You know when they say, like, don, I don't know if we could do it for you, Don, you do have a track record. You have a history of 20 years of doing it for Michael. I know I'm not Michael K. But, you know, I'm not going to be.

[Allen Hahn]

Missing as many games.

[Kenny Albert]

I wonder, Allen, think about this. If I had not moved to 1 to 3, would MSG have done this? Would he have had a high enough profile?

[Michael Kay]

So me leaving, you think it helped, right?

[Kenny Albert]

Might have helped.

[Allen Hahn]

No.

[Michael Kay]

All I know is that there's more content now for MSG coming from this show.

[Don La Greca]

Well, this made it a lot easier to.

[Kenny Albert]

And why does an MSG now simulcast this?

[Michael Kay]

I mean, it just.

[Don La Greca]

Wouldn't that make it easy?

[Michael Kay]

Seems too obvious.

[Kenny Albert]

Let's get this done.

[Allen Hahn]

Wow, he's got a lock. He should be my agent.

[Kenny Albert]

Tell.

[Michael Kay]

I'm telling you, I can't.

[Kenny Albert]

What does MSG have on in the afternoon? The Untouchables?

[Don La Greca]

I mean, what does yes.

[Allen Hahn]

Have on in the afternoon now?

[Kenny Albert]

A lot of stuff, but not our show. Center Stage and last night's Yankee.

[Michael Kay]

Well, that's what you'll want to watch back.

[Allen Hahn]

All right, thank you so much, Michael.

[Kenny Albert]

Congratulations. I couldn't be happier for any human being.

[Allen Hahn]

Thank you, Allan, for everything. And thank you out there for giving. Indulge this for a couple of minutes.

[Michael Kay]

Again, call in, give Donnie his love.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Thanks for listening to the Don, Han and Rosenberg podcast.

[Michael Kay]

I don't want to know how the sausage is made, man. I just want to know. It's good.

[Peter Rosenberg]

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.