Hour 1: Live from Your Mother's House

Summary

Don, Hahn & Rosenberg Podcast Summary

Episode: Hour 1: Live from Your Mother's House
Date: December 12, 2025
Hosts: Don La Greca, Alan Hahn, Peter Rosenberg
Location: ESPN New York Holiday Party, Your Mother's House, Garden City Park, Long Island

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Episode Overview

The trio broadcasts live from the ESPN New York holiday party at Your Mother's House in Garden City, blending classic sports debate, local flavor, and playful banter. This hour is dominated by a passionate discussion about the Mets’ recent roster shakeups, especially the departure (or potential departure) of Pete Alonso, and what it means for the franchise, its fanbase, and broader sports culture. The show weaves in listener calls, Long Island energy, and their regular brand of comedic trash talk.

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Main Discussion Points and Insights

1. Holiday Party Setting and Local Vibes [01:03 – 06:00]

• The hosts kick off in high spirits, loving the energy of being live in front of fans and friends at a local Long Island spot. There’s friendly ribbing about towns, local icons (music and sports), and a running joke about this being “your mother’s house,” setting a fun, intimate holiday atmosphere.
• Hahn jokes about feeling good because “I am looking straight into the beautiful eyes of Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel as I sit here and live and breathe.” [03:02]
• They point out the wall’s featured legends: “Freddie Mercury, Bill Parcells, Simon and Garfunkel,” and New Jersey icons, sparking a light debate over musical tastes and hometown biases.

2. Transition of Mets Fandom: Pete Alonso, Edwin Diaz & Changing Teams [06:35 – 20:00]

• Debate centers on why Mets fans seem so quick to turn on the team after frustrating seasons and high-profile departures.
• Don argues that fans are clinging to emotional attachments instead of keeping sight of the bigger goal (winning championships).
• Quote - Don La Greca (on fan psychology) [07:37]:

  "It feels like to me that people want to be miserable. They want to be mad. ... I can't defend David Stearns' moves...but I think fans, they want to turn on this team because this team has given them a lot of reasons."

• Alan adds context around emotional player connections versus tracking with teams through cycles:
  Quote - Alan Hahn [10:31]:

  “Sometimes we hang on to situations that are familiar to us and that feel nice and warm, but really they're preventing us from further greatness...The real teams are cold-blooded.”

• Peter makes the point that Mets president David Stearns is acting with a "cold-blooded heart" on personnel decisions, which is often what successful organizations require.

3. Fans React: On Letting Go of Fan Favorites [11:10 – 17:01]

• Alan parallels the Mets’ moves to the Celtics’ tough decision trading Marcus Smart, noting, “My heart hurt when they traded Marcus Smart. That is the reason they won the championship. Without the Smart trade, they don’t win.” [19:15]
• Don and Peter observe that some fans become attached to players simply because the team hasn't won much—star players become their anchor.
• Alan offers a Washington sports example, comparing beloved but ring-less Santana Moss to Gary Clark, whose Super Bowl titles make him a legend, underlining how winning ultimately governs legacy.

4. Caller Interactions: Fan Rationales, Stearns’ Record, and Mets’ Future [24:18 – 36:00]

• Multiple fans call in to debate whether cutting Alonso was wise, and whether Stearns deserves leeway.
  • Jason, a Yankees fan, says letting go of an “every day, 40 home run, 120 RBI” player like Alonso is a mistake.
  • Don and Rosenberg counter that Stearns wants “run prevention” and that Alonso isn't a good defender; his value (and performance) will decline as he ages, which influenced the unwillingness to offer a 5-year deal.
  • Alan points out that even teams needing first basemen, like the Yankees, haven’t pursued Alonso, suggesting the market sees his limitations.
• Another caller, Jim, questions Stearns’ record with pitching, while George from Staten Island points out that Stearns’ track record in Milwaukee was one of consistent playoff contention but not championships. Rosenberg notes, “Milwaukee winning 90-plus games a year... you can’t say he didn’t build a really good team.” [32:01]

5. The Nature of New York Sports Fandom [35:00 – 38:28]

• Don and Alan develop a theory on why being mad and suffering sometimes feels preferable (or at least familiar) for certain fans.
• Notable Quote - Don La Greca [35:07]:

  “There is a part of people that this is their enjoyment with sports—to complain, to be mad at their franchise. If their team's not going to win, they want to hate them.”

• Alan distinguishes between the misery of Jets fans (justified by 50+ years without a title) versus Mets fans, who, despite frustration, have had playoff runs and World Series appearances.

6. The Difficulty in Letting Go: When is Loyalty 'Too Much'? [43:10 – 48:00]

• Don and Rosenberg recall the disastrous Tom Seaver trade as the real betrayal in Mets history that could have justified fans walking away, not Alonso.
• Rob, a Yankees fan whose family roots for the Mets, calls in to express his skepticism about Stearns applying “small-budget skills” to a big-money franchise.
• Discussion transitions into a thought experiment: When has giving a ‘gold watch’ extension to a marginal but beloved player actually turned out to be a great move?
  • “Never happened,” Rosenberg jokes, as they fail to cite a single clear success story.

7. Organizational Philosophy and the Price of Loyalty [48:00 – 50:13]

• Don quotes Branch Rickey:

  “Better to get rid of a player a year too early than a year too late.” [48:00]

• The hosts point to franchises like the Patriots and Chiefs, who let star players walk at the right time and maintained or increased success.
• They note fans want the team to spend big (“it’s not my money”), but Stearns and Cohen are trying to avoid bad long-term deals that stifle progress.

8. Preview and Light Moments [40:16 – End]

• The hosts look forward to Rod Strickland’s appearance, note the local traffic woes, and situate the next fun features of the event—picks, football talk, and ENN.
• They resume the party atmosphere, blending sports talk with crowd interaction and classic jovial insults.

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Memorable Quotes

• Don La Greca (on fan misery and hope) [35:07]:
  “There is a part of people that this is their enjoyment with sports—to complain, to be mad at their franchise.”

• Alan Hahn (on sometimes needing ‘cold-blooded’ moves) [10:31]:
  “The real teams are cold blooded. The Eagles, the Patriots. Look around the league. They make the moves when it's time.”

• Peter Rosenberg (on Stearns as a modern executive) [09:48]:
  “David Stearns grew up a Mets fan, but he's got a cold blooded heart when it comes to player personnel. That's the exact thing you want.”

• Alan Hahn (on beloved players vs. winners) [13:14]:
  “When he shows up at the stadium, it's like, oh my God, Gary Clark is here. Royalty... but he didn't win a title. It's just not the same.”

• Don La Greca (on seeing the plan through) [16:05]:
  “He’s got the job... let’s see what he does. And I’ll be there to kill him if he fails. But I’d like to see what the pivot is, please.”

• Peter Rosenberg (analytical about contracts) [26:49]:
  “You can't assume numbers continue to extrapolate out the older he gets. You can't assume that.”

• Don La Greca (on iconic, painful Mets moments) [43:10]:
  “Letting go of Tom Seaver was not a good decision. They didn't... Pat Zachary was not a good pivot.”

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Key Timestamps

• [01:03] – Show launches live at Your Mother's House, Garden City Park, Long Island
• [03:02] – Alan: Shouts out wall of musical legends, sparks Jersey icons debate
• [06:35] – Football Friday mood, transitions into baseball/Mets state of affairs
• [07:37 - 10:54] – Mets offseason venting, fan psychology, ownership, Stearns' approach
• [13:14 - 17:01] – How fans get emotionally attached to non-winning favorites
• [24:18 - 27:42] – First round of calls: Should Alonso have been paid? Defensive value vs. offensive stats; future replacement questions
• [32:01 - 34:16] – Stearns’ Milwaukee record in context: regular season excellence vs. playoff futility
• [35:07] – Don on fans who are “comfortable with misery”; Alan on Jets vs. Mets suffering
• [43:10 - 44:15] – Tom Seaver’s trade recounted as the true Mets “walk away” moment
• [48:00] – Branch Rickey axiom—better a year too early than a year too late

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Tone and Style

• The hour delivers the hosts’ signature blend: direct, emotionally charged sports conversation, laced with humor, sarcasm, and frequent ribbing.
• The NY-centric, blue-collar fan mindset is a constant backdrop—hosts commiserate, challenge callers, and play off local stereotypes.
• Even as conversations get analytical, the tone remains inviting and conversational—equal parts therapy session and sports bar.

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Takeaways for Listeners

• If you want passionate, informed debate about the realities of modern sports fandom—especially being a Mets fan—this hour delivers.
• The hosts draw real boundaries between affection for players and the hard decisions franchises must make to win, while challenging the logic and emotions of fans unwilling to wait for new results.
• Ultimately, the episode calls both the team and its fans to “wait and see”—don’t judge the pivot until you know what comes next.

Transcript

[Don Hahn]

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[Rosenberg]

This is the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.

[Don Hahn]

That sounds like heaven to me.

[Rosenberg]

Listen live weekday afternoon starting at 3 on 8 80, ESPN, the ESPN New York app, and your smart speakers.

[Don Hahn]

Don, you know, maybe they can go pee on each other. That'd be great.

[Caller]

Han, there's a lot of women out there that want you.

[Rosenberg]

Alan and Rosenberg.

[Alan]

Give me the porn. For God's sake.

[Don Hahn]

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

[Rosenberg]

This is Don, Han and Rosenberg.

[Don Hahn]

The best streets of my ever heard.

[Rosenberg]

On ESPN New York and streaming live on YouTube.

[Don Hahn]

Hello. Happy Friday, everybody. It is 3:00 clock in the big city. Don, Ana Rosenberg, we're at your mother's house. That's right, your mother. This ESPN New York holiday party is coming to you live from your mother's house in Garden City Park, Long Island. Brought to you by Amazon, Pickup, Security Dodge and Spiked Aid. Made for big city social stamina.

[Rosenberg]

And when you say in the city, we mean Garden.

[Don Hahn]

Garden City.

[Rosenberg]

That's right, my hometown.

[Don Hahn]

I did. I. I do better than that because I. I'm starting to talk to the corporations now. A little side action.

[Alan]

All right.

[Don Hahn]

I spoke to a company.

[Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Don Hahn]

And I was at the end of the speech, 45 minutes, 15 minutes of question. So an hour. I was complimented for my stamina. I can honestly say that has never happened.

[Alan]

First time you ever been complimented for your stamina?

[Don Hahn]

First time I haven't ever been complimented.

[Alan]

What do you mean?

[Rosenberg]

You're talking to Nancy? Did she laugh?

[Alan]

What do you mean you're talking to corporations? What does that mean? Just, you know, they're bringing you in just to. Paying you some money to say, hey.

[Don Hahn]

What are you done? Listen, it's none of your business. Just saying.

[Rosenberg]

It's called making an appearance that, you.

[Don Hahn]

Know, you make a little. You're making corporate appearance because I believe.

[Alan]

Bet your ace my story.

[Rosenberg]

Gone on a stage, chasing back.

[Alan]

Oh, my God.

[Rosenberg]

You need to close that sale. And this is how you do it.

[Alan]

It's like the Wolf of Wall Street.

[Rosenberg]

He gives you the top five reasons, right? He gives you a list.

[Don Hahn]

What was that George Clooney movie? It was up in the air.

[Alan]

Ocean's Eleven.

[Caller]

Oh, there's a Lot.

[Don Hahn]

George.

[Alan]

Up in the Air. Up in the Air.

[Rosenberg]

Up in the Air.

[Don Hahn]

It's a great movie. He's giving the speech about, like, all the things that you put in a bag.

[Alan]

Yeah, yeah, sure.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah. It's something, you know, because I think that our stories, our collective stories work in corporate America. A lot of the values that we have strived for can work in corporate America.

[Alan]

We have values. You know what I like about today? You know how I know today's a good day?

[Rosenberg]

Why?

[Alan]

Because I am looking straight into the beautiful eyes of Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel as I sit here and live and breathe. How about that?

[Rosenberg]

Oh, wow. There you go.

[Don Hahn]

Two men that just created such amazing music. This for each other.

[Alan]

I know this wall's got a lot of us right here, yet, Bruce.

[Rosenberg]

Right? You got Freddie Mercury. I love everything. And then, of course, to go along with it, Bill Parcells and Bill Parcels.

[Alan]

This is a great wall for us.

[Don Hahn]

It is one of the rare times where I could honestly say to me, at least Bruce Springsteen comes in fourth. We got Freddie Mercury, Bill Parcell's, Simon and Garfunkel.

[Alan]

But you're not a big Springsteen guy.

[Don Hahn]

Right? I'm just saying.

[Rosenberg]

So Parcel's ahead of spring. I never heard Parcel sing. He's.

[Alan]

Well, but no, Don, for a Jersey guy, you have great respect for Bruce Springsteen. He's just not your cup of tea musically.

[Rosenberg]

And he doesn't feel like I have to love him because I'm a Jersey.

[Alan]

No, he's not that one.

[Don Hahn]

I like Billy Joel more than I like Bruce.

[Rosenberg]

God bless you.

[Don Hahn]

And of those people on the wall, there are three people from Jersey. Right. Obviously, Bruce we know. Yeah. Bill grew up in Ordell, New Jersey.

[Alan]

And of course, Freddie Mercury and no.

[Don Hahn]

Paul Simon was born in Newark, New Jersey.

[Alan]

Yeah. I mean, he's not from Newark, but.

[Don Hahn]

He was born briefly there. Right. I'm just saying. Yeah. No, he was there. You think here in Garden City we'd find a wall like that? Thanks, everybody, for joining us. This has become a tradition like no other. Oh, you kidding me? It's great to see Michael K. And we're going to take you right up till 7 o' clock, and we're going to have some fun. We'll do our usual things for the audience.

[Alan]

What does that mean?

[Don Hahn]

Meaning we're going to have our picks at 5, 45, we're gonna have ENN at 6, and we're gonna talk some sports and have some fun. The difference, though, is that usually our holiday party was a goodbye to Michael because at the end of the holiday party, we didn't see a Michael again until the calendar turned over. Yes. So. And then we actually said good Mike. Goodbye to Michael pretty much forever. Last December 8. Yes, but it's not like that because I'm going to be a next week. You know, I'm not interesting. But you got. But you normally would be.

[Alan]

I would. My fugazi paternity. I am taking the last week next week. That is right.

[Don Hahn]

But Alan's going to be here. If he's not, you know, in a, in an icu because he is really making the ultimate sacrifice today. He's not.

[Alan]

Well, he looks great.

[Don Hahn]

He does look fantastic.

[Rosenberg]

And he sounds fake it till we make it.

[Don Hahn]

But listen, he's going through it. Nancy too. Every December, usually closer to Christmas, she gets her traditional flu that's kind of going around and she's dealing with. And I don't know if Alan's got the flu, but he's feeling under the weather. But he knew the importance of this show.

[Rosenberg]

It's too important.

[Alan]

Can you believe Anthony Pucic's here too?

[Don Hahn]

That's right. I think he got a haircut.

[Rosenberg]

Poochie. He looks great.

[Alan]

Yeah, he looks great.

[Rosenberg]

The poochie got the sweater on.

[Don Hahn]

No, but we really appreciate days like this because, you know, I'm running into people. You know, Steve Brzezinski is here and he's from Jersey and he took the train here.

[Rosenberg]

Where's Stevie B.

[Don Hahn]

Today?

[Rosenberg]

Where is he?

[Don Hahn]

So all the Long island people, but there's also.

[Alan]

Long Island's in the house.

[Rosenberg]

Well, I hope so.

[Don Hahn]

A lovely young lady from Fort Lee, New Jersey. So people are making the trip Lee.

[Alan]

Well, and remember, and remember, it's early in the day. The people here now are the addicts, the derelicts, the lunatics. I mean the ne' er do wells.

[Rosenberg]

I mean the, the P1, the P1s.

[Alan]

I mean.

[Rosenberg]

Okay, that's what I meant. All right.

[Alan]

Represented by captain Steve Brzezinski. Might be four deep, right.

[Don Hahn]

He's on a, he's on a pub crawler across the metropolitan area by himself is the interesting.

[Rosenberg]

With his hip. He is crawling, let's be honest.

[Alan]

But as the day goes on, of course we're excited to meet more and more people. And I'm always in a good mood on a football Friday. I, I, I heard you guys. Heard you and Michael in your zone. You found each other.

[Rosenberg]

Oh, wow. That was a listen.

[Alan]

Oh, man, they were.

[Rosenberg]

Is that a listen?

[Alan]

Oh, they were in.

[Rosenberg]

I felt like old times. I'm in the car, I'm listening to Don and Michael breaking down baseball in December.

[Alan]

Nothing like it to a fine powder.

[Don Hahn]

We're not going to dream about it, but. But I do think it's still.

[Rosenberg]

What do you think they should do with the bullpen catcher on the Mets? Because I needed to know.

[Don Hahn]

I listen.

[Alan]

The bullpen catcher didn't give us.

[Don Hahn]

He brought up. He brought up an individual. I didn't catch his name. I saw him earlier because we're out here in Long island, so there's a. A lot of Met fans and, you know, Michael brought it up to open the show as a guy. I don't know if he's still here because we got all the lights in our face here. Had a Met sweater and he. He Xed out the logo. He's done.

[Rosenberg]

Oh, no.

[Don Hahn]

Because of the. The. Was it. Was it Frano D.N. diaz and. And Soto. Dutch Soto, Pete Alonso, Pete Alfonso and that they're out. And then that means that he's out. And I. I just. I brought. Well, I think just to play pop psychologist for a second.

[Alan]

Please.

[Don Hahn]

Pop. Psychological. It feels like to me that people want to be miserable. They want to be mad. They're mad at this team for what happened last year. They're one of the best teams of baseball in the first half of the year. Ended up winning 83 games. Collapse again. And you're angry and listen, I can't defend David Stern's moves during the off season last year and during the trade deadline when he pretty much didn't do anything and the things that he did didn't work. But he wants to build this team. He's being paid to build this team. He will lose his job if he doesn't succeed building this team. I want to give them a chance to do it, but I think fans, they want to turn on this team because this team has given them a lot of reasons. Excited about. They haven't won since 1986. They haven't embarrassed themselves like some franchises. They're not the jets. They've been to a World Series within the last decade. They've been a team that's won a hundred games. They've competed. They just haven't won. And they're trying to change that. So I just find it so interesting that what's the biggest complaint you get from people about the Mets? They haven't won.

[Rosenberg]

No.

[Don Hahn]

Haven't won since 1986. It's been a long time. Don Legrecka was 18 years old the last time they won.

[Alan]

If he were a day.

[Don Hahn]

But now we're going to give up on the team because Pete Alonso's gone. Listen, I like Pete Alonso, I like Edwin Diaz, all right? I love the Timmy Trumpet stuff. I love Nimmo, I love his story, I love his hustle running down the first base.

[Rosenberg]

But how many rings did he get it?

[Don Hahn]

But at the end of the day, I want to see this team win. And if David Stearns is going to build a winner, then, hey, this will be a blip on the radar screen. This will just be something that happened on the way to a championship. And if he doesn't, I'll be there to rip them like everybody else should rip. But can we wait and see what the end result is before now we're, we're painting X's on our chest with the logo and we're completely giving up on the team. I just don't see where that meets.

[Rosenberg]

A lot of times you don't want fan emotion involved in player personnel. Owners are going to have that and I know Steve Cohen is going to have that. The, the fan type stuff. First and foremost, can we at least acknowledge one thing? That Steve Cohen is not fat handing things. That he's not forcing his will on decisions. Right. That he's letting his guy that he hired to run baseball operations do what he believes is best.

[Don Hahn]

Right.

[Rosenberg]

So that's a good thing, that he's not getting involved, he's not meddling as an owner. We've seen how that works. Jets and it doesn't. Giants, it doesn't. Right. So there's that. But a lot of times you don't want the fan emotion because you'll make fan emotion decisions you'll regret later. Which is. But I love him. I love him. And then you'll regret it two years later. So David Stearns grew up a Mets fan, but he's got a cold blooded heart when it comes to player personnel. That's the exact thing you want. He knows that you're upset, but he also knows you're going to thank me later because the plan I have is better than the one we were just talking about.

[Alan]

The truth of the matter is in sports, and this is ugly.

[Don Hahn]

And it's.

[Alan]

Not even just in sports, it's across in life. Sometimes we hang on to situations that are familiar to us and that feel nice and warm, but really they're preventing us from further greatness. And it happens in sports all the time. The real teams are cold blooded. The Eagles, the Patriots. Look around the league. They make the moves when it's time.

[Rosenberg]

Getting rid of Roger when you know he's done.

[Alan]

Before the packers drafted Rogers, before Favre was ready. They drafted Love before Rogers was ready. This is what real franchises do. So it. It stinks to lose them, but the truth is, that's what good franchises do.

[Don Hahn]

You went through it, and I wouldn't say Marcus Smart was to the level of Pete Alonzo in the. The Celtics lore, but he was one of your favorite.

[Alan]

Although at the time, it felt like it, right? Like, that's the thing about these things. In the moment, it feels like, oh.

[Rosenberg]

My God, he was the heart and soul.

[Alan]

He was the heart and soul.

[Don Hahn]

But it bothered you. It bothered you because you liked him. He was one of your favorite players. But you saw the forest through the trees. They made the move, and it worked out well.

[Alan]

But remember, the order was this. Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday. Oh, it's starting to take shape. Oh, championship.

[Don Hahn]

That's how it works. Because there are two types of teams that hold on to their players, the legacy of their players. And those are, you know, the Yankees with their core four, the Celtics with. With Bird and McHale. Right? Those. Those get. You know, those guys. Mets, Strawberry, good Carter, you know, Keith Hernandez. Those are from. Hey, those guys won me a title. I want to hold on to those guys. I want to cherish those guys. The other type of teams are the ones where your team hasn't won anything. So all you really have is your favorite player because your team's not winning a championship. So. Because that was me when I was a kid, I love Dave Kingman because the Mets were never going to win, but maybe Dave Kingman might win the home run title. He was hitting 500 foot bombs, and that kept me engaged when they were on their way to losing 105 games. And it hurt me to see him go because the best part of the team walked out the door. I don't want to be that fan where I'm holding on to Pete Alonso and Edwin Diaz and Nimmo and all these players, because I. I really enjoyed watching them. They didn't win me anything, but I really enjoyed watching them on a hot July day in the middle of the summer on a Tuesday. They entertained me there. They did. And I'm sad to see them go, but I don't want to hold on to these guys because that's all I got. I want to hold on the guys because they won me a ton of rings, and I don't want to see them go.

[Alan]

And everyone understands that. Once you get, like, once you make it for like once you make it past that, the season, and I don't mean the literal season, I mean the season of our lives, if you will. You're able to look back and see it, right? Like, for example, I'm going to, I'm going to bring you into my world, for example. I'm pretty sure I'm not going to look at the stats. I'm pretty sure Santana Moss was a better overall player than Gary Clark. Pretty sure. You guys remember Gary Clark, member of the posse. But Gary Clark won multiple rings. He was part of something iconic. When he shows up at the stadium, it's like, oh my God, Gary Clark is here. Royalty Santana is there all the time. He works for the local TV channel and everyone's got love for Santana Moss, but he didn't win a title. It's just not the same. And it's unfortunate, but that's how these things are. And you don't want to be, to your point, Don, someone who's hung up on your emotional ties to the guys who didn't bring you titles. I'm sorry. Look, I'm with you.

[Rosenberg]

When you're a fan and your team doesn't win, you hold on to those pieces. And so when you want to see the team do well, you want them to be part of it, like, that's what you want. That's the hope, like, because you like them. And so this stuff gets frustrating. But a trade gives you an immediate re. I said this yesterday. A trade gives you the immediate reaction. The problem is, is that this is cleaning house and I haven't seen what you're replacing it with yet. So my initial reaction is, how can you get rid of this guy? What are you going to do now? That's the problem, is that there's a, there's now a gap right now between the who you're replacing someone and who you're replacing them with. So until you can. That's why I get it, you can't overreact. But I understand the emotion of it. We all have those players that we want. When this thing turns, I want him to be part of it. I want him to be in the, you know, part of the winning.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah, that would be nice.

[Rosenberg]

It's just you can't always have.

[Don Hahn]

Unfortunately, you know, Pete was going to go for a five year contract. See, people think it's about the money. It wasn't about the money. It was the commitment. And the reason they didn't make him an offer was because they weren't going to Go more than three years. They knew Boris was going to ask for five. Then we're out. Why are we going to dance? Why are we going to play games? If he wants to stick around for three more years, we could probably make it work, because we probably won't need the DH in the next three years the way we're going to need it the final two years of the contract when Soto's probably going to be the DH or whoever. So we're not willing to go more than three. That's. Maybe he's wrong and maybe this all blows up in his face. I'm willing to wait and see. Has he been perfect? No, he hasn't been perfect. This has not been a great year for Stearns as far as how he built the pitching staff, how it worked with the trade deadline. But maybe he didn't invest in the trade deadline, Allen, because he knew this team's not going anywhere.

[Rosenberg]

Right?

[Don Hahn]

So let's see. And if he fails, then you've got all the reason to rip him. But the city are going to give up on the team and quit on the team and start asking for his job before you see what the pivot is. Now, maybe he's not a great general manager, maybe he's going to screw this whole thing up, but he's got the job. He's making like, 14, $15 million a year to do it. So let's see what he does. And I'll be there to kill him if he fails. But I'd like to see what the pivot is, please.

[Rosenberg]

Well, the gentleman right there, I think, is who Michael was talking about. Right? Because he has the sweatshirt. Sir, can we see your shirt? Can we see the shirt? Oh, he's in the middle of conversation. Can we see that? I just want to see the shirt. You have the big X on it. Come on over here, because this is exactly what we're talking about. You can. Come on. Yeah, come on. Because I just want to see it.

[Don Hahn]

What's up, buddy?

[Rosenberg]

And so it says. It used to say, there's no place, like, with home plate and the met logo. You want to turn towards the camera so they can see you. Okay. And so he crossed it out and just said, no, like.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah, no, like with an ex.

[Rosenberg]

So you're clearly frustrated. What if they end up building. If they build a team that is championship caliber, it's. That's it.

[Don Hahn]

He's out. All right, well, that's great. All right. Thank you for playing. Right.

[Alan]

A clown show chant. That was a clown show.

[Don Hahn]

But I. I Don't. I don't understand the logic that. So, so if so, what he's saying is, because he doesn't have a mic, he's out. He's out. So even if Stearns builds a championship team, he's out.

[Rosenberg]

Well, he said dead to me.

[Don Hahn]

I don't get he's.

[Alan]

But I just don't.

[Rosenberg]

Why would this be the thing that this was it.

[Alan]

Why this?

[Rosenberg]

Because there's probably been a lot of things and this is the straw. That's the last one.

[Alan]

There were other straws that made more sense. This just isn't the straw, I don't think.

[Don Hahn]

No, I just think not yet.

[Alan]

Well, no, not yet.

[Don Hahn]

To be people of, you know, listen, it's so easy. It's like the easy talk show stuff. If I'm going to go with the thing I know is going to end up happening, Listen, I'm going to bet the jets are going to blow it because they always do. I'm going to bet the Mets are going to blow it because they always do. So the logic is probably from that individual, you know, the Mets are going to lose because they haven't won since 1986. So I'm getting out. All right, then you're out. But don't, don't make it be about, oh, I love Pete Alonso so much that this is the guy. You didn't quit on him when Darrell left, You didn't quit on him when Carter left and when Keith Hernandez was a Cleveland Indian, and when they didn't give Ray Knight the extra $200,000 after he won the World Series MVP. You didn't quit on the team when they collapsed in 22. You didn't quit on the team when they collapsed last year. This is the line of demarcation. Pete Alonso and Edwin Diaz are now the final last straw. After all the suffering you've done, this is it, or is it just, I want to get off the clown show? And if that's it, then goodbye. By the way, I don't make it about something that it's not.

[Alan]

I don't begrudge people saying, I've wasted enough life. Like, I think if Ira called us one day, guys, and said, hey, I made a decision, I've wasted precious time with my family. I've wasted, in the case of Ira, hundreds of thousands of dollars on this team, I'm moving on now, I would, I would give the man a standing ovation. I'd applaud it. You have every right to give up that. There's no shame in that.

[Rosenberg]

It's over. It's over 15 years, man.

[Alan]

It's been a long. It's. You tried, but I'm with you, Don, to just arbitrarily decide that this move. What if this is the move to the point Don just made earlier? My heart hurt when they traded Marcus Smart. That is the reason they won the championship. Without the Smart trade, they don't win. They needed Porzingis and Drew Holiday to win the title. Those pieces had to happen.

[Don Hahn]

Now there are people. And this doesn't happen in baseball as much, but it does happen a lot in basketball, where. You know what? I'm just a fan of the play. I'm a fan of Pete Alonso. Now I'm going to become a Baltimore Oriole fan because I just love Pete Alonso.

[Alan]

Okay.

[Don Hahn]

If that's why you fell in love with the Mets and now he's gone, I can understand that. But if you're a Met fan and of the age of that the person here looks like. I don't want to insult him, but he looks like he's definitely north of 40. You were a Met fan long before Pete Alonso was. Was here.

[Alan]

Right?

[Don Hahn]

So now Pete Alonso is now that, that, that's the, that's the drop. Mike. I, I, I just, I can't go on. I can't go on. And listen, I'm a Pete fan. I would have loved to him to stay, but I'm not trading it for maybe a chance to get a championship. And if you want to call and I did, I, we weren't going to take calls, but there are tons of people want to rip me for this. And I just want to hear, I want to hear the logic why this is the line.

[Alan]

Yeah.

[Don Hahn]

Without knowing what the pivot is.

[Alan]

I will say the last thing I had an interest in doing at our live holiday party was talking about baseball, but I'm actually interested, too. I just want. Just give us the. Just quickly if we bring you on. Make the case. Why is this it?

[Don Hahn]

All right.

[Alan]

Why? That's it. Now I, I bet you can't. And if I were to bet on it, I do it at fandom.

[Rosenberg]

Oh, of course you would, because FanDuel.

[Alan]

Friday is turning it up. Thank you.

[Rosenberg]

Already?

[Alan]

You're supposed to drink when we. A smooth Transition.

[Rosenberg]

Smooth transition.

[Alan]

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[Don Hahn]

All right, so we'll take some of these calls. We've got picks at 5, 45. We've got ENN at 6. We are live at your mother's house at the holiday party, the annual ESPN holiday party here at Garden City Park, Long Island. And it's brought to you by Amazon Prime Security, Dodge and Spike Aid. Made for big city social stamina. It's Don Ana Rosenberg. Take you up until 7 o'. Clock. It's the holiday party and it's all happening here on ESPN New York. As you know, managing maintenance, repair and operations is never easy. But for the ones who always rise to the challenge, Grainger has your back. From professional grade products you can count on to fast, dependable delivery. They're there to help you keep things running smoothly. Plus, their technical product specialists are here to help answer your toughest questions. And because Grainger knows safety is always a priority, they're committed to being your partner in protecting both your people and your facilities. Call 1-800-GRAINGER Click grainger.com or just stop by. Hey, Ryan Reynolds here wishing you a very happy half off holiday.

[Alan]

Because right now Mint Mobile is offering.

[Rosenberg]

You the gift of 50% off unlimited.

[Don Hahn]

To be clear, that's half price, not half the service. And Mint is still premium unlimited wireless.

[Alan]

For a great price.

[Don Hahn]

So that means a half day. Yeah. Give it a [e-mail] switch upfront payment of $45 for three month plan equivalent to $15 per month required new customer offer for first three months only. Speed slow after 35 gigabytes of network spizzy. Taxes and fees extra. See mintmobile.com you're tuned into Auto Intelligence live from AutoTrader where data, tools and your preferences sync to make your car shopping smooth. They're searching inventory. Oh yeah. They find what you need, they gonna find it.

[Rosenberg]

You can make a budget for your.

[Don Hahn]

Wa help you succeed.

[Rosenberg]

Pricing's precise and true.

[Don Hahn]

So true. Smarter car shopping. Oh, just for you. Oh, it's just for you Find your next [e-mail] powered by Auto Intelligence.

[Rosenberg]

Thanks for listening to the Don Han and Rosenberg Podcast.

[Alan]

I didn't listen to anything you just said.

[Rosenberg]

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

[Don Hahn]

Don Hanan Rosenberg with you until 7:00'.

[Rosenberg]

Clock.

[Don Hahn]

And this is the ESPN New York Holiday Party, live from your mother's house in Garden City Park, Long Island. Brought to you by Amazon Pickup Security, Dodge and Spike Aid. Made for big city social stamina. 1-800-919-3776 we wanted to get some people that, you know, want to just debate me on the, the Alonzo thing. And let's go to Jason in New Jersey. You're on. Don on Roseberg. What's up, buddy?

[Caller]

Hey, guys, how's it going? Thanks for taking my call. I'm looking at this from a baseball perspective. I'm not a Met fan. I'm actually a Yankee fan. But from overall baseball, I want to talk about Peter Pete Alonso. When I look for, when free agency starts for teams, you look for someone who's a consistent, healthy player. Right? That's usually what I look for when you're giving out a long term deal or when teams do. And the one thing that Pete Alonso does, he plays every day. He's done it for about five straight years. And you're going to pay him to hit 35, 40 home runs, 100, 120 RBIs. That's his, that's his job.

[Don Hahn]

Right.

[Caller]

And he had one of his best seasons behind Juan Soto last year. So I think getting rid of him on that aspect of things, to me is a mistake for the Mets.

[Don Hahn]

I know you would have given him five years.

[Caller]

Men in the world. Sorry.

[Don Hahn]

So you would have given him five years.

[Caller]

I would have because I think, yes, I understand the point with the dh, if Soto is the dh. But Pete Alonso's job is to go out there and hit 35, 40 home runs, 35 home runs.

[Don Hahn]

See that? That according to David Stearns. And we'll find out if he's right. Not enough. He wants run prevention. He is not a great defender. All right. He is a home run hitter and that's pretty much what he brings to the table. And that's been good. It was good enough for 83 wins. It was good enough to be one of the worst teams of baseball in the first half of the year. The year before, remember, they ran all the way to game six. Yes, he hit the home run against Devin Williams, but they made the Playoffs and he wasn't very good.

[Rosenberg]

Yep.

[Don Hahn]

And it's not going to age well. He's not going to become a better defender. The home runs are not going to continue to be at 40 plus at 32, 33, 34, 35, 36 years old. I think they would have brought him back at three years. And Jason, thank you for the phone call. At 5. It doesn't make a ton of sense.

[Rosenberg]

I don't understand Jason's point about his availability because you're assuming availability continues for a guy that's over 30, that is not exactly, you know, in the best physical condition when you look at him. Right. Big body. I mean, played a lot already. Breakdown's coming.

[Don Hahn]

It's coming right now.

[Rosenberg]

So I like you. You have to assume, which is why a three year deal. Okay, five. No, like that's it. As simple as that. You can't assume. Numbers continue to extrapolate out the older he gets. You can't assume that.

[Don Hahn]

It's interesting because I, I let him go too soon because he said he's a Yankee fan. Since Anthony Rizzo, the Yankees have needed a first baseman. This was the second time Pete Alonso was available. Why didn't the Yankees go after him? Because the Yankees don't see a fit. He hits a bunch of home runs, he's available every day. Yankees zero interest in beat Alonso because they see the same thing David Stern sees as a guy that will hit home runs, but he's limited to.

[Alan]

Dodgers interested?

[Rosenberg]

No, no, the Dodgers didn't know. They wouldn't. They would.

[Don Hahn]

I'm saying Yankees needed a first baseman, but real quick.

[Alan]

And who was interested?

[Don Hahn]

It was the Orioles, the Baltimore Orioles. And how do things normally work out for the world? And apparently, and I didn't know this, but Michael was talking about it on the show earlier that they're kind of killing it in Baltimore. They felt they gave him too many years.

[Rosenberg]

Oh, they will. Oh yeah.

[Don Hahn]

Listen, we agree to disagree and let's, and let's see who plays first base over the next couple of years and maybe Jason's going to turn out to be right. But I want to see what the alternative is. But let's not make Pete Alonso anything more than a guy that hit home runs. He was fun, I loved him, but I think everybody understood that he was limited as a player. That's why he didn't get the big time bucks. He thought he was going to get in free agency the year before. Because I think the analytical world, they see the flaws of a guy that's not A great defender. And as Allen said, it's not going to age well. The home runs are going to start to go away. He's not overly athletic. These are the things that you get concerned about when you're talking about Pete Alonso over the next five years. Jim, in the car. You're on, Don. Ana Roseberg. Hey, guys, how you doing? Thanks for taking my call. What's up? So, Don, as a Met fan who is a year older than you, I watched that World Series in, in my.

[Caller]

College dorm with a bunch of guys.

[Don Hahn]

So I was a sophomore. You were. You were a freshman. So what college?

[Caller]

We have the same history with the Mets. But I have to disagree with you with Stearns.

[Don Hahn]

Like I. I'm not. I was Fordham. Okay, cool. Fordham University. So never really left the area. I've been a long time New Yorker, but.

[Caller]

So I don't really agree with you with Stearns about giving him the benefit because. Yeah, first of all, run prevention.

[Don Hahn]

Great. We need runs. He just blew up two holes in the offense.

[Caller]

But his pitching staff last year was atrocious. I mean, how do you expect Clay Holmes. It wasn't a shock that his arm.

[Don Hahn]

Fell off halfway through the season.

[Caller]

He never pitched like that. Mania got 75 million off of 10 starts. Montas bust Senga can't get out of the fifth inning without six days of rest.

[Don Hahn]

Couldn't even. Couldn't even pitch with through the calf.

[Caller]

Alley that Simone Biles won four golds off the same injury. No wonder the bullpen fell apart.

[Don Hahn]

Pitching staff couldn't get out of the fifth inning here. Did he. Did he bring Sangay in here? Now he's trying to get rid of him. So at least he saw that this is a flawed player. You know, you were happy with Mania Lash the year before. You were happy with Quintana the year before. I'm with you. Montana off of 10 starts. Don, awful start.

[Caller]

He got 75 million off of 10 starts.

[Don Hahn]

I'm not protecting him or defending him. You're right about the pitching staff. I would like to see how he pivots. You don't believe in him. I do. And we're going to find out who's right. But right now, to kill a guy based on. Well, he didn't do a great job with the pitching staff. We were all lauding him for his pitching staff. The year before, when they were able to get to the playoffs, those guys pitched well. He got it wrong. Now, the Clay Holmes, I still think he was a project. You're converting a closer into a starting pitcher. Everybody knew that was going to take a while to work out. It certainly didn't work. And we'll see whether he's going to be a part of the bullpen or part of the pitching staff. But I'm willing to see what it looks like. If you don't want to. If you think already it's got. All right, there's enough evidence to say that maybe you're right. But I want to see what this plan is. He has to have a plan. He just didn't get rid of these guys for kicks. He got rid of these guys because he has a plan. Can I see the plan? I understand you're a little shaky about the plan based on the pitching staff from last year, but I'm willing to see it through. George, Staten island, you're on espn.

[Rosenberg]

New York.

[Caller]

How's it going, guys?

[Don Hahn]

Good.

[Caller]

I just want to talk about David Stearns. I know he came to New York. Everyone's excited. I'm looking at the Milwaukee record.

[Don Hahn]

I get it.

[Caller]

He turned the team around. He made him a consistent playoff team. But I got the list in front of me. 2019, lost the wild card. 2020 lost the wild card. 21, lost a division series. 22, didn't make it. 23, lost the wild cards. 24, lost the wild card. 25. They went far. It took them five games to beat a wild card team. And then they just handed the Dodgers the trip to the World Series.

[Don Hahn]

Right.

[Caller]

We, the Mets want to, you know, the goal is to win the World Series. All right, but this guy makes a playoff team.

[Don Hahn]

But. All right, so. So we're ripping. So let me, Let me ask you, George. So we're ripping him for getting rid of players who also did nothing.

[Caller]

We got. There's players that. I don't think they were the problem. I mean, listen, I'm a Mets fan. He's the pilot of the plane. You know, you don't. Even if you don't like the pilot, you want him to land successfully. I hope he's. I hope his vision pans out.

[Don Hahn]

That's all I'm asking.

[Rosenberg]

That's. That's what we're saying. Can I just also intervene, please? 20, 21, 95 wins. 20, 22 was 86 wins. 20, 20. Sorry. Yeah. 23, 92 wins. 24, 93 wins, 25, 97 wins. I mean, Milwaukee winning 90 plus games a year. And yes, I get that playoffs were failures. And in Milwaukee, that has been the biggest criticism, is that that team can't win in the postseason for whatever reason. But you can't say he didn't build a really good team. How many times. When was the last time the Mets had, what, four in the last five years and 90 plus wins?

[Don Hahn]

The Mets only twice in their history have gone to the playoffs back to back years. But, George, right now he's in Milwaukee. Obviously, there's limited funds. He built the team, but now he can build a team that maybe can go to the playoffs every year and now have Cohen's money.

[Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Don Hahn]

To get him over the top. And I'd like to see what it is.

[Rosenberg]

I can't stress enough. George. Thanks for the call. I can't stress enough. They will not be outbid for a player they want. Keep that in mind. A player they want, they will not be outbid for. If they have a player like, again, Diaz. They had a limit. They wanted him back, but there was a limit. And then they were like, that's it, Pete. Probably same thing. There was a limit that. That's. But if there's a player that they want, there will not be a limit.

[Don Hahn]

But don't come at me. He didn't do anything in Milwaukee. We're talking about the Milwaukee brewers, who, by the way, have been to the World Series once in franchise history and lost. And he's got them as a perennial playoff team that can't get over the hump. You know what? I'll take perennial playoff team and then Cohen's money to maybe get him over the top. I just think you can't use his Milwaukee, you can't win.

[Rosenberg]

To just all agree that you cannot make a declarative statement about the Mets until you know what pieces have come in to replace the pieces that went out. You can't. You cannot make a declarative statement. You want to be emotional. You want to be mad at the moment. You want to feel sorry because you're going to miss the Polar Bear and you're going to miss Timmy Trumpets. That's fine. But you cannot make a declarative statement about the franchise until you see what replaces the parts that went out.

[Alan]

Well, that's no fun, okay? And that's not how. You just are a loudmouth fan who gets a scream. Come on, Al. You know better than that. We got to stop. Come on. It's. That's, that's. It's really what it's going to come down to. We're never going to convince people otherwise.

[Rosenberg]

I'm done. I'm done trying.

[Alan]

Yeah. They've decided. They want to be mad.

[Don Hahn]

They're mad.

[Rosenberg]

That's it be mad. That's fine.

[Don Hahn]

You're allowed to be mad. I, I do think.

[Rosenberg]

But we're not making a declarative statement.

[Don Hahn]

To play pop psychologist. There is a part of people that this is their enjoyment with sports to complain to be mad at their franchise if their team's not going to win. They want to. They want to hate them.

[Rosenberg]

Be happy being miserable.

[Don Hahn]

Want to be. They don't want to be miserable, but they're so comfortable with that misery. But they want to open their heart.

[Alan]

But can I, can I just be fair to some miserable fans? Some miserable fans have more of a right than others. Like for example, I really do appreciate jets fans being angry about everything. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt more than Mets fans because to the point you've been making the last few days, Don. Yes. 86 was a long time ago. The jets are 20 years before that. The Mets went to the World series again in 2000. They went again in 2015. They've been in the playoffs and fought with the Dodgers since then. They at least played the game. They're in it. They're not what the jets are. Do you see what I'm saying? I understand why the jets fan is just perpetually miserable with no faith. I think the Mets fan has hyped that up as if they're the Jets. The Mets are not the Jets.

[Don Hahn]

And I also believe because we live in a world now where sports radio, the callers are co hosts. They're not calling to ask questions. They're not calling for your opinion. They're calling to give their opinion. Sports radio used to be. I'm going to go call the quote unquote experts on the radio to find out about my team. They're joining the show as co hosts. Michael calls them co hosts on his show. These. A lot of these people have podcasts. They are on social media expressing their opinion. And just like any talk show host, they want to be right. So their opinion that the Mets are going to screw it up, the benefit of being right is that, hey, I told you so. I told you from the very beginning Stearns was going to screw this up. And if I'm wrong and they win a championship, I'm happy because I got the ring. So really, it's just, it's putting yourself in a situation where you're either right or wrong means a championship because everybody's their little mini talk shows. And I'll be honest, when I have an opinion, I want to be right. I feel good when I win my picks I feel good when I have an opinion that turned out to be the right opinion. As big a Giant fan as I am, do I take pride in being right about not drafting.

[Alan]

But you know, but you know where it's not that though. And I think you'll feel the same way as me when I predict one of the local teams to fall flat on their face. I always hope I'm wrong. I didn't, I didn't want Joe Judge to be a complete joke. I just knew that he would be right.

[Don Hahn]

But. But you.

[Alan]

I hope that I'm wrong, but you.

[Don Hahn]

Did take some satisfaction as a talk show host. Sure, but I would have, especially as a guy who gets beat up for supposedly not knowing anything about sports. Oh, guess what? I got Joe Judge. Right.

[Alan]

But I, I would have enjoyed it more. I would rather have had us talk about a winning Giants team every week.

[Don Hahn]

And they would rather suffer. No, they would rather see the championship. But when you haven't won since 86, you're probably leaning on the side of, yeah, Stearns is going to screw it up, you know. You know, I know because the Mets haven't won A championship in 40 years. That's how I know. I know Muji's going to screw it up because the jets haven't won it going on 60 years. That's how I know.

[Rosenberg]

Here's your problem. You got. You had a guy take over a franchise that was poorly run, that was on a shoestring budget, that made bad decisions and it was maddening. Right?

[Don Hahn]

Right.

[Rosenberg]

Then comes in, the knight in shining armor with the gigantic wallet and you thought, life's going to change now. We're going to get great players, this guy's going to throw money around and the next thing you know we're going to be winning at a high level. That's what it was expected. As this continues on, that has not happened yet, right?

[Don Hahn]

Not yet.

[Rosenberg]

And there has been those frustrating step back years like we saw last year, which feels, no offense, very metzy. Good year, bad year, good run, magical run. Go back to being, you know, again, the dose of reality. So I understand why a fan would just get fed up like I thought this guy was supposed to change everything. And we still can't get, we can't keep guys we like, we can't get new players. I'm frustrated. This was supposed to be different. That to me is the genesis of everyone's frustration.

[Don Hahn]

Right. But it's not like Broker off with Brooklyn where it's going to be different than he's out the door.

[Rosenberg]

He doesn't go. He just wanted the property.

[Don Hahn]

Well, as a real estate thing is, is that nothing? You know, championships aren't guaranteed, man. And there's been plenty of teams that have thrown money around. This isn't building a fantasy team. This is building a team that has the right chemistry and the right mojo to go out there and win. And we're still very early in the process. And they're finally a big boy in the room that's going to say, yeah, I got money to spend, but I want to spend it the right way. I'm willing to see it go forward. Some people are not. 1-800-919-3776. We got to talk football. We've got to talk picks. We've got enn.

[Rosenberg]

Oh, damn.

[Don Hahn]

We've got a lot of fun. A lot of fun coming up because we are at your mother's house.

[Rosenberg]

Yeah. And they love your mother's house.

[Don Hahn]

And it's right here in Garden City, Long Island. Not. Not pretty convenient, I think, for Long Islanders and even for me. I had some traffic on the belt because when is there not traffic?

[Rosenberg]

Jericho Turnpike. So Rod Strickland's on his way. It'll be great to talk with him.

[Don Hahn]

And what time is he going to be swinging by? Do we know?

[Rosenberg]

Originally, his ETA originally was supposed to be 3:30.

[Don Hahn]

Okay.

[Rosenberg]

So it is now 4:30.

[Don Hahn]

All right. So close enough.

[Rosenberg]

That's the day he's having. So he's making an effort.

[Don Hahn]

Good.

[Rosenberg]

We're going to make an effort to make him feel great.

[Don Hahn]

All right. This ESPN New York holiday party is live from your mother's house, Garden City Park, Long Island. Brought to you by Amazon Pickup Security, Dodge and Spiked Aid. Made for big city social stamina on ESPN New York. There's a reason Chevy trucks are known for their dependability. Because they show up no matter the weather, push forward no matter the terrain, and deliver. That's why Chevrolet has earned more dependability awards for trucks than any other brand in 2025, according to J.D. power. Because in every Chevy truck, like every Chevy driver, dependability comes standard. Visit Chevy.com to learn more. Chevrolet received the highest total number of awards among all the trucks in the JD powered 2025 US Dependability Study Awards based on 2022 models. Newer models may be shown. Visit jdpower.com awards for more details. Chevrolet together. Let's drive. This episode is brought to you by State Farm. Listening to this podcast. Smart move. Being financially savvy. Smart move. Another smart move. Having State Farm help you create a competitive price when you choose to bundle home and auto bundling. Just another way to to save with a personal price plan like a good neighbor State Farm is there Prices are based on rating plans that vary by state. Coverage options are selected by the customer. Availability, amount of discounts and savings and eligibility vary by state. This episode is brought to you by Diet Coke. You know that moment when you just need to hit pause and refresh. An ice cold Diet Coke isn't just a break. It's your chance to catch your breath and savor a moment that's all about you. Always refreshing. Still the same great taste. Diet Coke make time for you time.

[Rosenberg]

Thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.

[Alan]

I didn't listen to anything you just said.

[Rosenberg]

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

[Don Hahn]

This is the ESPN New York Holiday party live from your mother's house in Garden City Park, Long Island. Brought to you by Amazon Pickup Security Dodge and Spike Aid made for big city social stamina. Rod Strickland, head coach of Liu, of course former Nick he'll be swinging by about 4:30. We've got our picks at 5:45, we've got Ian at 6. We're loaded up, having a lot of fun. We'll talk some football coming up at the 4 o' clock hour. But people still raw about this Pete Alonso thing. And I feel bad because it's almost like I'm coming across like a hater of Pete. I did not want to see him go. I wish they were able to work something out. But I'm willing to see this through. I'm the guy that had the, the crane pool ran and another forever met walks out the door for sure. But I'll forgive it if it leads to a championship. You know, the forever Mets that walked out the door, you know, letting go of Tom Seaver was not a good decision. They didn't replay. Pat Zachary was not a good pivot.

[Rosenberg]

That's the one is the biggest one. If you're old enough to have experienced the Seaver trade and know the story of why if you were ever going to be out, that's when you're out.

[Don Hahn]

Right.

[Rosenberg]

That's you're out.

[Don Hahn]

Absolutely.

[Rosenberg]

Like that's the most egregious. Like that trade right there tells you dysfunction.

[Don Hahn]

Exactly.

[Rosenberg]

So if you weren't out on that and you were old enough to know about it, then you should be out.

[Don Hahn]

So those are the guys that bother me.

[Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Don Hahn]

You know, makes me sick that David Wright's back went out and he wasn't able to fill. You know, what I think would have been, you know, a Hall of Fame career. Those are the things that are frustrating. And I'll be. And maybe next holiday party, wherever we are, hopefully it's your mother's house that I'll be opining about the loss of Pete Alonso and how it's another ugly pivot for the Mets. But let's see that happen. Rob is in Nyack, you're on ESPN New York. What's up, Rob?

[Caller]

Hey, what's going on, boys? Merry Christmas. Happy holidays. I was about to say Merry New Year.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah.

[Rosenberg]

Yeah, yeah.

[Don Hahn]

I love that movie.

[Caller]

I love that movie. So, yeah, with Stearns, I just, you know, we all have our strengths and weaknesses. Like whatever job, whatever career field you work in, two people could be great at it, but in different ways. So, like, Stern showed that he's great with, like, managing a tight budget and getting the most out of very little. This is obviously a different task. And just wanted to throw a little bit back because I am one of those people, like, if you're going to issue a complaint, I like for you to have a solution. So, like, I want, I'm a Yankees fan. I'm dying to get rid of Brian Cashman. Different story. But I never really want. Wanted Sterns because I looked at it when there started to be hype around him, like, look at his division. And yeah, he's winning 90 games, but he's got 60 games against teams that. The Cardinals are like their worst I can remember in my adult life. The Cubs were down, the Pirates are awful. So, like, he's racking up wins. But after you play your division, all the 60 games against those teams, you're really just going. 500 against the rest of the league. So I'm a Yankees fan, but my whole family's Met fans, so let's, let's see what they can do.

[Don Hahn]

You really think he doesn't want to spend the money? Like, I understand he's working, I don't know, budget, but do you think, you think Cohen's like, here, here, I'm gonna, I'm gonna give you a hundred million dollars to play with this this off season. Go have fun. He's like, no, no, no, I'm good. I don't need it. You really think that really? I really don't know. Business. I don't know why, why is Pete Alonso gone in your mind, Rob?

[Caller]

It just seems strange to me. I can't, I can't put my finger on that one.

[Don Hahn]

I really don't give him five years.

[Caller]

No, no, I'm not saying that, but I'm trying to put myself in his shoes and I really hope it's not an ego thing, but I heard Michael say earlier, and I kind of agree with him that you have Cohen. So if you're going to say like, listen, I want to be frugal, I want to do this the right way, you are cutting off the biggest advantage.

[Don Hahn]

That's, that's moronic to think that that's his angle. It's, I don't like Pete Alonso, I don't like him as a defender. I don't want to have to give him a five year contract. I might dance with him for three years, but I'm not going to give him a five year contract. This idea of go spend like a drunken sailor. You know what, I'm just going to give all the players whatever they want, want, and if it doesn't work out, I'll cut them like I did with Verlander and Scherzer and I'll bring in other people on, I have a $650 million payroll and win the championship. That's not realistic. Even in Cohen's world, it's not realistic to set fire to money. And as a, and as, as a businessman, he's looking at, he's saying, can I win a championship with Pete Alonso as my first baseman? I think I could do better. Not, I, I, I want to work with, with a small budget, I do think like a. Brian Cashman doesn't want to be accused of, of winning with his checkbook, but he finds a way to still spend money. So you're telling me Stearns is like, no, I'm good. I'd rather work with $100 million budget and win than a $300 million budget. Come on, that doesn't make any sense.

[Rosenberg]

Let's, let's play a game. Name me the beloved player that might have been marginal, that got the extension anyway and it ended up being like the best thing that ever happened.

[Alan]

That's a great question.

[Rosenberg]

And I know, I'm saying I'm not trying to. Lonzo's beloved player.

[Alan]

No, no. But very good.

[Rosenberg]

You know what I mean?

[Don Hahn]

Yeah. They give the gold watch and the.

[Alan]

Gold watch led to a gold plaque. A championship.

[Rosenberg]

Yeah. When was that? When was that one? When was the one that.

[Alan]

It was like they weren't sure beforehand.

[Rosenberg]

And they stayed like, you got to pay him, you got to give them, you can't let them walk. I'm sure. So they do it and then it's like.

[Don Hahn]

I'm sure there are examples, but it definitely is the minority amount of time. Right. It's probably the low percentile.

[Rosenberg]

Never happened.

[Don Hahn]

The better play is. What. What did Branch Rickey always say? Better to get rid of a player a year too early than a year too late.

[Rosenberg]

Which is what the Patriots always did. Always.

[Don Hahn]

Always.

[Alan]

They were the Kings.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah. And I'm sure she started doing it.

[Alan]

Chiefs do it.

[Rosenberg]

A certain guy like Terry kills a great example of it. Right. They just were like, nope.

[Alan]

How are you gonna win without Tyreek Hill?

[Rosenberg]

Yeah, they did.

[Alan]

Oh, Rasheed Rice comes along. Oh, look at us.

[Rosenberg]

It's amazing.

[Alan]

So I'm trying to think now, who got the gold watch?

[Rosenberg]

Think of a player in any sport.

[Alan]

I'm thinking of all the sports. Right.

[Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Don Hahn]

Do you have one in your head?

[Rosenberg]

That's why I asked you. I thought this is a fun exercise.

[Alan]

Well, no, no, I.

[Rosenberg]

No.

[Alan]

The Capitals, for example, never moved on from Ovechkin. There were. There were. He had been there for a very long time, but where were they gonna go?

[Rosenberg]

But he raised the cup. Well, he won a ch. Like if that guy got you.

[Alan]

No, but I mean, I mean, I mean, I mean, he was there for a long time before they got the ring.

[Rosenberg]

Yeah, but he was one of the best players in the league all the time.

[Alan]

But he was always one of the potential.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah. Let. It could happen if the pay.

[Alan]

But he already has three.

[Don Hahn]

But they gave him a contract that I thought. I thought was a mistake.

[Alan]

I know. They gave him a gold watch.

[Don Hahn]

They gave him a gold watch.

[Alan]

And now they're competing and they gave.

[Don Hahn]

You know, Latang and Falcon money for Crosby. Because what you're saying is kind of what happened with Eli, like, it wasn't a contract. It was, let's double down. Let's see if we can get more out of it.

[Rosenberg]

Eli got you rings. I'm talking about never was the beloved best player on the team who hadn't won. Hadn't won.

[Alan]

I know. And when you look around, the names that I think of are all people who left N1, Wade Boggs. Mattingly never. Mattingly never won. Boggs has to go to New York to win. Lemons leaves us. Leaves the Red Sox to win.

[Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Alan]

Every Ray Borg, Ray Bork leaves and wins.

[Rosenberg]

That franchise finally realizes it's the right thing to do.

[Don Hahn]

But never win.

[Alan]

Matt Stafford leaves and wins.

[Rosenberg]

Matt Stafford.

[Alan]

Jared Goff leaves and competes. It's. It is.

[Don Hahn]

It doesn't happen.

[Rosenberg]

And give me the guy, which is what everybody wants here. Yeah, but, but because there's no cap. You play. You play this game of it's not my money. You should just spend it. And he's like, no, I won't get outbid by players that like Juan Soto. Not getting outbid guys 26. I'm not getting outbid by him, but other players. I feel like this wouldn't be a good contract.

[Don Hahn]

I want to get into the football coming up. But, but I, I have a question to ask you guys when we come back about the Mets and then we'll continue. I don't know where we're going to put fraud alert Friday. Oh, Strickland's coming at 4:30.

[Rosenberg]

We got strict at 4:30. Battling through traffic right now. Well, also feels like a 5:30 vehicle, doesn't it?

[Alan]

Yeah. You know what today feels like a five.

[Rosenberg]

Today it feels 5:30.

[Alan]

No, no, no, no. You know what else?

[Rosenberg]

What?

[Alan]

What about just five o' clock on the bang?

[Rosenberg]

Oh, just big block photos.

[Alan]

We could do some live with the people here too.

[Don Hahn]

All right.

[Rosenberg]

Do we have a gavel? Did you bring it?

[Don Hahn]

I thought Anthony would bring it.

[Rosenberg]

Did you bring the gavel, Anthony?

[Don Hahn]

You know what? I'll bang on the floor.

[Alan]

No, but Jacob, Jacob has one back.

[Rosenberg]

Someone have a hammer?

[Don Hahn]

DON ON and Rosenberg, we're with you at your mother's house, Garden City, Long island party, Amazon pickup, security dodge, spiked aid made for big city social stamina.

[Rosenberg]

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

[Alan]

I don't want to know how the.

[Rosenberg]

Sausage is made, but I just want to know. It's good here, man. More of Don, Allen and Peter weekday afternoon starting at 3 on 8 80, ESPN, the ESPN New York app, and your smart speakers.