Hour 1: Judge's Moment

Summary

Don, Hahn & Rosenberg — Hour 1: Judge's Moment (October 8, 2025)

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Episode Overview

In this engaging and impassioned episode, Don La Greca, Alan Hahn, and Peter Rosenberg dive into the aftermath of a stunning New York Yankees comeback against the Toronto Blue Jays, focusing on Aaron Judge's electrifying performance. The crew explores what Judge's signature moment means for his legacy, how the Yankees fanbase perceives greatness and winning, and the weight of historical standards in the modern era of baseball parity. The conversation ranges from detailed baseball analysis to philosophical musings about fandom and expectations—embodying everything "New York Sports, and so much more."

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Yankees' Dramatic Comeback & Aaron Judge’s Heroics

• Context: Yankees were down 6-1, facing elimination, and had statistically low odds of winning, yet rallied back for an improbable 9-6 victory.
• Judge's Defining Moment: Aaron Judge blasted a three-run homer that tied the game, sparking the comeback—a moment now considered his signature as a Yankee.
• Significance of the home run: Both the hosts and players believed it "tied the game, but it won the game." (04:25)
• Discussion on how the team rallied emotionally and competitively around that moment, refusing to waste the captain’s big hit.

2. The Blueprint of a “Magical Run”

• The team’s ability to come back from adversity (multiple elimination games) is noted as a hallmark of championship runs.
• Comparisons to iconic moments in sports history (e.g., Carlton Fisk's homer, Chavez dunk) and whether signature moments require a championship to cement their legacy. (12:00)
• Acknowledgement that “the ingredients are there” for a memorable postseason, but the cake isn’t baked yet.

3. Handling Criticism & Fan Standards

• Discussion about the sometimes toxic expectations placed on Judge and other Yankee greats.
• "Are you not entertained?" — Judge’s attitude after the home run reflects his awareness of fan and media scrutiny. (08:11, 25:06)
• The hosts challenge fans to appreciate greatness instead of critiquing endlessly, especially when the player is delivering in the clutch.
• Ongoing debate about whether it's fair for Yankee fans to always demand a championship or whether it reflects old-school standards in a new era of league-wide parity.

4. Boone’s (Manager) Intuition & Bullpen Management

• Credit given to Yankees manager Aaron Boone for sensing his team's mindset and deploying pitchers effectively, especially in stressful moments.
• The bullpen, previously a weakness, stepped up with nearly immaculate performance post-comeback (7⅔ shutout innings). (09:11)

5. Baseball Analytics, Money, and the Changing Game

• Discussion on how the Yankees' old financial and scouting advantages have waned, leading to more league parity and narrower margins for greatness.
• Debates over whether it’s realistic or counter-productive to expect dynasties in today's environment. (29:43)

6. The Emotional Cost and Reward of Being a Yankees Fan

• Arguments over keeping standards high versus appreciating consistent success.
• Comparison with other New York sports franchises’ struggles and the idea that, for all their frustrations, Yankee fans are among the luckiest.
• The “standard” is not just about winning, but about refusing to accept mediocrity. (33:18)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Judge’s Home Run:

  • “That home run tied the score, but it won the game. And everybody felt it on both sides of the field.” – Don, 04:25
  • “What he's doing is saying, listen, I'm hearing it. ... What do you think of it now that I'm batting .500 in the playoffs and I just had a bomb of a home run?” – Alan, 07:42
  • “Are you not entertained?” – Don, 08:11; echoed at 25:06

• On Standards and Criticism:

  • “You can’t kill us. We’re zombies. We can’t be killed.” – Don, 15:12
  • “The judge thing has gone too far. ... The second look to the camera was literally the, ‘Are you not entertained?’” – Don, 25:14
  • “All I ever say: that guy deserves nothing but your respect and your applause and nothing more from this point forward.” – Don, 36:17

• On Fan Expectations vs. Reality:

  • “You should be disappointed you haven't won since 2009 ... But at the same time, just try to appreciate the fact that you're here.” – Alan, 21:56
  • “That's how you maintain a standard. This is who we are. And so when you're good enough to be a contender ... that's expected.” – Don, 31:25
  • “[Yankees] are always going to be sexy because of the city ... but they don’t win at the same clip they used to win. Nobody wins at that clip.” – Alan, 31:32

• On the Changing Era of Baseball:

  • “But the standard is not the same. There's parity. ... It’s a lot harder to win than it was before.” – Alan, 30:47

• Callers Weigh In:

  • “The pressure of the standard on the organization—the players represent the organization. So that same pressure, unreasonable or not, is going to come.” – Wayne in Charlotte (40:03)
  • “If you don't keep the standard, you just start backing off and saying, all right, well, at least we got here. ... You have to keep that standard and the bar high to continue to be in the position that they're in right now.” – Brett in New Jersey (46:41)

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Important Segment Timestamps

• Yankees’ Comeback & Judge’s Homer: 01:30–04:53
• Team Chemistry & Boone’s Intuition: 03:21–07:39
• Judge's Signature Moment—Does It Matter Without A Title?: 08:14–14:30
• Fan Expectations vs. Greatness Appreciation: 17:43–25:14 (especially on fandom in New York and how “you can’t kill us”)
• Extended Standings & Parity Discussion: 29:43–34:13
• The Burden on Judge vs. Past Yankees: 41:01–43:59
• Call-ins from Fans: 36:22–39:41, 45:41–49:08

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Tone & Energy

• The show is lively, passionate, often humorous, with the usual blend of New York sports swagger and blunt truth-telling.
• Hosts are unafraid to push back on each other and the callers, but there’s a consistent thread of sports love, nostalgia, and clear-eyed analysis.

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Summary Takeaway

If you missed this episode, you missed a spirited exploration of what it means to be a Yankee, both on the field and in the stands. Judge’s home run isn’t just a baseball moment—it’s a rallying point for fans, a symbol of hope and frustration, the perfect subject for a city that expects magic and demands accountability.

The hosts challenge listeners to recognize greatness when it’s right in front of them, even if it’s not always packaged as another ring. And as the Yankees teeter on the edge of another postseason heartbreak or glory, the city waits, critical and hopeful, as only New York can be.

Transcript

[Don Hahn]

When did making plans get this complicated? It's time to streamline with WhatsApp, the secure messaging app that brings the whole group together. Use polls to settle dinner plans. Send event invites and pin messages so no one forgets mom 60th and never miss a meme or milestone. All protected with end to end encryption. It's time for WhatsApp message privately with everyone. Learn [e-mail] done.

[Alan Rosenberg]

I'll be licking the television screen. Licking it like it's ice cream.

[Don Hahn]

Han. Oh, it's the type of music I listen to would make you cry.

[Alan Rosenberg]

And Rosenberg, I expect to be called ball coach. This is in North Dakota. This is New York.

[Don Hahn]

This is Don, Han and Rosenberg.

[Alan Rosenberg]

The best threesome I've ever heard on.

[Don Hahn]

ESPN New York and streaming live on.

[Alan Rosenberg]

YouTube 301 in the big city. Don Hahn and Rosenberg with you full front again until 7 o' clock. On a day in which the Yankees survive and as Bob was shoes and would say, did it in style. Down 6 1. Proclaimed dead by Alan Hahn on the text thread by.

[Don Hahn]

You really just gonna go there, huh? You're going there like you're the only one.

[Alan Rosenberg]

You are the only one.

[Don Hahn]

Right out of me like that.

[Alan Rosenberg]

I'm just saying.

[Don Hahn]

Wow.

[Alan Rosenberg]

I'm making it up.

[Don Hahn]

No kind of friend you are. I did.

[Alan Rosenberg]

You are not the only one. Six one.

[Don Hahn]

I tell you. Good night, baseball.

[Alan Rosenberg]

Good night.

[Don Hahn]

He can't. Another. Another starter can't carry the water. Cooked. And they're down 6:1. That's what made it so incredible. The improbable comeback. In fact, facing elimination in a sweep situation, a team down by five or more runs has never, never, ever come back to win the game.

[Alan Rosenberg]

Blue Jays start kicking the ball around their bullpen can get anybody out. And then steps up. Aaron Judge, you chose violence. I'm just. You got to be held accountable. Did you?

[Don Hahn]

Hey, I'm human.

[Alan Rosenberg]

I'm just showing you.

[Don Hahn]

Which one of you out there wasn't saying.

[Alan Rosenberg]

I saw it on social media.

[Don Hahn]

You were all sad dead.

[Alan Rosenberg]

It's over. Fire everybody. Now listen. There's still a lot more work to be done for sure. But we talked about it one step at a time, brother. And now you got yourself. They're pitching an opener. Cam's going your guy that saved the season not even a week ago. And now maybe the Blue Jays start to feel it a little bit. Oh, they're feeling having to go back possibly to Toronto for a game five. And they were feeling it last night. They were not. They did not play well. Did not pitch well. But I will say this and I want you guys to come at me. 1-800-919-3776 is Boone really can sense what his team's about. I'll give him that. Because if you go back to Friday when we were having conversations about, you know, Cam pitching slidlers, he can be able to save the season, all that stuff. And then we played Sound from Boone where Boone said it wasn't Friday, it was obviously Thursday. Going into the, to the game, I, I saw him in the hallway and he, he looks ready, he feels ready. And you're like, ah, that's boom, bam, boom. And he was right.

[Don Hahn]

Kid was ready. Saves your season locked in.

[Alan Rosenberg]

We played Sound yesterday where he talked about how comparing last year's team to this year's team and he mentioned about this year's team, how they're there for one another, they're there to pick each other up.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah.

[Alan Rosenberg]

And I had said. And you didn't completely agree. I said, you know what? They probably were in there saying, let's win one for Stanton. He's never won one before. Let's rally around Judge. He's getting beat up by the fans. I think Boone sensed that this team is together because what I took from what happened after that three run home run was that the Yankees said our captain had his moment. Let's not waste this in a loss because it's six. Six. You can't tell me game's over. Blue Jays can expose the Yankees bullpen, win the game anyway. But the sense felt, everybody felt we are winning this game.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah, that, that tied, that tied the score, but it won the game. But that's a true fact. In fact, a lot of the play. Jazz said it after the game. Tim Hill had a great line. He said that momentum shift. You could feel it in your bones. Right. Like that moment just. Again, I'll repeat what I said. That home run tied the score, but it won the game. And everybody felt it on both sides of the field.

[Alan Rosenberg]

Now it's easy to say now after they won and they added on, which is something they're not going to be.

[Don Hahn]

Well, he makes the catch in the next bottom. In the top of the next inning.

[Alan Rosenberg]

I'm saying it's the fourth inning. Right. So. And 12 runs have been scored and we're in the fourth inning. Yeah. So I'm sorry, it's not over. It's easy to say now they won the game. You knew they were winning that game. The point is. No, that's fine. But you feel, but you could also feel like I got my starters out. This bullpen has not been good. And all of a sudden the bull. Because then I can assess after the fact, you know what? Cruz goes out there clean. Any. Everything started to come together. The bullpen comes together, they tack on runs and they win the game nine six. Okay. So we can have the argument how you feeling? Of course you feel like they're going to win because they won. But I'm looking at and going, six runs have been scored. We're in the fourth inning. We might be here all night. This final score might be 23, 22. I understand who don't know.

[Don Hahn]

But I'm telling you your point. I know what you're trying to say, but there was something about that moment that made the Yankees go from when they were down six' one. Going like this like we were all going like this is all like. They had to feel some form of being demoralized. But they were able to tack on too quick. Like boom, boom, made it six' three. Right. That kind of helped bring them back from what felt like the morgue. Okay. But for the better part of the series, they have looked overmatched. And then you go, Guerrero's already dancing on your. On your field. And they're already up 6 1. You're starting another starter, can't get out of the third inning. And you're telling me that that wasn't that feeling. The first time the Yankees said we can do this. This is the first time that they felt it in their bones. Like Hill said. That's what I mean about that moment.

[Alan Rosenberg]

Right.

[Don Hahn]

And the Blue Jays for the first time were like, damn. Because they knew Bieber wasn't going to give him length. And their bullpen stinks.

[Alan Rosenberg]

Yeah, their bullpen was not good.

[Don Hahn]

Let me give you the numbers. You ready?

[Alan Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Don Hahn]

This is why them facing the open opener tonight. And I actually think it's going to be Varlan. Right?

[Alan Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Don Hahn]

Who is the guy that gave up the two home runs? But he's very good. He's very good. But their Bullpen went over nine innings, 12 runs.

[Alan Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Don Hahn]

Go back to again. Is there momentum? Does it count? Game two late. Game two into game three. This has been a series so far of dueling bullpens and starting pitching. On one side that has been dominant and on the other side has been God awful. The Yankees starters 15 runs in eight innings. Can Cam Schlitler put a stop to that? Because if he can stop that bleeding, this series is going back to Toronto.

[Alan Rosenberg]

But my overall point is Is that Boone knows his team.

[Don Hahn]

Yes.

[Alan Rosenberg]

And it's not just words. And Judge hits that home run and the Yankees. And you see the way Judge doesn't bat flip. Judge doesn't, you know, point at cameras. Judge doesn't do that. But what he's doing is saying, listen, I'm hearing it. I know what you guys are saying about me. What do you think of it now that I'm batting.500 in the playoffs and I just had a bomb of a home run, a signature moment for me that might be the catalyst to this team making a run.

[Don Hahn]

Oh, you're not entertained? Is what he did.

[Alan Rosenberg]

Lose tonight, it's not going to matter. You know, lose tonight, it's the Chavez home run. It's the Zelopukin goal. You know, it's, it's, it's, it's an afterthought. It's right, it's an afterthought. But if this turns out to be even just getting out of this series, and I do think they'll go to the World Series, because I just don't. Again, those central teams and Seattle and all that. But the thing is, this could be the catalyst and this could change everything. And Boone said that they feed off each other and that they try to pick each other up. So the Yankees all rallied, said, we can't let this go to waste. And so the bullpen goes out there and shuts it down. Right? Shuts it down. Duval even came in, all the bullpen did, allowed three hits, no runs over what, seven and two thirds innings. That's, that's, that's picking up your captain sex and understanding the moment they use 4, 6⅔, 5.

[Don Hahn]

How about Devin Williams getting a standing ovation, walking off. Same guy got booed.

[Alan Rosenberg]

Cruz gave up a hit in an inning and a third.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah.

[Alan Rosenberg]

Duvall gave a hit in inning and then Hill was good. Hill pitched, got four outs.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah.

[Alan Rosenberg]

Then Devin Williams got four outs, did allow a hit. Bednar comes in for an inning in 2/3, gets the job done. But it was just like, hey, hey. Boone kind of saw Cam coming. Boone saying, hey, they think about each other. You argued yesterday. Well, listen, they're all thinking about themselves, but there's certain times where it's like, I can't let Judge's home run go to waste. And now you hope that that's the same sentiment going into tonight. Let's not have this end up in a series in which we lose. Let's have this be what sends us to the league championship series. The lineup is out because the game seven tonight, right here after our show. So Grissom stays. You get one hit, stays in center field. And he's leading off. Judge batting second, Bellinger third, Stanton cleanup, Jazz at second. Goldschmidt back in the lineup. He's gonna be at first.

[Don Hahn]

No Rice.

[Alan Rosenberg]

Wells catching, Volpe at shortstopping, man at third. And then Cam is going to be your starting pitcher.

[Don Hahn]

Moving Wells, moving wells up. McMahon out there for defense, obviously.

[Alan Rosenberg]

Now, again, this is kind of like the same thinking when Elder pitched for the Red Sox is, is that, hey, I'm not going to worry about matching up against the starter because they're going to be in the bullpen and I want to make sure that I match up about everything that's going to happen after the fact.

[Don Hahn]

That's what Boone said last night after the game was just having guys available, knowing I want to put, make. Force them into decisions because he knew that. He knows this is going to be a bullpen game for them, which, by the way, I mean, we saw it last year, I guess, in the playoffs. So Max Scherzer is so bad, he's not even on the playoff roster. Like, he's there. Chris Bassett's been banged up. Barrios been banged up. Like they don't have another starter. Like, this is it. So they've got two guys that shut the Yankees down, neither one of them available to go here. And both of them will be available for game five.

[Alan Rosenberg]

Right.

[Don Hahn]

And so that, again, like this, you got to get to game five. But I agree with you that you. This, this has to continue. Now, everybody today had the same take, which is kind of what you were alluding to, is that was a nice home run. It was an unbelievable hit. We all know the numbers behind how rare, meaning never has anyone hit a ball that. That much off the plate Inside on an O2 pitch and smoked it for a home run. It's never happened over 99 miles an hour. Nobody's ever done it. But he did it. And as Cody Bellinger said, he's just different. But it becomes, like you said, the Chavez dunk, I mean, catch the Stark.

[Alan Rosenberg]

Dunk, all those things, Ventura's grand single, all that stuff.

[Don Hahn]

Moments that happened but didn't lead to a win in the Series, but they were still like. You'll never forget it because it was just spectacular in the moment. But right now, everybody's calling it Judge's signature moment as a Yankee. But can I say, though, that while.

[Alan Rosenberg]

I agree.

[Don Hahn]

What Schlitler did last week, which is pretty amazing right that was a moment special. Then this happens last night. I mean, hitting the foul pole the way it hit, like just a very dramatic. It's magic. You hate it because you're a Mets fan, because all Mets is. Everything's about magic. But you gotta admit, if you. If you can recognize it. Don, tell me that you aren't now at least thinking to yourself, okay, that's two things. That when you go on a run, this stuff happens along the way.

[Alan Rosenberg]

Am I right? And, well, not only going on a run, if you are going to come back from two nothing down after being outscored from three to nine, you're going to need a little something. Now, again, we could always go through magic that happened, that you don't remember it as magic because you didn't win. I mean, one of the greatest moments in Red Sox history is the Fisk home run where he's waving it fair. Right. That one. Game six, they lost game seven. Okay, so we'll see. But hey, it's got. The ingredients are there. Now we'll see if they make a cake that advances them. But the ingredients are there. Hey, we're doing things you're not supposed to do.

[Don Hahn]

It's the reason to buy in is what I'm saying. It's the reason to kind of wreck. You got to recognize these things sometimes. And sometimes, look, the Mets had a little bit of it last year. It did not result right in what you would say. When it's a real magical run, you win a championship. These are the stories. These are the chapters in the dvd.

[Alan Rosenberg]

Right.

[Don Hahn]

Right. These are the moments that they. They feature in the dvd, as you always like to say. So I'm looking at it like that. Like these can become chapters along the way. Because it's not isolated what happened yesterday. It goes along with what Schlitler was able to do. And you're going to need something now in game five. If you get to a game five, that adds to it to move on to the next thing.

[Alan Rosenberg]

But.

[Don Hahn]

But I just feel like if it was isolated, I'd say this. This ha. This might be the only time we can at least say judge had a good October, despite the fact that the team would. But there's been a couple things happening so far that make you feel like, okay, this feels like a little bit of magic on this team right now.

[Alan Rosenberg]

Okay. And also, if you want to take the fairy dust out of it, what it does show you is there is a cardiac kid kind of element to this team.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah.

[Alan Rosenberg]

To where they really believe that they can do it. And they're not overwhelmed by the moment. Facing elimination twice against the Red Sox. Facing elimination a third time here in this series against the Blue Jays. They're gonna have to have two more, you know, if they find a way to be able to get through this. And it's still a big if because you still got two more games. In a game in Toronto in Game 5 on Friday, if you get there. But if you get there, you'll galvanize yourself into believing, oh, no question, that we can do this. We have the heart of a champion that we can't be scared of.

[Don Hahn]

You can't kill us.

[Alan Rosenberg]

We're zombies. We can't be killed.

[Don Hahn]

Now, you feel it. That's.

[Alan Rosenberg]

That's what you feel.

[Don Hahn]

Suggesting is if they. If they find a way out of this. When you get to the lcs, how do you not become the team of destiny? Everybody's like, well, they're just. They're a team of. Look at them.

[Alan Rosenberg]

Now. It's not ideal. And I'm not telling you to get excited about if it happens tonight, but now you can't say, well, the Blue Jays put up a three spot in the first inning. Game's over. Can't say that. Can't say that it was not ideal. You don't want that to happen. Better not. But the whole thing, oh, you'll pull the plug in the crowd. That's the other thing, too. Is that. Is there anything that would kill this crowd?

[Don Hahn]

No.

[Alan Rosenberg]

You know, so if they did fall behind, if the Blue Jays did get off the mat and score early, if Cam gets pulled in the fourth inning in the game's five one, again, not ideal, not where you want to be. But you'll sit there and go, all right, we've seen this act before, man. They didn't do it. And the Blue Jays, a team, again, that hasn't won anything since Joe Carter's home run, it starts to creep in the Maramont. This team won't die. We can't kill this team.

[Don Hahn]

What did they say last night, too? Was which one of them said it? That if you take your foot off the gas against a good team, you let them right back in it. And you can't afford to do that. And tonight feels like foot off the gas because you aren't going with one of your main starters, with an ace, with somebody that, like, you're going up against their bullpen with, which is garbage. It's not good. And they've been smacking the bullpen around, so you have to win tonight. Not must win because it's elimination. Must win because you're supposed. You can't lose this game tonight. Right now, one thing I am wondering about, they have had the book on every starter so far in this series. Do they have the book on Schlitler, who they got to see for eight innings against the Red Sox? They watch that carefully. They are incredibly prepared. Radun?

[Alan Rosenberg]

Yeah, they're prepared.

[Don Hahn]

Radon was absolutely just a blood. He. You could see in his face another starter. He just by the second inning, you could just see he didn't want to be there.

[Alan Rosenberg]

Now listen. My God.

[Don Hahn]

Everything I'm throwing, they know it. And this Guerrero did. Oh, my God.

[Alan Rosenberg]

We just talked about all of the positives of what the Yankees have accomplished. It's still no way to live of having to come from behind. Having your starter not give you anything. That's all you got. That's, it's, it's. It's always unfortunate, but that's. But the fact that you know you can and have it be judge who also, hey, you could say it was a quiet.444. Whatever the batting average was going to last night. That's not a quiet.500. You're batting.500. You've got more hits than anybody in the postseason.

[Don Hahn]

Double.

[Alan Rosenberg]

You just hit a three run homerun. You had a big double as well in the game. You got extra base hits. Big cat. I mean, stop it already. Stop it. Because this is where I kind of get into like the Yankee fan being spoiled. It's like, dude, get off his back now, all right? Just get off his back and we'll see what happens tonight. But, dude, you're getting to see a special player who's doing things nobody ever has done before. You're in a position, you're alive.

[Don Hahn]

You know what's coming, though. I'm with you. Like, he is answering the bell and you know it's going to come if they don't win this series. Well, yeah, sure. He finally hit in October where it didn't matter, where the team didn't win. You know, he. It's almost like he just. He can't win until he wins it all.

[Alan Rosenberg]

Understand?

[Don Hahn]

They will still be people that are going to come at him and say, it's not enough. It's not enough. Because all I heard all day was how like Chris can. I love Chris Cany. He was saying it on ESPN National. He was like, can't be a signature moment until they win the whole thing.

[Alan Rosenberg]

Well, he's that. He's that Yankee fan.

[Don Hahn]

But that. But that's. That's the problem. It's like, that's what everybody's going to say. That was an incredible moment. Just isolated in baseball because it's something that's never been done before to a pitch like that. And he was able to do it to a point where the pitcher was bent over. He was going to throw up like, I can't believe I threw a great pitch. And he killed it.

[Alan Rosenberg]

But everybody was going to want people to get lazy.

[Don Hahn]

Tip your cap.

[Alan Rosenberg]

I don't know what's going to happen tonight.

[Don Hahn]

And what a moment.

[Alan Rosenberg]

But, you know, if. Let's see. You might go over four with four strikeouts and lose the game 2 to 1, and everybody will kill him.

[Don Hahn]

How come.

[Alan Rosenberg]

How come the conversation isn't, well, can there be anybody else to step up? Why is it always about him when everybody's making sure, don't let Judge beat you? And finally he had to go hit an unhittable pitch to knock it out, because he doesn't get pitches to hit like everybody else does. And yet it still has to be about him. That's why it's so hard to duplicate greatness in the regular season for the postseason. That's why. Take a look at Greg Maddox's numbers. Take a look at Barry Bonds numbers in the postseason. They're not nearly as good as the regular season. Why? Smaller sample size. But it's like, I'm not letting Barry Bonds beat me. I'm not letting Aaron Judge beat me. I got to figure out a way to beat Greg Maddux. And also, the fact is, it's really hard to put together those types of numbers when you're going up against really good teams every single day in the regular season, you'll mop up against the bat. I'm sure Greg Maddox was able to get half of his wins against teams that were not even worthy of him facing.

[Don Hahn]

Right.

[Alan Rosenberg]

Bonds probably hit Bush's home runs, right? Not every time he didn't face an ace. I'm sure he did well against aces. But now you go into the playoffs and you're facing really good pitching, really good bullpens, really good teams, and they've all circled you as the guy. Don't let Judge beat us. Nobody says that about Jazz. Nobody says that about Bellinger. Nobody says that about Rice or Goldschmidt. Not anymore, anyway. They might say it about Stanton when he's hot, but right now, that's the guy to stop. So if you don't win, why can't it be about maybe everybody Else, like finding somebody else to carry the team instead of Judge. He's hitting.500. You're here because of him. All right? So lay off the guy. All right? We'll find out what happens. But already it's not a. It just. You don't hear the arrogance in that because Chris is a Yankee fan. Sorry. Just appreciate the fact.

[Don Hahn]

It's amazing.

[Alan Rosenberg]

I know Bernie hit a bunch of key home runs and Tino and all the clutchness of. Of Derek Jeter, but you're getting watched somebody. You're watching a unicorn. You talk about unicorns, right? Oh, Tani's a unicorn because he pitches. And Mahomes is a unicorn because all the things he can do. This is our unicorn. He's in our. He's on your team. And all you want to do is complain that he doesn't do this and he doesn't do that or we don't want this. I'm listening to Ty today because Ty's saying that because we always talk about when George was alive, we overcompensated and say, well, you should be just happy you're in the playoffs. The Yankees set a different standard. Well, what is. There's no standard anymore. There's parody. Allen talked about it. Every year there's a new champ. We haven't had back to back championships in Major League Baseball since the Yankees did it back in 99 and 2000.

[Don Hahn]

Amazing.

[Alan Rosenberg]

We're five minutes away from the Diamondbacks playing the Rangers in the World Series a couple of years ago. All right, it's hard to win now, harder than it's ever been. And you've got a team that goes to the playoffs every single year, 33 years, moan and groan all we don't win the championship. And you should be disappointed you haven't won. But at the same time, just try to appreciate the fact that you're here. The Mets aren't here, the jets and the Giants aren't going to get there. The Knicks went to the conference final for the first time in 25 years last year. The Nets never do it. The Rangers, they've won one championship in 85 years. Literally one cup in 85. Five years. Your team goes to the playoffs every year and you should be disappointed that they haven't won since 2009. You should be disappointed that they're facing elimination again. But at least give me the fact that you get to enjoy a team that shows up. You get to enjoy a team that goes to the playoffs every year. You get to enjoy a team that's got the best player in the sport. That's all I'm saying, is that at least acknowledge the fact that you're lucky. More than any other fan base in New York, you should thank your lucky stars that your dad or your grandfather, your great grandfather, made you a Yankee fan because you could be anything but that and you'd be miserable. And if you're a Yankee fan, you're probably a fan of other teams. Is there a team as gut wrenching as the Yankees could be, as frustrating as the Yankees can be? If you root for multiple teams in this market, tell me the other team you root for is even close to the Yankees, even close to giving you the joy the Yankees give you on a daily basis. So, yeah, there's frustration, man. But still, thank your lucky stars because we're sitting here talking about a team facing elimination while everybody else is cooked. Mets cooked, jets and Giants cooked. Maybe the hockey teams will give us something. Maybe the Knicks will give us something. So at least you got that. Allen, you've got multiple teams. The Knicks don't give you this joy. The Islanders don't give you this joy.

[Don Hahn]

Don't say the jets, because we already know that.

[Alan Rosenberg]

Well, I'm not ignorant enough to say that, but I will.

[Don Hahn]

No, don't do it.

[Alan Rosenberg]

The jets don't give you this.

[Don Hahn]

The judge thing has gone too far. And that's the stuff that I think will frustrate you more than anything. I'll push back on some of the other stuff. There's a standard with Yankee fans and I have no problem every year having that same feeling of disappointment because they didn't reach or win the World Series. And that's just because I don't want to let go of that. But I don't like what I was hearing all day today. The. Yeah, but about judges home run last night, I don't want to hear insane because it's. That's why he gave the second look to the camera. That second look to the camera was literally the. Are you not entertained? And then you see him post game when they were talking about the pitch and what an incredible pitch. And he's like, oh, you know, I got yelled at for swinging out of the zone all the time, but now I do and everybody loves me for it. Pick something. Pick one. Like you could hear he's getting fed up with this too, which I kind of like.

[Alan Rosenberg]

Well, because I like.

[Don Hahn]

What I don't like is when the athlete pretends he's not hearing it. What I love is judge knows that he's locked in. He's dangerous and he's letting everybody know he's keeping every receipt. And that home run last night and the way he flipped that bat, that was him basically calling everybody out. Are you not entertained?

[Alan Rosenberg]

There's no way the judge could ever say he doesn't hear it because that was.

[Don Hahn]

But that's all right, that he's being honest. And I love it.

[Alan Rosenberg]

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[Don Hahn]

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[Alan Rosenberg]

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[Don Hahn]

Thanks for listening to the Don Han and Rosenberg podcast.

[Alan Rosenberg]

I didn't listen to anything you just said.

[Don Hahn]

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

[Alan Rosenberg]

Yeah, I was mentioning to you to Ty was filling in for Chris Carlin.

[Don Hahn]

I like Ty and Bart together.

[Alan Rosenberg]

Yeah, they're very good because Ty, Ty.

[Don Hahn]

Ty knows how to like the thing. I enjoyed working with Bart. There's many things but one of the things I really enjoyed the most is like once you knew what buttons to push on certain days, it was kind of fun because once you got him going. Yeah, it was just, you know, buckle up and just go for the ride.

[Alan Rosenberg]

But you mentioned a standard and we're getting to the calls in just a second and 1-800-919-3776. The standard goes away when. When the parody comes in and everything ends up being equal. Yes, because why were the Yankees the gold standard? Well, number one, they had more money than everybody else, so they were able to go out and get the best players. Right. And because of that money and because of ownership, they always made sure they had the best manager and they had the best general manager and that they had all of the things that necessitated going out there.

[Don Hahn]

What era are you talking about?

[Alan Rosenberg]

Any year. I mean, really. Let's you go through the history of the.

[Don Hahn]

Was the reason why they were so good in the 20s is because they just had more money than everybody else?

[Alan Rosenberg]

You know the very underrated thing about.

[Don Hahn]

Sucker some idiot into trading Babe Ruth.

[Alan Rosenberg]

No, because. Well, they. They suckered that person. But also the fact is, is that you. It was all regional, Right. Lou Gehrig played in Columbia. Right. So we'll go. We'll just get him.

[Don Hahn]

Which I think should come.

[Alan Rosenberg]

He got money that should come back. Right? That would be. Why do you think the Canadians are winning all the time? Like, they got. They got the pick of all the French Canadian players, and, you know, they're. The Blackhawks are like, we can only take kids from, like, the middle. Middle part of the United States. We're never going to win.

[Don Hahn]

Well, now. Now that's changed.

[Alan Rosenberg]

Yeah. Because you had the draft, but, like. So there were certain things that. Back in the day.

[Don Hahn]

Good players.

[Alan Rosenberg]

No, there's no. Oh, yeah, for sure. But it's a little. There was a little different back in, like, the turn of the century.

[Don Hahn]

That's how good the Bruins would be.

[Alan Rosenberg]

Right now with all the kids from, like, literally. Literally the Rangers, the Bruins.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah.

[Alan Rosenberg]

Not so much the Red Wings, because again, up there, they were able to take some Canadian kids where they were situated. But if you were the other four American teams, you.

[Don Hahn]

Yep.

[Alan Rosenberg]

You know. Well, I got to take somebody. Well, you know, the Mullins weren't until later on, right. From Hell's Kitchen.

[Don Hahn]

Nick Fatiha was from Staten Island.

[Alan Rosenberg]

I got it. I literally was taking the scraps that the Canadians and the Maple Leafs didn't want. You know, basketball, the same thing, football. So the Yankees had a certain advantage that then they took advantage of it.

[Don Hahn]

Okay.

[Alan Rosenberg]

And then free agency. Well, they've had the most money. They were able to get the most free agents, and with that money, they were able to scout better and they were able to do all the things they do now. When you talk about the standard. Well, they don't even have the highest payroll anymore. The Dodgers and the Mets do. So everybody's figured out ways. They used to. Well, they had the insight on the analytics. Well, now everybody's doing the analytics, right? I can go to other places to play and have a chance to win, you know, so you don't have a lot of advantages now. It's just about, you know, going out there and building the best team. And Yankee fans keep telling me, well, you don't have the right general manager or you don't have the right manager. So when you talk about a standard, well, the standard is, well, you don't think they're very good with their general manager and their manager, and now you want to expect them to win because we're the New York Yankees. Well, they're just like everybody else, but when you measure them against everybody else, they're still better. It's just. It's a lot harder to win than it was before. So I'm just telling you to get off the standard because now you're in the midst of parity.

[Don Hahn]

I'm not getting off the standard. That's not happening.

[Alan Rosenberg]

But what advantage do you have that everybody else doesn't have?

[Don Hahn]

What I'm trying to say, matter of.

[Alan Rosenberg]

Fact, you could be at a disadvantage because the taxes are higher in New York.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah, well, we. That's a whole other conversation, but we should have it one day. But no, what I'm like, I think what a lot of Yankee fans feel is that we know our team's good every year. That's. That we expect that because it's the. You're the Yankees. You're supposed to be this. That's the standard of the brand. Right? That's expected. Like when you. When you hire, you hire the best. That can make you a competitive team every year. That's just expected. And despite the taxes, everything else, players do want to play in the pinstripes.

[Alan Rosenberg]

Ask them all. Of course, yeah, there are certain teams.

[Don Hahn]

They just want to be sexier.

[Alan Rosenberg]

The Yankees are always going to be.

[Don Hahn]

Sexy because of the city.

[Alan Rosenberg]

That's the S word. You get sexy rather than standard because. Right, because look at the standard. But when was the last time the Montreal Canadiens won? What was the last time the Dallas Cowboys won? Just like the Celtics, they don't win at the same clip they used to win. Nobody wins at that clip.

[Don Hahn]

They don't. But that's not like you don't compare yourself to everybody else. I don't know why you can't understand. No, you don't. You look at. You look. Because the Yankees and their fans compare their team every year to the past, not to. That's stupid. Everyone else. It might be stupid. But that's how you maintain a standard. This is who we are. And so when you're good enough to be a contender like last year was frustrating because they lost in the World Series, but not because they didn't win the World Series. Because of what it looked like.

[Alan Rosenberg]

No, I get it was embarrassing.

[Don Hahn]

If they had gone like in a, in just a slug fest five, six games, even seven game slugfest with the Dodgers lost to be cap hell of a season and keep it moving. Right. But because of what it looked like, it gets you angry because it's like why do you play like that? No, I'm not.

[Alan Rosenberg]

I never tell you you're not frustrated. But I'm just saying that you still set a standard that nobody finishes above.500 every year for the last 30 years. Nobody goes to the playoffs of the clips that they and everybody. San Antonio took a dive, Dallas took a dive. Montreal hasn't won in over 30 something years.

[Don Hahn]

Not nobody. Because one team does it right. And that's why you don't ever want to lose that.

[Alan Rosenberg]

And you lower your standard, you lose it, but you're not losing.

[Don Hahn]

No. Once you start accepting.

[Alan Rosenberg]

No, but it's not accepting. It's accepting reality.

[Don Hahn]

Every year you might just have a down year. You know, it might happen. Once you start doing that and then it happens, then you get used to done it already. No, no, they never did it. 82 and 80, they still were over.500.

[Alan Rosenberg]

But I'm saying you have to make.

[Don Hahn]

Sure as a fan base you keep that pressure on to say it is unacceptable to have a losing season because that's the standard.

[Alan Rosenberg]

But you even haven't had that. All I'm saying is is to complain that you haven't won the big one or ripping into a a all world player at Aaron Judd because he hasn't won a ring yet.

[Don Hahn]

I agree with you.

[Alan Rosenberg]

I'm not sitting here after The Yankees lose 100 games ago. Don't cry. You haven't lost 100 games in 50 years or whatever. I'm saying that you can still at the same time be frustrated and complain, but also appreciate that you have it better than anybody. All right. And the gold standard you could talk about the Celtics. Celtics won 18 championships. Right. In a shorter period of time than the Yankees have won 27. But there's parity in the NBA. You can't win all the time anymore, so they're winning at less of a clip. Canadians, how many championships, the second most championships in North America haven't won since 93. Dallas is an Embarrassment right now, they're going on a quarter century without a Super bowl appearance.

[Don Hahn]

And that. That's. And that's the cautionary tale.

[Alan Rosenberg]

Right, but has it gotten to that point? You don't want to get there, but you're not. You're not going to get there.

[Don Hahn]

Okay, but I don't understand. Like I said on Monday, after it was 02, I wanted to give everybody an opportunity to rip because you got to get out of your system. Get out of your system. What happened last night? Did everybody still complain or was everybody still front? Everybody was ten toes down. Okay, I'm mad at you, but now it's time to win a game. Win a game. And then we're back in good graces. We're back to feeling good. That's just how it is. That's the reality of a Yankees fan. The judge stuff, though, that's where I'm with you in lockstep, because that's gone too far. That, to me, feels generational, that that's something new that never used to happen. Whatever they're doing, a judge right now is almost like as if it's a badge of honor to put this burden on this player who has been nothing, practically a saint, and he represents the Yankees and the pinstripes as well as any other player who's ever put the pinstripes on. And the play last night, that played home run last night, the double to get it started when things looked bleak. And the catch after the big. Think about it, you just had the biggest moment of your life, and then you still have to lay out and make a big catch to make sure they know, no, you're not getting a rally. You're not answering it. All I ever say that guy deserves nothing but your respect and your applause and nothing more from this point forward. Because he let you know he put you, the fan base on notice last night with that second look at the camera. Because the first look, he usually does. The second one was for the rest of you. And that's. That's why this has got to stop. Now. I don't care about what happens tonight because they have to win. Yes, but you can't start changing. Every night it changes. Well, it's not enough. It's not enough. It's not enough. He has had a good October. You want him to have a great October, but he has been a great Yankee. He has represented the franchise to the highest level. He only deserves your respect.

[Alan Rosenberg]

Let's go to Dan in Baltimore. You're on espn, New York.

[Caller]

Hey, John, I Couldn't agree with you more about. Look at so many fan bases that would die for 30 years of competent, good management. I'm also a Jet fan. They can't give me 30 minutes. Competent football. And everyone wants to hate on Boone, hate on Cashman. Like, I live in Baltimore. Oil fans would kill for 30 years of over 500. Just my point of all this hate for them is just so.

[Don Hahn]

Cashman deserves all the. All the heat, all of it. This is his. This is his style of play that a lot of fans don't like.

[Alan Rosenberg]

And you know, you know, Allen, you know, brings up the point all the time, is that you understand the frustration that you have. But they would say, oh, listen, I'm not an Oriole fan, right? There's a standard. Standard.

[Don Hahn]

You could say I'd give anything respect. But I'm saying, then you don't know what it's like. So you can't tell me how I'm supposed to fan. You can't tell me that I'm not supposed to be frustrated. I should just be happy because what if you were an oil fan? But I'm not, right?

[Alan Rosenberg]

But I believe Bronx agrees with you. Because I'm tired of people who aren't Yankee fans or fake fans telling me how I'm supposed to feel about my favorite team. Talk football or hockey or something. But listen, I could. I have opinions. I shouldn't. My opinions shouldn't be relegated to the things that I'm a fan of. I happen to be a Met fan. But you know what? I've been on sports radio for 30 years. I can have opinions on other teams. All I'm saying is I think you should appreciate more what you have. I'm not telling you not to be frustrated. And if they lose tonight, I expect you'd be red hot tomorrow. Calling up, saying, I can't believe he got beat by the Blue Jays.

[Don Hahn]

Right?

[Alan Rosenberg]

Don't get me wrong, I can't believe.

[Don Hahn]

We got beat by the Jake.

[Alan Rosenberg]

I'm just saying that after it's over, you can look and say, you know, it could be worse. I could be a Met fan. Could be worse. I could be a Net fan or a Jet fan or an Islander fan that never wins. You know, I could be a Ranger fan. One championship parade in 85 years. 85 original 16. All the things that the Yankees had in their favor before there was a salary gap. Eight straight years of missing the playoffs. So I'm just saying is be upset. I'm not telling you how to be a fan, but I'm telling you as a human being that you can appreciate the, the greatness of Aaron Judge. Instead of picking apart he's got no rings or he doesn't show up in, in October or having to field phone calls that they should trade him.

[Don Hahn]

Oh, God.

[Alan Rosenberg]

Maybe just say, listen, it really stinks that my team hasn't won a championship since 2009 and they put me through the ringer every October. But you know what? I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world because my team's good.

[Don Hahn]

But you know what? Everybody feels that. We just don't have to say it. But I don't. I agree with you again. I'll say it again. Whatever happens tonight and again, if you lose this game to the bullpen, there's hell to pay and everybody deserves a chance to rip tomorrow. I don't expect it. I don't see it happening. But if it happens. But Judge, if they lose tonight is nowhere near the top of the list of complaints, nowhere near of everybody who's all your vitriol. He does not get one ounce of it. Not one ounce. Thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.

[Alan Rosenberg]

I didn't listen to anything you just said.

[Don Hahn]

Catch the show on demand whenever you just subscribe to us, wherever you get your podcasts.

[Alan Rosenberg]

Let's dive into the clause. 1-800-919-3776. Wayne's down in Charlotte. You're on ESPN New York. What's up, Wayne? Hey, Don.

[Caller]

How you doing, man? What's up, Alan?

[Don Hahn]

What's up?

[Caller]

Hey, go ahead.

[Alan Rosenberg]

I'm sorry.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah.

[Caller]

What I'm thinking is if you're going.

[Alan Rosenberg]

To keep the pressure, the Yankee fans going to keep the pressure on the.

[Caller]

Yankee organization to constantly produce. Championships being over.500 for 30 years is not enough. The collateral consequences to that is they're going to put pressure on Aaron Judge. Yeah, you could hit.500, but your job.

[Alan Rosenberg]

Is to lead us to a championship.

[Caller]

So you can't, you can't have it both ways.

[Alan Rosenberg]

Like Allen, you're trying to have it both ways.

[Caller]

You want the pressure of the standard.

[Alan Rosenberg]

On the organization, but the players represent the organization. So that same pressure, unreasonable or not, is going to come.

[Caller]

I'm not saying it's right, but you wouldn't. You say you have to expect that.

[Don Hahn]

I like what you did there. I like how you took that. You conflated the two points and it really, like, I'll give you that, that it is true. That that is the heavy is the head that wears the crown thing. I mean, it's you know, we see it with all the teams here, especially the ones that haven't won in a long time and the pressure that comes with it. So. Yes, but I like that. I don't. I just don't feel like. Name me another. Like, think about, like Aaron, who. Who is ever in Yankee history has ever been treated like Aaron Judge has been treated by some fans.

[Alan Rosenberg]

Well, Alex Rodriguez was, but I kind of understood that Alex wasn't a homegrown guy. But the idea was he wasn't living up to expect. He was winning mvp.

[Don Hahn]

I don't make the playoffs.

[Alan Rosenberg]

Things were different.

[Don Hahn]

Back gave out.

[Alan Rosenberg]

Things were different.

[Don Hahn]

They were chanting Donnie baseball.

[Alan Rosenberg]

Because the Yankees hadn't won a championship since 78. Right?

[Don Hahn]

Yeah.

[Alan Rosenberg]

So the fan. And they were also coming off the awful late 80s and early 90s. But who was they blamed? They didn't blame Donnie. They blamed the organization for not getting him better players. And they had awful managers and they weren't run well.

[Don Hahn]

Okay? And then. So what's the difference here?

[Alan Rosenberg]

That's why he's better and he's got better players than Dom Mattingly did. I mean, Dom Mattingly had what, like Danny Tartable protecting him in the order, all right. Jaron Judge has got stamped in Bellinger. Before that, it was Juan Soto, right? There was protection. Listen. And you know, Donnie was homegrown. Judge is the first homegrown player that I can think of in New York.

[Don Hahn]

That'S taking heat, that has taken this.

[Alan Rosenberg]

Kind of heat, because those are usually the guys that get the pass, the free agents, the guys that got traded over here, they would. They would hammer Messina, they would hammer Giambi Winfield when he came over here because, oh, you came here to win and you haven't won yet.

[Don Hahn]

Because Reggie set a standard of. This is what our free agent supposed to look like, right?

[Alan Rosenberg]

You come in here, eventually Tino Martinez, who wasn't loved, but until he hit the grand slam, and then he hits the grand slam home run. But it was pretty quick. But they were going. They won a World Series the first year he got here, you know, so Tino. Bernie Williams was always pretty clutch, too.

[Don Hahn]

Homegrown guy.

[Alan Rosenberg]

Homegrown guy.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah.

[Alan Rosenberg]

But the free agents always. Or the guys that got traded here always had to hear it. But the. But the other. But Judge. You know why Judge is different? Because Judge is better than all of them. He's better than all of them. I got news for you. It sounds sacrilegious because some of these guys I'm talking about are in the hall of fame. Judge is better than all of them.

[Don Hahn]

Not just that. It's because Judge has been in the playoffs in eight of the last nine years.

[Alan Rosenberg]

Right.

[Don Hahn]

He's in his 10th season.

[Alan Rosenberg]

Yes.

[Don Hahn]

So this is obviously the ninth out of 10 years. Right. If I'm not mistaken. Right. They've only missed the playoffs once in his time.

[Alan Rosenberg]

Well, he got called up in 1680. Make it right. It doesn't count. No, no. Just the one time.

[Don Hahn]

Just the one time. Okay. So in all those moments, he has not felt like the guy that has been at the front of the. Of the. Of the race.

[Alan Rosenberg]

Right.

[Don Hahn]

He has not been the guy leading the way.

[Alan Rosenberg]

No.

[Don Hahn]

And I think the fans know it, but the more the media talked about it, the more it's becoming now a thing that you just hold him now, too, and wait for him to do it. So that we could put this away about you.

[Alan Rosenberg]

But.

[Don Hahn]

And this is happening now.

[Alan Rosenberg]

Yeah, But.

[Don Hahn]

But this has got to be something that goes a little farther than the albs.

[Alan Rosenberg]

But you know what was really unique?

[Don Hahn]

I think it's more about that annoying narrative that you need to put away so we don't have to hear it.

[Alan Rosenberg]

But you know what? It's still hitting different, because on Monday, we're taking calls that judges Hollow. 444. Nobody wanted to hear about how many hits he had. The guy they gave the pass to was Max Free, the guy that you acquired to be the man, the guy they're gonna hand an American League Cy Young Award to when this run is over, okay? Win or lose. And, oh, he might have had a blister or he's tipping pitches. Nobody's killing him. Back in the day, you'd be eviscerating Max and giving Judge a pass. Giving the homegrown guys a pass. Listen, you're still killing Judge. And you had, right on a silver platter, Max Freed to Destro. And at least on this show, nobody did.

[Don Hahn]

No, I did, but I'm talking about the callers. No, no, I. You know, clearly, I don't know anything about baseball, but I know sports. And that guy didn't want to be out there. And that. That's the first thing I noticed. And I couldn't believe no one was calling him to the carpet. It was straight to Judge and the bases loaded at bat. That. That would have changed everything.

[Alan Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Don Hahn]

How about that? Which is. It was a moment, and I can't deny it, but Max Freed was an absolute bust when you needed him. Not.

[Alan Rosenberg]

And yet everybody was.

[Don Hahn]

And by the way, he better not be if they get to a game five.

[Alan Rosenberg]

Well, he better not be hoping, because.

[Don Hahn]

If they do all this work to get the five and he blows up again because Toronto is too loud or whatever it is that was going on.

[Alan Rosenberg]

In his head, we'll see. You're gonna be Sonny Gray, Britain, New Jersey. You're on espn, New York.

[Caller]

Hey, guys. How's it going?

[Alan Rosenberg]

What's up?

[Caller]

Alan, I agree with you. So I am originally from Las Vegas, Nevada. The other side of the country. Right. I moved out here in 2019. My husband's originally from here. Diehard Yankee fan. However, leading up to me moving out here, my brother and I always loved the Yankees. And I got to be honest with you, being in Las Vegas, we had nothing except for the running rebels in the 90s, and that's been pretty much it until recently. Right. What attracted me to the Yankees so much was the fact that they had the standard that you're talking about. Juan, that is 100%. You have to keep that standard. If you don't, then you're right. You just start backing off and saying, all right, well, you know, at least we got here. I agree 100%. You have to keep that standard and the bar high to continue to be in the position that they're in right now.

[Don Hahn]

That's a great call. It's the idea of, I don't want my society to break down, so I'm going to uphold every.

[Alan Rosenberg]

But I just wish there would be at least a little bit more of an acknowledgment, Brett, that the four championships in five years, those dynasty teams with DiMaggio and winning five, those days are over. All right? So the standard has to be adjusted because you've got more teams, you've got more playoff rounds, you know, free agents, you got other teams that could spend money. You know, used to be back in the day, you had a handful of teams. Now everybody's spending money with the revenue sharing. And so I'm just saying acknowledge the fact that part of it is is cash for not building the right team. And part of it is too reliant on the analytics. But also part of it is. It's a. It's a hell of a lot harder to win than it ever is.

[Don Hahn]

That's two thirds, what you just pointed out. Two thirds controllable versus the third. That is, you know, it's a lot harder now. But I Also remember since 2009, the Giants and Red Sox is taking turns winning World Series in a bunch of years.

[Alan Rosenberg]

Oh, yeah, right.

[Don Hahn]

So it's not that you can't. Nobody's saying you gotta win four in a row.

[Alan Rosenberg]

I know, but you know what happens? You can win a playbirder team that's.

[Don Hahn]

Like, hey, we're good enough to get maybe two in here in this, I'll play house.

[Alan Rosenberg]

But listen, the Red Sox have won more than the Yankees. Yes, but you know what it will say is, look what happened in between. I mean, I followed that giant run with Nancy. That was her favorite team. We're the World Series, and you missed the playoff. I know when the World Series finished under.500, win the World Series, you know, gone. Same thing with the Red Sox. Lose 100 games. When the World Series go back to being finished another.500. When the world Series still had a core.

[Don Hahn]

There were injuries. Things happen.

[Alan Rosenberg]

Things happen, but also things go from, hey, they're. They're all in on one season. Brian will always tell you, they. The Yankees tell you this.

[Don Hahn]

I know not about champion.

[Alan Rosenberg]

Championship. It's championships. It's about, you know, I am not gonna rob Peter to pay Paul. There's never gonna be a moment. We have to win this year. They don't think that way anymore. So that standard that you hold the Yankees up to, they don't even hold themselves up to that anymore because they realize that that's not the best way to do it in their eyes.

[Don Hahn]

Mm.

[Alan Rosenberg]

Right. They could. How's got the ability. You know what I decide this year? We're gonna have a $500 million payroll and we're gonna win the championship.

[Don Hahn]

The guy not gonna want to do it. Once again, one guy, and it's Brian Cashman. That's the one. All of your vitriol needs to be directed at, not anybody else, because this is the way he wants to do it.

[Alan Rosenberg]

1-800-919-3776 and we heard from Booger. Booger McFarlane. Our weekly spot with him coming up next, we'll also take more of your phone calls. We've got a list, a pretty good one, an interesting, unique one. At 4:30, ENN at 6. Don on a Rosenberg on ESPN New York. I have an ad brought to you by BetterHelp. All right. October 10th is World Mental Health Day. And this year we're saying thank you, therapists. Betterhelp therapists work according to a strict code of conduct and are fully licensed in the US BetterHelp does the initial matching work for you so you can focus on your therapy goals. A short questionnaire helps you identify your needs and preferences and their 12 plus years of experience and industry leading match fulfillment rate mean they typically get it right the first time. If you aren't happy with your match, switch to a different therapist anytime from their license. Tailored Recommendations with over 30,000 therapists, BetterHelp is the world's largest online therapy platform, having served over 5 million people globally. All right, this World Mental Health Day, we're celebrating the therapists who've helped millions of people take a step forward. If you're ready to find the right therapist for you, BetterHelp can help you start that journey. Our listeners get 10% off their first [e-mail] timeout. That's betterhelp.com timeout.

[Don Hahn]

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.