Hour 1: Michael Kay & Judge's Comments

Summary

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Don, Hahn & Rosenberg: Hour 1 — Michael Kay & Judge's Comments

Date: February 17, 2026
Podcast: ESPN New York
Hosts: Don La Greca, Alan Hahn, Peter Rosenberg

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Episode Overview

This episode opens with the lively banter that characterizes Don, Hahn & Rosenberg and dives into the big story of the Yankees' off-season—and, more specifically, Aaron Judge’s public comments that have stirred discussion among fans and insiders alike. The trio tackle the expectations surrounding the Yankees, the challenges of building a championship team in the modern MLB’s financial landscape, and what Judge’s thinly-veiled criticism of the Yankees’ front office might mean for the team dynamic. Sprinkled throughout is the group’s trademark New York humor and their takes on sports culture.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Early Banter: Age, Legacy & Life in New York

• The show begins with friendly roasting about age, life expectancy, and legacy, triggered by the news of recent celebrity passings. Don, Alan, Michael, and Peter reflect on living into old age, family dynamics, and jokingly speculate about their careers outlasting their successors.
  • [02:50] Alan: "My grandmother got to 90 and... when she turned 90, she literally said to me... 'yeah. And that's enough.'"
  • [04:10] Don: "Why do you have to be so negative? Maybe it was the victory formation. Maybe she just said, you know what? She took a knee."

Sports Media Personalities & The Industry

• The hosts riff on their own longevity and careers, including playful references to Ryan Ruocco possibly having to "take out" Michael to get his spot, and how modern technology could allow announcers to appear even after they’re gone, via AI.
  • [06:27] Alan: "Did you see this AI technology now?... You can do a FaceTime with somebody that is passed on."
  • [06:50] Michael: "That would be so great. AI will just make the calls."

Belichick, Age Gap Relationships & Team Rotations

• The group digresses into musings on age-gap relationships, sparked by Belichick's personal life, and how it’d feel if their daughters brought home much older partners. It’s treated with the usual irreverence, exposing cultural and generational views on sports and personal lives.
  • [10:09] Michael: "If your daughter on her 23rd birthday brought home a 75 year old, you would go, honey, I'm just glad you're happy?"
  • [10:20] Peter: "What do I care? She's gonna inherit a lot of money."

Yankees Offseason: Expectations vs. Reality

• Core Segment
  The conversation turns serious as Don sets the table regarding fan frustration with the Yankees’ offseason—despite Vegas favoring the Yankees for the AL, many fans and insiders are dissatisfied with the front office's moves and “running it back.”

  • [15:00] Don: "[Yankees] are a good enough team to win a championship... But I think Yankee fans want, like, that insurance policy... They want an all Star or a Hall of Famer at every position."

• The difference between spending and smart roster-building is debated, and Don laments the lack of a salary cap in baseball, pointing out how it results in imbalances and unrealistic fan expectations.

  • [16:42] Don: "This is why I want a cap in baseball... in baseball, it's just buy. Just buy it."

Steve Cohen, Mets, and the State of Baseball Finances

• The conversation pivots to Steve Cohen and Mets ownership, and the impact of hedge fund money, comparing it to the Guggenheim Partners (Dodgers). The group speculates that Cohen had to “promise not to go rogue” to get approved, and that eventual regulation may return competitive balance.
  • [19:02] Don: "...in order to get in the club, he had to make some assurances that he wouldn't spend like a drunken sailor... I will promise you I won't go rogue."

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Deep Dive: Aaron Judge’s Comments

Aaron Judge’s Frustration & Double-Speak

• [26:31] Aaron Judge (clip): "It was brutal... I'm like, we're the New York Yankees. You know, let's go out there and get the right people... It was frustrating, but I think we're right where we need to be."
• Analysis:
  • The hosts dissect how Judge’s comments reveal frustration that the team didn’t move aggressively in free agency, yet he tries to reassure fans by voicing love for the current roster.
  • Alan observes that Judge is "calling out the front office" carefully, while Don interprets it as Judge trying to placate both the clubhouse and fans, but risking coming off as insincere.
  • [28:15] Don: "This is pretty much the same team that we went...to the playoffs with last year, lost to the Blue Jays... Or is it a shot at Bellinger? Like, why did it take so long for this to get done?"

Judge’s Mixed Messaging and Clubhouse Implications

• The hosts agree that Judge is walking a fine line—trying to express urgency to win and desire for more pieces, but also needing to maintain his role as leader.

  • [30:30] Alan: "That's why it was two. Two sides of his mouth."
  • [33:21] Don: "This was Judge, for the first time showing you a little bit of displeasure that we didn't operate like everybody expects us to operate."

• Peter and Don argue that Judge can’t have it both ways—either fully support the team or openly challenge management.

  • [35:53] Don: "You can't play both sides, because you play both sides, you lose both sides."
  • [34:51] Michael: "I wish he would grow out of it. It's actually holding him back."

Giancarlo Stanton’s Take

• Stanton also downplays frustration but hints at similar curiosity and desire for improvement.
  • [37:52] Stanton (clip): "Frustrating. I wouldn't say frustrating... just interested, curious..."

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The Big Picture: Modern Championship Building

What is the Yankees’ Identity?

• Judge’s comments are compared to NBA and NFL stars who challenge their organizations to pursue titles. The hosts ponder whether the Yankees’ “system” can win out, or if player-driven challenges are needed.
  • [44:39] Don: "He's looking at... Judge is probably saying, I got to carry this team. And that guy has superstars all around him. They're a big brand. So are we. Why do we operate differently?"
  • [45:24] Alan: "He's going to get tired of it."

The Pressure of Stardom in New York

• Hahn compares Judge’s burden to that of Patrick Ewing in the 1990s Knicks—constantly blamed for shortcomings while lacking the surrounding cast to succeed.
  • [48:11] Don: "They've got the third highest payroll. They're in the playoffs every single year."
  • [48:22] Alan: "This is Patrick Ewing... Michael's got all these... And every time we lose, it's my fault."

Does Spending Guarantee Success?

• They debate whether simply spending more (like the Dodgers) is the solution. Don and Alan caution that smarter roster building is needed, and fan expectations might be unrealistic.
  • [50:18] Don: "But the answer can't always be spend more money."
  • [50:38] Alan: "It's, it's get better players, spend the money wisely, do more things to help us get better..."

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• Michael (about Judge’s persona) [33:51]:

  "He, he has big cojones on the field, not at the podium. He doesn't know how to do it."

• Don (about fan expectations and pressure on stars) [44:52]:

  "We operate differently because the baseball's got a problem because nobody can compete with the Dodgers."

• Alan (drawing Ewing-Judge parallel) [48:22]:

  "This is Patrick Ewing... in New York, tons of pressure to win, and when they don't, it's all your fault."

• Peter (on ownership and sports franchises as billionaire toys) [20:23]:

  "It's a toy. Or a piece of art. It's worth however somebody's going to spend."

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Important Timestamps

• 02:50 — Age, legacy, and the “victory formation” approach to life
• 06:27 — AI’s potential in sports broadcasting
• 10:09-11:30 — Age gap dating, generational perspectives
• 15:00-18:00 — Yankees offseason approach, salary cap debate, Steve Cohen
• 26:31-29:03 — Aaron Judge airs frustration over Yankees’ lack of moves
• 30:30-36:33 — Hosts breakdown Judge’s mixed messaging and clubhouse impact
• 37:41-38:26 — Giancarlo Stanton’s more diplomatic reaction
• 44:39-46:36 — Framing Judge’s comments as a larger commentary on team-building and pressure in New York
• 48:11-49:59 — Patrick Ewing comparison, stardom and blame in NY sports

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Tone & Style

The episode maintains the bold, irreverent, and jargon-savvy tone for which the show is known—full of fast banter, good-natured jabs, and New York-specific sports wisdom. While some subjects are handled with tongue in cheek, the analysis of Yankees off-season strategy and Judge’s comments is sharp, opinionated, and unfiltered.

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Summary

This episode of Don, Hahn & Rosenberg spotlights the tension between fan expectations, star player leadership, and front-office strategy in the context of the Yankees—and, by extension, all big market teams. Judge’s desire for the Yankees to act more like the free-spending Dodgers is clear, even as he tries not to disrupt the clubhouse or alienate the front office. The hosts see his comments as both a veiled call for urgency and a strategic play to win over fans growing uneasy with "run it back" thinking. Throughout, the show contextualizes these comments against the changing landscape of baseball finances, New York sports pressure, and the legacy stakes for modern superstars.

Transcript

[Michelle]

5:00Am I'm up with a crisp Celsius energy drink running 12 miles today. Grab a green juice, quick change and head to work. Meetings, workshops. One more Celsius. No slowing down. Working late, but obviously still meeting the girls for a little dancing. Celsius Live fit. Go grab a cold refreshing Celsius at your local retailer or locate [e-mail].

[Don]

Todd this isn't Vietnam. It's Radio Hanh.

[Alan]

I mean, he had a handful of twig and berries and Rosenber.

[Michael]

Everything about it was pure, unadulterated ass.

[Don]

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

[Alan]

This is Don Hahn and Rosenberg.

[Don]

The best threesome I've ever heard on.

[Alan]

ESPN New York and streaming live on YouTube.

[Don]

This is like the old days, man. Three days last week I saw Michael live. First day back from President's Day. I see Michael live.

[Michael]

Oh, he's passionate.

[Don]

Look at him. He's in his suit getting ready for the hot stove, which renamed already into the spring training.

[Alan]

Those on radio, Tepid stove.

[Michael]

No, just take out the hot stove.

[Alan]

Those on radio are missing out because not only does he look good, he smells amazing.

[Michael]

Well, even if you're.

[Peter]

Hold on.

[Michael]

That goes beyond the radio. I mean, even if they're on YouTube, they're not smelling them.

[Peter]

I got new smell vision.

[Michael]

Maybe if they have a smell of vision.

[Don]

We would not do well if we.

[Alan]

Had smell of it this man. Well, some of us people, people strive to smell like this.

[Peter]

That Chris Carlin, speaking of smell. Right. Because when you sit in that seat after three hours of Carlin, it's just luxurious.

[Don]

Yeah.

[Peter]

Heat to it and a warm.

[Michael]

It does it. It doesn't develop. It smells good.

[Peter]

Oh, my God. I didn't say smell.

[Don]

Feels, feel.

[Michael]

It's hot.

[Alan]

It's broken in.

[Don]

The reason it's hot is the reason why it wouldn't smell.

[Alan]

He thought it was a heated seat. He had no idea.

[Peter]

Yeah, it's like when you heat the seat up, you put the go.

[Alan]

Here's the problem though. How do you think he's heating that up?

[Peter]

Yeah, I asked him.

[Michael]

Oh, natural.

[Alan]

Is he dogging?

[Peter]

I'm a big man.

[Don]

He is a big man.

[Michael]

You know, he put up a post this weekend, Carlin of him like this close up shot on a plane. And he's like three big guys in premium economy. I saw that and I just, I DM'd him. I said, what are you doing?

[Alan]

Why would you.

[Michael]

You're better than this. You're Chris Carlin, for God's sake.

[Peter]

£30 with the needle.

[Michael]

That's He. That's great. Then he. That's all the more reason to treat yourself and go sit up front like a gentleman.

[Peter]

He's probably three bills now.

[Don]

He's under three bills.

[Peter]

295.

[Alan]

God bless good friend.

[Michael]

That's actually great to hear. I love that. As much as I love a good Carlin joke. I want the man around forever.

[Don]

We are of the age where we shouldn't joke about the overweight because it's a problem. Because you always talk about you don't see a lot of elderly tall people.

[Peter]

Yeah.

[Don]

You also don't see a lot of elderly obese people either.

[Michael]

No.

[Don]

Kind of for the same reason.

[Peter]

Yeah. I would say sloppy 90 year olds. They're just not around now.

[Michael]

Speaking of which, this is a big question. I saw a couple of. There were a couple of sad passings. Reverend Jesse Jackson passed away at 88. Would you take 88?

[Peter]

No.

[Michael]

You're out on 88.

[Don]

Pretty good.

[Peter]

Number 65, like I have 88. Doesn't seem that far away, but I'm taking it.

[Michael]

It's 23 years.

[Don]

The next one is 30 years away.

[Michael]

Robert Duvall, 95. I imagine you're taking.

[Alan]

Sign it. Oh, come on.

[Peter]

No, Would you take it when you're 94?

[Don]

So the answer is you won't take anything. Because if I say I can't do.

[Peter]

Better than 90 came to me at 115, I go, yeah, all right, 115.

[Michael]

So the oldest man on earth.

[Alan]

Yeah, you.

[Michael]

That's all you'll say.

[Alan]

First of all, there's no way, right?

[Don]

He's not an Asian woman. So he's not making it to 115. Because they all seem to be Asian women that make it to be the oldest person.

[Michael]

Here's the thing.

[Peter]

We all know in surgery to be.

[Alan]

An Asian woman, we all know and love Michael. And we all know that by the time he got to 90, plus, even he would find it unbearable. No, I can't do this.

[Michael]

No, see, I see the opposite.

[Alan]

Because my grandmother got to 90 and she was incredibly healthy and vibrant. Brent went for long walks, everything. We were, like, amazed. And then when she turned 90, we had a birthday party for her. She literally said to me when I was like, Wow, 90. That's great, Grandma. She's like, yeah. And that's enough.

[Peter]

See, she gave up.

[Alan]

Within three months, we lost her.

[Peter]

She gave up.

[Don]

Wow.

[Alan]

She was there was not giving up nothing. She was done.

[Peter]

Let me, let me see.

[Don]

That's what I'm getting. Why do you have to be so negative. She didn't give up. Maybe it was the victory formation. Maybe she just said, you know what?

[Alan]

She took a knee.

[Don]

This is good.

[Peter]

I'm never taking a knee on life.

[Michael]

Yeah, there's punting.

[Don]

What Alan's saying, but she won. But there's the victory formation too.

[Peter]

I'm 98 years old, dribble out the clock and I'm soiling myself. I'd be thrilled.

[Michael]

No, no, this is the good news. The thing that makes me happy. The thing that makes me happy is I hope one day I'm, you know, 75 and Michael's a hundred year old complete vegetable. And while the world is going, it's so sad, they still bring him out on old timers day. They wheel him out, he's drooling himself. You can the reaction, the smell. Cause he's going in his pants. I will go, don't anyone be sad.

[Alan]

No, this is what he wants.

[Don]

And he would be also when he got to that point, he demand being announced as the greatest living announcer.

[Michael]

In fact, he'll still be in the booth.

[Alan]

Oh, that's unreal.

[Peter]

My goal is to live so long that Ruko takes my life. No, he has to. Because when am I getting this gig?

[Alan]

This guy.

[Michael]

Can you imagine the story? I mean, you think they're making a big deal? Respectfully, to Savannah Guthrie's mom. If Ryan Ruko killed Michael K. Think about how that would take over the nation.

[Don]

You know, we don't.

[Michael]

Be a ratings.

[Don]

You know what? It's been so good for Ruko. He might say I'm good.

[Alan]

No, he might turn down the Yankee job.

[Peter]

I don't think so.

[Michael]

You don't turn down the Yankee job.

[Alan]

He's done. He's done really well. But I'll tell you what though. It's something that now in the back of my mind, I feel like almost started to like, just plant the seed now of the murder just to keep it going.

[Michael]

Okay.

[Alan]

This guy won't go away.

[Michael]

Yeah. Sometimes the only answer he's like, you.

[Alan]

Know, there's only one way to like get him out of here.

[Michael]

The only problem is I don't see.

[Alan]

Ruko as a killer. No. He's such a nice guy.

[Peter]

Well, hire somebody.

[Alan]

Yeah, you could do that.

[Peter]

Somebody. One of our bosses came into the booth this year and there was a story that was out that would. Would, you know, within 10 years, the average age, like people will be able to live to 130 because of all the advancements.

[Alan]

Right. I mean, it's a good point. It's a good point.

[Peter]

And the first thing I said, well, boy, will Ruko be pissed again.

[Don]

Michael will be out there.

[Alan]

Did you see this AI technology now?

[Peter]

Yeah.

[Alan]

That can take. That can take the dead and create the ability to not only converse with them because they just based off of all the information they have about the person. Oh yeah. They can actually. You can do a FaceTime with somebody that is passed on.

[Michael]

Yeah, that's. That's too far.

[Peter]

I want to be able to do opens.

[Michael]

The opens. You can do the whole game, whole show.

[Alan]

Michael can open a game.

[Michael]

That would be so great.

[Alan]

AI will just make the calls.

[Peter]

I mean, he's against the brewers now. Here for the play by play is Ryan Ruka. As long as I get to.

[Michael]

Well, didn't Derek Jeter keep the. His announcement on Shepherd? Yeah. Bob Shepard.

[Peter]

Bob Shepard.

[Alan]

You could.

[Michael]

Certain players say I want Michael KC every single time.

[Peter]

But now you don't have to do that because the guy who announces the NBA on NBC is no longer with us. It's AI.

[Alan]

That's right.

[Michael]

That uses AI, but it is the same.

[Alan]

It's the classic.

[Peter]

Yeah, but it's not him. It's his voice. But do I.

[Alan]

By the way, did you see Tesh at all Star?

[Peter]

Tremendous.

[Alan]

Like the hair is glorious.

[Peter]

Wild man.

[Alan]

He goes from all blonde like to now he's all white.

[Peter]

Isn't he married to Connie Britton?

[Don]

I think you're right. Yeah.

[Michael]

Tesh is married to Connie.

[Peter]

I believe so. It's somebody. A famous actress.

[Michael]

How old is Tesh?

[Peter]

Tess has got to be in the 70s.

[Alan]

He's up there.

[Michael]

Well, and Connie Britton's got to be like 50s.

[Peter]

You still love people if they get old, Peter.

[Alan]

You know, I'm just saying it's good work.

[Michael]

Good work by Tesh.

[Alan]

It is.

[Don]

That's all I'm saying.

[Peter]

Is older than 50s.

[Michael]

Mid-50s.

[Peter]

No, take a look.

[Michael]

I'm look right now. I'm a fan.

[Alan]

Take a look.

[Don]

John, do something rare.

[Alan]

Go on your phone during the show.

[Michael]

I heard 58.

[Don]

Yeah, he was born in 52.

[Michael]

No.

[Don]

Oh, no.

[Michael]

I'm saying and she is 58.

[Peter]

So 48 and 26. So he's 7 74.

[Don]

Oh, here we go.

[Peter]

That's not bad.

[Michael]

Donna, Michael. Math going, getting going.

[Alan]

I think it's turns 92, Peter.

[Michael]

Oh, how turn 92?

[Don]

58.

[Michael]

So that's a 16 year age gap.

[Peter]

That's not bad.

[Michael]

No, it's not Belichick bad. Certainly not.

[Alan]

See, he can't handle that.

[Don]

Does that bother you?

[Peter]

Bother you?

[Alan]

Does it bother you?

[Peter]

No, not a bit.

[Michael]

Don't do this again.

[Peter]

If Jody ever left me, you think I'd be dating a 60 year old? I'd be dating a 25 year old.

[Michael]

No, you wouldn't go.

[Don]

You missed it. On your birthday, we had this conversation just about if you had not gotten married, what would the rotation look like?

[Peter]

Yeah, it would look like the Yankees.

[Alan]

We were right.

[Michael]

So I was.

[Don]

Because I was saying we were right.

[Michael]

I was right. You guys had, you guys had higher hopes for him.

[Don]

What is this? I said it was lower.

[Alan]

I thought.

[Don]

Wait, lower age?

[Alan]

He means they thought.

[Michael]

They thought you would be like 40s. And I went, no, no, not 40.

[Alan]

I thought your range would be there.

[Peter]

My range would be what?

[Michael]

I could hit whatever they, Whatever the range.

[Peter]

What pitch you could hit. I can hit 95.

[Don]

So you're, yeah. You're totally cool with Belichick then? Of course, I, I, these guys being.

[Peter]

Led by the nose.

[Don]

That was stupid. But it must be glorious.

[Peter]

She must be a very special.

[Don]

Yes.

[Peter]

Conversation.

[Don]

I mean, we're talking sparks. Like it's, it's at that level.

[Alan]

Yeah. No question.

[Michael]

Now I realize it's not even about that, though. This is more like an old person who's just been taken advantage of. At this point, this appears like something else. It looks so ridiculous.

[Alan]

He's human. Is he?

[Michael]

He's making such an ass out of himself the last few years, it's starting to age worse and worse. But you think he does. He might be getting yelled at all day.

[Alan]

He could be treated.

[Michael]

It could be like Ben Stiller in Happy Gilmore. I don't really know. Your fingers gonna hurt? Cause you just pulled landscaping duty. We don't know what's happening behind closed doors.

[Don]

It could be a horror show. I don't know. But judging by him, the way he handles it, it must be again, loyal.

[Michael]

And again, I want to run this by again, so. And if, if your daughter on her 23rd birthday brought home a 75 year old, you would go, honey, I'm just glad you're happy.

[Peter]

Well, I can't tell my daughter who to go out with.

[Michael]

And would you, would you tell my.

[Peter]

Daughter anything now she's 13.

[Michael]

Would you have, would you have her 75 year old boyfriend sit at dinner with you?

[Peter]

Sure.

[Michael]

You wouldn't have an issue with it?

[Alan]

No.

[Peter]

What do I care? She's gonna inherit a lot of money.

[Don]

It's always about the green.

[Alan]

Yeah, I mean, we had this conversation. I said the same exact thing. Emma is that age.

[Don]

But the problem, Alan he'd be hot.

[Michael]

I'm sorry.

[Don]

The problem Alan has because he has a daughter. I have a daughter, but his daughter's three of them. But if I got to the point where I'm in, like, I'm Belichick's age, could I date someone the exact same age as what Jalen would be when I was 72 years old? That'd be hard to do.

[Alan]

Yes. That's a different conversation, Jaylen.

[Don]

All right, so Belichick doesn't have that. Callie brings home a hot friend, you're single, and she's totally into you.

[Peter]

Yeah.

[Michael]

As Michael's lawyer, I would say. Don't answer this. Let's.

[Don]

I'd like to.

[Michael]

I'd like to put. Is that what he just said? I think he's going to break.

[Peter]

I mean, I would talk to Cali, you know, Daddy, you know, I think so.

[Michael]

And Michael at that point would be 75, just to be clear. So this would be Exactly Belichick.

[Peter]

Yeah.

[Michael]

75 and 23 is almost a guy.

[Don]

On the nose right now.

[Peter]

And like. Like, again, if Jody left me, I would take that girl to the stadium. Right.

[Michael]

She'd be in the booth with you.

[Peter]

During the game that say, Ruko sucks.

[Michael]

Stuff like that.

[Alan]

Ryan is just taking strays today.

[Peter]

Do you know that John Winthrop, our esteemed pinhead, Right. Said the easiest person he's ever worked with is Ryan Roco?

[Don]

I could see that.

[Michael]

But then also, they're very close.

[Peter]

Very close.

[Michael]

Yeah.

[Alan]

Well, he's a good guy.

[Peter]

Yeah, Ryan is.

[Michael]

Ryan is easy to work.

[Peter]

One of the nice people in the business.

[Alan]

Yeah.

[Peter]

It's almost said the business.

[Michael]

I mean, the industry and almost nice. To the point, though. Almost to the point where you go, yeah, what's going on?

[Alan]

It's an act.

[Peter]

Trusting.

[Michael]

Yeah.

[Alan]

You don't believe it. You think the whole thing's an act.

[Michael]

He's actually just short of the line. Because I actually do believe it's the real deal with Ryan. But he's close.

[Alan]

There are certain people in the world that you wonder, what do they look like? Pissed off. I've never curious. That's right. I never curious to see, like, what do you look like?

[Peter]

Done made him cry? Watch him. Rocky. That's tears coming down.

[Don]

He had.

[Alan]

Watching.

[Don]

You know. You know when we joke about. You never seen a movie? He said he never saw Rocky, but he had seen like, two through. Yeah, through the Apollo's, right?

[Alan]

What?

[Michael]

So never the first.

[Don]

I'm like, how did you not see the first one? So I brought it in with me. We sat there. It took two days because we didn't have a ton of time to watch. And at the end, I even got a little of a klemp I didn't like because it's.

[Alan]

It's.

[Don]

Oh, yeah.

[Michael]

If you've never seen it, it's.

[Don]

But it's nothing. It just. The idea that winning didn't matter. It was just that he. At the end of the day, he's got the love of his life there.

[Michael]

That's it.

[Don]

And we both. We both felt it. We felt emotional about it.

[Peter]

I walked by when they were watching, tears coming down his face. I made fun of him. And of course, the same thing I did to Don after the super bowl when the Giants beat the Patriots. He's weeping, and I just didn't let him up.

[Don]

Yeah.

[Michael]

After his father had passed.

[Peter]

He had not passed, right?

[Don]

No, but it was later still. It had to do with the fact Michael, for some reason, I was on with Brandon. Brandon Tierney was on right after the super bowl and asked me the first. The helmet catch.

[Alan]

Okay.

[Don]

So they. They. They get me on to talk about it. And I started talking about how this is the first championship without my dad, and. And I got a little emotional.

[Alan]

Okay.

[Don]

Michael's thinking, I'm crying because the Giants won the Super Bowl. No, I'm crying because it reminded me of my dad. That would be the first call I would make after the Giants had won the super bowl to my dad.

[Peter]

Never let him up for it.

[Don]

Never let me up.

[Michael]

It's a very strange man, this guy.

[Peter]

Who, me?

[Don]

Yeah. And it wasn't there. And here's the thing. There wasn't, like, an audience to appreciate. If it had been on the air, I'd say, hey, listen, good ratings.

[Peter]

You just want to do.

[Don]

This is me, him, and Aaron Spielberg on the Rent a Car on the way home cry.

[Peter]

That would have been great.

[Michael]

Yeah. That you would have appreciated.

[Peter]

The guy did the April Fool's joke on me. Don almost killed him. Almost killed the program director.

[Michael]

But the. For the April Fool's show.

[Don]

Yes. So that.

[Michael]

But he took the April Fool's joke very seriously. The emotions you have about your father. Nothing but the April Fool's joke.

[Peter]

Because I said on the air. Could have gotten me fired. Don just showed. You know what a softy is.

[Alan]

Here's all you need to know. That affected him.

[Michael]

Right.

[Alan]

The crying did not. No effect on me and Michael.

[Peter]

Don knows my phrase. What's in it for me?

[Alan]

That's.

[Michael]

That's right. And you're.

[Alan]

And you're rooting for you, that's how we all live.

[Peter]

That bothers you, doesn't it?

[Don]

This has been all.

[Michael]

All very.

[Don]

I don't want to. I don't want to steal our open, but it was similar to your open. But I. But I. But I just. But you said great stuff. Driving it.

[Peter]

Thank you.

[Don]

But you said something that's really interesting. Like Vegas has them favored to win the American League or have the most wins in the American League.

[Peter]

And to win the.

[Don]

Right.

[Peter]

Yeah.

[Alan]

They being the Yankees.

[Don]

Okay. Just wanted to just assure the good job that. But yet Yankee fans are just upset with running it back.

[Peter]

Yeah.

[Alan]

No, we don't say running it back. We're not running it back.

[Don]

But that's what they did.

[Alan]

Different team.

[Don]

So it's.

[Michael]

It's not.

[Peter]

I think it's a different year. Four of the 26 guys.

[Don]

Right.

[Peter]

Who finished the season are back.

[Don]

And that's called.

[Michael]

That's called running back.

[Don]

And the two guys left with the Flushing. Right.

[Alan]

Yeah.

[Don]

Even leave New York.

[Alan]

Oh, yeah.

[Peter]

But I, I think that part of it is Yankee. I'm not going to rip them. It's. It's championship or bus. So they said, well, this team didn't even come. No, no, no.

[Don]

But here's the. But now it's to the level of guarantee me a champion. Like. Cause they're a good enough team to win a championship. They haven't won one, but they're certainly good enough. But I think Yankee fans want, like, that insurance policy. They want the buffer like what the Dodgers and what the Dodgers are doing is ridiculous. And they're going to ruin baseball because we're going to lose the 2027 season because of it. And it's going to be awful. But still they're in a really good position. But they want an all Star or a Hall of Famer at every position. They want, like, assurances. I'm sorry, there's no assurances. They're not even sure the Dodgers are going to win.

[Peter]

The Dodgers should have lost last year.

[Don]

Very easily.

[Alan]

Could have lost. And they are always like that rash of injuries away from just being destroyed. But they get through a season. But you're saying that that's what fans want. Sounds like Aaron Judge kind of wanted that, too.

[Don]

Well, we're going to certainly get to.

[Peter]

That one pushback, which I said on my show, you want to back Grisham and you want to back Bellinger. So the Yankees did that and you are then at the mercy of Scott Boris. Can't rush it. So I was upset that it took so Slow. Well, it took slow because you want Bellinger back. If they moved off Bellinger, then it could have happened faster.

[Alan]

But this.

[Don]

But this is why I want a cap in baseball. Because when we talk football, we talk basketball, we talk hockey, it's, let's get a better general manager. Let's get a better manager or head coach.

[Michael]

Let's be better in baseball, it's just buy. Just buy it.

[Don]

Spend more money, right? There's never any question about, I'll give the Yankee fans credit when they get on Cashman, but it's usually getting on Cashmen for not spending more money. But they do get on him for a flawed roster, which we even got back when we did the show together. That I can understand, because that's baseball. But we get the baseball. Just buy it. That's why Met fans are starting to hate Cohen, because they expected. Why aren't we winning a championship every year? Why don't we have a $500 million payroll and it shouldn't be about that. And listen, I'm a Met fan. I benefit from it, right? But I still think it's wrong that because a guy's sitting on hedge fund money, at least the Yankees, when they were the richest organization, they were the richest because they were the most popular. They won the most, and they deserve to be where they are. But, hey, Steve, Cohen could have bought the Marlins, right? See, but it'd be sitting on the same amount of money and what they're supposed to now go just buy a World Series.

[Peter]

Here's the interesting thing about Cohen. And, you know, I'm sure you'll get into the Tony Clark stuff. So he said he doesn't know which way he leans on the cap. If he goes in on the cap, he's taken away his best strength.

[Alan]

Yep.

[Peter]

Why would you do that? Why would he agree? He's the one guy that can afford to have a 500 million. And Guggenheim Partners, if he agrees on the cap, he's handcuffed, I'll tell you.

[Alan]

But how many guys did, in all honesty, with all the money he's got, other than Soto, which was obviously the biggest fish, how many guys has he gotten that he wanted because he just outspent somebody?

[Peter]

Soto was the big fish. But anybody else, Bichette, the Phillies wanted him. He didn't.

[Alan]

That was really late. That was really late in the process. That was after not getting Bellinger.

[Don]

It wasn't for a lack of effort.

[Alan]

No, no, I'm not saying it's lack of effort. What I'm saying is, is like him swinging.

[Don]

It hasn't really been. Because. You know why? Cohen isn't what everybody thought he would be. I have no evidence to this. You would know better than me. But my guess is, in order to get in the club, he had to make some assurances that he wouldn't spend like a drunken sailor, that he played the game. If he votes for a cap to me, that. That is because he left some assurances to them that I will not go rogue. I will go with the majority.

[Peter]

He went rogue with Soto. The one place he didn't go rogue, which I'll never understand. Sit down with him. Is judge after judge.

[Don]

Because I think it was part of the deal.

[Alan]

Yeah.

[Don]

I think the deal is, hey, well, Soto was fair game, okay? But Judge was already a lifelong Yankee. And I just think, listen, do what you gotta do to win, but at least play the game. I think he feels. I think that's in the back of his head. He must have made some assurances to him, let me in your club and I will promise you I won't go rogue. I won't pull the Dodgers. And they let him in. I think that's why. And if he votes for a cap, it'll be because of that.

[Peter]

But it's funny, though, you know, the whole thing will come crashing down because of the Dodgers and the Mets. The owners voted them in. They didn't have to. They let the wolf in the head house. These guys. Look at the business they're in. They're barracudas. They're gonna get what they want. Steve Cohen buys the best art. He overprices it and gets it when nobody else can. So you let them in because you want to increase the value of your franchise, and now you're paying for it.

[Don]

But there's only so many people that are in a position like that.

[Peter]

No, I mean, there's a lot of people. Billions of dollars. Just read the Epstein files.

[Don]

A lot of. But, but, but. I'm sure they don't like getting into 30 different people coming together and buying a team. They probably like the fact here's one guy buying a team and there's only so many people that can do that.

[Peter]

There's a lot of people.

[Don]

That's right.

[Peter]

It's Head by Mark Walter. But I laugh when people go, if Hal ever sold the Yankees, he'd get 12 billion. No, he wouldn't. He might get 20 billion. All you need is two lunatic hedge fund guys in New York.

[Don]

Because it's a toy.

[Peter]

Yeah, it's a toy.

[Don]

Or a piece of art. It's worth however somebody's going to spend. And that's what people don't understand. When we, when Al and I, especially Alan, started talking about. It's mom and pop.

[Peter]

Right?

[Don]

Because technically is. Because whatever the house Steinberg is worth is after he sells the team. Like, he makes a lot of money with the team, but he's not sitting on billions of dollars.

[Peter]

No. You have to cash in. Because they say the same thing about Musk. Elon Musk doesn't have cash in hand. He's got all that stock in SpaceX and he's got to sell it in order to realize the money. He can't even go to Starbucks and get a coffee. I can. I'm going now.

[Aaron Judge]

All right.

[Don]

Thank you, Michael. I appreciate it.

[Michael]

That's called out, Mike.

[Alan]

That exit. That's to see you.

[Don]

He's got a lot going on. That was nice. He didn't have to do that so much that he. And yet he.

[Michael]

And yet he did and said so many things.

[Alan]

But I will say we give him energy.

[Don]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Alan]

How do you feel about it?

[Michael]

All right.

[Alan]

No, what do you mean about that?

[Don]

It's tough doing a show by yourself.

[Alan]

But that's a compliment.

[Don]

Yeah. But you know.

[Alan]

Yeah.

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Without question, cancer rates are rising across the board. And concerningly, we are seeing more aggressive cancers in people even in their 20s and 30s.

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[Alan]

Thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.

[Michael]

I didn't listen to anything you just said.

[Alan]

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

[Don]

It's always fun after a nice long weekend. I know a lot of people did work and thanks to Ty Butler and Jake Aspen for filling in for us yesterday.

[Michael]

You want to thank me, but Peter.

[Don]

Pushed for the day.

[Michael]

What do you think?

[Don]

I was already on. It was great. I mean, it was really great because I had, I had a whole birthday weekend because there was a lot going on because Friday, you know, I'm on till 7. Marco had baseball, Jalen had dance. So my birthday was, was sunk. And then now it's Valentine's Day. So I'm sharing Valentine's Day with everybody, with Nancy and then, then come Sunday and we had dinner plans with. With a couple of people. And then so yesterday was just a.

[Michael]

You got your day.

[Don]

Just have a day. It was nice.

[Michael]

Yeah, we weren't. Neither of us were going to take it. And then I was like, what the. Alan's already off for a family a weekend.

[Alan]

What are we doing?

[Michael]

Are we rushing back to talk about the All Star Game on Monday? I think this is. It's the. And also this is the time of year. It's disgusting. Like, this is a good time to take a day if you, if anyone out there has the opportunity to. February in New York. Great time to just take a day. Take one. I went to Atlantic City. Don't ask why. What. But it was a good time.

[Alan]

Of all the things to do on.

[Michael]

A rainy, freezing president, probably not one of them. That's how I celebrate. I wanted to celebrate the presidents there. But it was lovely. Had a good time.

[Peter]

Hard rocks.

[Michael]

Pretty nice.

[Don]

Yeah. Oh, yeah.

[Michael]

I had some great restaurants, a couple of great meals with Hard Rock.

[Alan]

That'll do.

[Michael]

Yeah. I met a lot of lovely listeners, too.

[Alan]

Same in D.C. you know, a huge volleyball. The Capital Classic. It's just like it. I think it was about 6 or 7 million players. Felt like it was just saying, yeah, court. Well, we were on, like, court 1305 at one point. It's really mad. Like, until you're in it, you have no idea.

[Michael]

Can't even imagine.

[Alan]

This was our fourth and final time with Gracie, so a little Moshe, you know, walking out, you know, you feel it.

[Michael]

Who went?

[Alan]

Just me and Gracie.

[Michael]

Oh, wow.

[Alan]

Yeah, we had a great time, but she also had a great time with her teammates and a lot of her friends. But it's amazing, though, the reach of the show. Thank you. As I'm walking through the crowded courts, you know, you're trying to find your way and stuff. It was just great to every now and then be stopped by somebody to say, love the show, think you guys are great. Listen every day.

[Michael]

There we go.

[Alan]

And that's, you know.

[Michael]

Yeah, I had some of that. Nice, too. That was. It was. It was nice. People are out there, so.

[Alan]

They really are. We swear.

[Don]

So it was a big deal yesterday. And again, if this feels like it's redundant, you may have heard it already with the Judge stuff. He spoke about, you know, the office reflecting on the off season and everything. And I love when we have to kind of translate athletes, because as much as I love Aaron Judge, what you're going to hear is kind of talking out of both sides of his mouth.

[Aaron Judge]

It was brutal. You know, I'm like, I see a lot of free agents out there. I see a lot of guys that, you know, like the Bellingers, Grisham's, Goldschmidt's, like, yeah, let's sign these guys right now and then start adding more pieces, you know, because I'm seeing other teams around the league get better. They're making trades, they're signing big prospects or big players. And, you know, we kind of were sitting there for a while, you know, kind of making smaller moves, but it was tough there in the beginning. But I think once we solidify getting Bellinger back, you know, we got Trent being our center fielder, be our leadoff guy for another year. And then you had a guy like Goldie, some of the back end, you know, bullpen pieces that we've been doing. I think we're being a Good spot. But early on, it was pretty.

[Michael]

Pretty tough to watch.

[Aaron Judge]

I'm like, we're the New York Yankees. You know, let's go out there and. And get the right people, get the right pieces to go out there and finish this thing off. Because we got a special group of players here. We got a good core, good young core. So, yeah, it was frustrating, but I think we're right where we need to be.

[Don]

Right. So he's saying two things. It was frustrating. Add pieces, which they didn't because they're running back the exact same team, but yet he loves the team.

[Alan]

So say they added pieces.

[Don]

But he said he wanted. He said, let's get Bellinger done and let's add some pieces. But it took so long for Bellinger to get done that by the time Bellinger got done, free agency was over.

[Alan]

Right.

[Don]

So did you voice your frustration to the front office? Yeah.

[Aaron Judge]

Oh, yeah, Benjamin. But they took care of business. I have voiced my opinion about a couple of guys and Bellinger being one of the guys that just adds a dynamic to this team that, you know, we've been missing for quite a few years. So excited he's back.

[Don]

All right, so he voiced his frustration.

[Michael]

About what?

[Don]

I guess that you weren't happy they weren't more aggressive, but yet you love the team. So is this judge expressing two thoughts? We could have done better, but we didn't. But I'm fine with that because.

[Alan]

No, he's not.

[Don]

This is pretty much the same team that we went almost. We went to the playoffs with last year, lost to the Blue Jays, and I'm the captain of the team, and I'm not going to throw anybody under the bus. So I love these guys. Or is it a shot at Bellinger? Like, why did it take so long for this to get done?

[Alan]

Definitely not a shot at Bellinger because Bellinger wanted seven.

[Don]

He ended up settling for five. So is it like, why didn't you hurry up and get something done? No matter. No matter where you focus your angst of your judge, what you are saying in those two cuts is you wanted more to be done. It wasn't done, but you're cool. Because he's not gonna kill the team that he's on, and the team still might be good enough to win. But he sounded like a caller, man. He sounded like somebody that wanted to be more aggressive in free agency and wasn't.

[Alan]

We're the New York freaking Yankees. We should do better. This has nothing to do with Bellinger. He wanted him back.

[Don]

Oh, clearly.

[Alan]

You know who Else he wanted back. He wanted Soto. That didn't happen. He didn't say anything. Right. What he did was the whole, the guys who want to be here are here. He put that on soda.

[Don]

Right.

[Alan]

Last year.

[Don]

Right.

[Alan]

But then a year later, he's realizing, you know, we aren't just, like, taking care of our people. We're not even keeping the guys that we should be keeping. And he was probably worried along with the rest of us that if Bellinger ends up signing somewhere else because we have a number that we refuse to move on from, who's gonna. What protection am I getting now? Right. I'm telling you, this was him as best he can, as carefully and calculated as he can. This is him calling out the front office. That's what I. That's what I heard. He had to then flip it and go, Bellinger and Grisham and Gold is. You know, he doesn't mean that, but he has to, because the guys in the room are like, oh, I guess you didn't want us. If he stuck to, like, if he starts naming different names of guys who went somewhere else, you know, Bouchette could have used him. If he was doing that, guys in the room would be looking at him, like, seriously.

[Don]

Yeah, but that's kind of what he said.

[Alan]

Yes, I know. But then he had to soften it by saying, but then we got these guys.

[Don]

You know what? This is a.

[Alan]

This. That's why it was two. Two sides of his mouth.

[Don]

Donnie, this is a rare misstep by judge. Or is it?

[Alan]

No, I don't think so.

[Don]

Well, it's not a misstep, because I think he's trying to win the fans over. I mean, these are guys that are booing him. You know, they. They. We were getting phone calls throughout the year, like, he's got to do better, even though he's tearing it up. But it's like, oh, he hasn't won a championship yet. Doesn't matter. He can't be in the same breath as Derek Jeter. He doesn't want a championship. I'm sure that gets back to Judge. So it probably helps him throwing a little chum to the fans to say, hey, I was with you. I wanted to get more. But he did say that this is why it's a misstep. He put it out there. All right? Now, he could talk about how much he loves the team, but he still put it out there. He's got to go back in that room, and they're going to say to him, aaron, what else did you want him to do. You said you get Bellinger done so you can add more pieces. We didn't add more pieces. So it sounds like you're unhappy with the team. That's why he shouldn't have said anything. He should have just said, I'm happy with the team. Voices displeasure to the Yankees. He's behind closed doors. But you can't. He's representing two sides here, Alan. That's why it's a misstep.

[Alan]

Now. I understand the misstep is him speaking up now opens up fans to say, well, if you took less money. Right. They're going to hold that against him.

[Don]

He did take less money.

[Alan]

Well, I mean, significantly less is what fans.

[Don]

Yeah, but when you take a look at the money Soto signed to go elsewhere.

[Alan]

Look, you know that's logic, Don.

[Don]

Right.

[Alan]

You're talking about some fans who want to have a reason to be mad at him. But I think what he was trying to suggest is he's looking at. If you want me to translate this. Of what I heard. What I heard was he sees the Dodgers and he's saying, we should be like that.

[Don]

Right.

[Alan]

We should be just as much a destination as any other team. And when there's a guy out there that people can't sign, how are we not in on him just to see what he can do here?

[Don]

I'm with you.

[Alan]

You know, Tucker, who are guys that we could get to make us better so we can win a ring and then just worry about the future some other time? Because the Dodgers seem to have figured that out. Right. That's the part I think he's a little frustrated about. But he also can't go too far because he still has to go to war with the guys in that room.

[Don]

I know, but he.

[Alan]

So he can't. He can't make it look like that. I'm not happy with what we got because we got. But there's. If you hear the names he was saying, Goldschmidt, who's pretty 37, he's going to be a mentor now. He's not really going to be a. He's not a full time player. Grisham took the QO and you're just hoping like hell that that wasn't an anomaly year last year for him at the plate. Because if it is, you're in big trouble.

[Don]

I know.

[Alan]

So he knows all this stuff. He's happy that Bellinger's there, but it took forever. And I'm sure Belly and him were talking and Bellinger's probably like, I want to Stay How? Why are they doing? Why they nickel and diming me? I'll sign right now if they just like, just sign me. He knew he wanted to stay. Bellinger said as much.

[Don]

Well, didn't get mad.

[Alan]

This, this was Judge, for the first time showing you a little bit of displeasure that we didn't operate like everybody expects us to operate. But I was watching the Dodgers do it. That's what I think he was trying to say here.

[Don]

But it also is protection, Peter, because now if they don't win, we know he said that. So it's going to be like, well, don't blame me. I told you I wanted to add more pieces. But how do you do that? And then in the same cut. I love the team we have.

[Michael]

Well, isn't it, but isn't it very.

[Don]

It's disingenuous.

[Michael]

I'm sorry, but isn't it very, this Yankee team?

[Alan]

What do you mean?

[Michael]

Well, if we say something, it's going to be a little bit half ass and you're going to kind of have to find your way through it and take a guess at what we're saying because, like, I love Judge. He's the man. He leads with how he plays. Yeah, but like, when it comes to, like, have, if you want to say, listen, you're number 99, you are allowed to, Aaron Judge, call out the team. Do whatever you want, bro. You can do whatever you want. But the truth is we have to accept who he is. He, he has, he has big cojones on the field, not at the podium. He doesn't know how to do it. It's not. And, and, and he had a chance.

[Alan]

To really punch this. Yeah. And it's almost like he pulled it. He did, he swung. And then like, just, he didn't like at the end.

[Michael]

So he eased up a little bit. If you wanted to take your shot, this was the moment. Who do you have to answer to? He could do anything he wants. Aaron Judge could light up.

[Don]

He's too nice a guy.

[Alan]

He's. But, but, but the.

[Michael]

I wish he would grow out of it. It's actually holding him back.

[Alan]

To me, this, maybe it's a start because what that was was not at how that was at Cash.

[Don]

I, I Fine.

[Alan]

That was at Cash.

[Don]

Fine. But now you still have to go back in that room as the captain of the Yankees and pretend you didn't say, I was really hoping that we'd add pieces. What are you owning here, Alan? Are you owning that Brian Cashman should have done more, that we should be The Dodgers. We're the New York Yankees, for God's sakes. Why do we only have the third highest payroll? Why don't we have the second? Why don't we have the first? And then walk in that room and say, it's okay, cuz we're still good enough to go out there and win. Let's get them, guy. You can't own both, right? So which one are you owning? And Peter's right? He's there. He's. He's Aaron Judge. He's the man. Own one of the two. And the one they should own is. That's my team. We're good enough to win. Let's go get them. But you can't play both sides. Because you play both sides, you lose both sides. Oh, I'm trying to. I'm trying to answer to the fans who think the cashmere should have done more. I agree with them, but I also agree with running it back and having the same team. Let's go get. I'm really excited.

[Alan]

The goal turns back. He agree with it. He didn't say he agreed with it.

[Don]

But he says he loves the team.

[Alan]

Well, because those are his guys. This is it.

[Don]

I'm sorry you feel good about this, but then. Then you shouldn't get better. Went to management, apparently complained, they didn't.

[Alan]

Add, they didn't get better. They are the same.

[Don]

Well, now you got to go into that room and say, we could have gotten better guys. We didn't. So let's go get him.

[Michael]

Prove me wrong. And there's an easy way to say it. I mean, Al, what you're saying, like, it is easy enough to say. I got to tell you, I love my teammates. I love everyone we have on this team. I would have liked to see us get a little more aggressive and bringing someone else in here. You don't have to make it sound like I wanted people out, but I wanted more to come in. There's a way to frame that with that. That's just not such.

[Alan]

I totally understand what you're saying. You're not saying you're wrong. This is, I think, his first foray into showing.

[Michael]

I feel like. Does it feel like he's done something similar before? When, like, where he does take a little bit of like a.

[Alan]

What the Dodgers. Where he really could have gone all in and he was almost like, you know, got to beat him on the field kind of attitude.

[Michael]

I'm trying to remember just those last spring training. It feels familiar to me from him.

[Don]

I think he.

[Alan]

This is what you need to do to put your franchise on notice that the best, most important player is not happy.

[Don]

Okay.

[Alan]

And that's what you do. And at the end of this year, if things don't go well, you know what he can do? He can say it again and no one will say, well, why didn't you say something at the time? He did. He did. Did he? When he was asked, did you express any of this and he kind of let you know, yeah, I did.

[Don]

But now he's got a fully own that it kind of, you know, he talked. He still loves this team and it's like, ah, well, he obviously doesn't think it's good enough.

[Alan]

Yeah, he clearly doesn't think it's good.

[Don]

You know, so that he's got to answer to those guys in there.

[Alan]

Well, it puts a lot of pressure on him.

[Don]

It does. Now there's another veteran on the team and another leader, and that's Giancarlo Stanton.

[Alan]

Okay.

[Don]

Did you feel the same way as Judge did about the off season? I was definitely checking to see if anything was going on, but. Interested?

[Aaron Judge]

Frustrating. I wouldn't say frustrating.

[Don]

You have all until through spring to make moves. So just interested, curious and yeah, he's kind of saying the same thing.

[Alan]

He's super.

[Don]

We still have time.

[Alan]

He's another one that really dialed, like held it back.

[Don]

He held it back, but he's still saying the same thing. I don't say I'm frustrated, but we do have the rest of spring training. Did you. I understand, but all you have is the two biggest names on the team have now gone public and the first thing they're saying is we didn't do enough. Yeah, still like the team. All right, but we didn't do enough.

[Alan]

Once again, I don't like the run it back thing. Pissed a lot of people off because the thought was this team wasn't good enough to win in the playoffs. And so anybody would say, well, all right, we know we can win 90 plus in the regular season, but are we better than we were last year? And you know, you could argue with Cole's return and all that stuff. Maybe they will be with pitching. But I think what you're hearing from Judge is him saying there's two players in the league that are considered the two best players. He's one. Who's the other?

[Don]

Shohei. Right. Yeah.

[Alan]

Who has more depth and support around him so that even if he's not playing his best, that team still can win.

[Don]

You're right.

[Alan]

Because Shoe Ohtani has not exactly killed it in the postseason at times and yet his team still can win. But you he doesn't do it. When Judge doesn't do it, it's lights out.

[Don]

But there is a bit of selfishness to this. I will talk about that coming up.

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[Alan]

Thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.

[Michael]

I didn't listen to anything you just said.

[Alan]

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

[Don]

All right, let's hear from you. 1-800-919-3776. The selfish part of it for Judge is I think this is all motivated by the fact he wants a ring, all right, and understandable. And he is not going to ever be, which is, I think, absolutely ridiculous. But unfortunately, this is the standards that's been created. You'll never be considered an all time great unless you have a ring, which I thought was always foolish in baseball. So you tell me Ted Williams was an all time great.

[Alan]

Great.

[Don]

Ernie Banks wasn't an all time great? That Mike Trout's not an all time great, that if Ohtani stayed in Anaheim with the Angels, he'd never be an all time great. I understand it for quarterbacks in the NFL. I certainly understand it in the NBA. But in baseball it's hard to win, it's hard to do it all yourself. But up until last year, to be fair, Judge has not been good in the postseason. So is it he doesn't have a team that's good enough or he wasn't good enough? Because I'll tell you honestly and I'm taking a shot at Judge, but there were times the team was good enough. He wasn't because he wasn't hitting in the postseason.

[Alan]

Okay.

[Don]

That wasn't the case last year.

[Alan]

Right.

[Don]

Because he did hit and they came up short.

[Alan]

What about Ohtani two years ago? Tony wasn't good in the playoffs.

[Don]

He also got hurt. He already got in that World Series.

[Alan]

Then he got hurt. But he already wasn't really playing well.

[Don]

Right.

[Alan]

But didn't matter because they had sold.

[Michael]

Right.

[Don]

And that's what he's looking at and say.

[Alan]

And judges probably say, I got to carry this team. And that guy has superstars all around him. They're a big brand. So are we. Why do we operate differently?

[Don]

I think we operate differently because the baseball's got a problem because nobody can compete with the Dodgers. It's ridiculous.

[Alan]

Judge is doing what a lot of stars in the other sports do when they start realizing that it's all on my plate and there's another star that I'm a rival of and it's not all on his plate. And I don't know if that's right. And does my organization care enough to want to make sure we get a ring or is the, you know, is. Is the little prince sitting there saying, we're going to win because of my system and the way we know.

[Don]

I get it. But that, that's.

[Alan]

He's going to get tired of it.

[Don]

But don't, don't, don't dance around and say it.

[Alan]

Well, he can't say it. Well, he can't say it, but he start hinting it.

[Don]

Well, he's certainly hinting it. But, you know, that also becomes a little bit of collateral damage inside the.

[Alan]

Room, in my opinion, Don. It draws our attention to it. As this season plays out, they'll start. I believe they'll start to be these stories of Judge not happy. Well, Judge little disgruntled with the Yankees in their situation. If they aren't winning games at the level they're supposed to win, if something's going on, I promise you this now is chum in the water for all the beat writers through throughout a long season.

[Don]

But where else?

[Alan]

Anytime something goes wrong, they start poking at that.

[Don]

But unlike the NBA, where maybe you can go to a bunch of other places, go play with somebody else, what are you going to go? I want to be a Dodger. Because where else are you going to go?

[Alan]

I don't know.

[Don]

I mean, the Mets aren't winning anything either, so where else are you going to go? Just Try to be a dodge. That's why baseball's got the issue. And then what are you going to do if they do have a cap and everybody's in the same boat and everybody's playing the same game?

[Alan]

You're right. But that's the thing. There is no cap now, right? Cap is something that Dodgers will worry about after there's a cap.

[Don]

They'll figure it out and maybe another championship to boot. But that's not even guaranteed.

[Alan]

But isn't that the point, though? If there's ever a time to do it, you kind of. Kind of want to do it before you have this cap, right? Because then it becomes more of a level playing field, which makes it, and I'm telling you, people don't understand this. In Major League Baseball, it's going to be a lot harder to win a World Series for the high. The big market teams. It's going to get tremendously harder because there will be more of a level playing field. And if you don't believe me, look at the NBA and look at the.

[Don]

NFL and for sure, the NFL. Let's go to Justin in Massapequa. You're on espn, New York. You get us started. What's up, man? I don't think Judge took a shot at the front office.

[Caller]

I just think he wants to win.

[Don]

More than anybody in baseball. So what did he mean by saying, hey, we're the New York Yankees, why aren't we getting more players? Who was it was that shot at? He.

[Caller]

He just.

[Don]

He just wanted to show the organization that he wanted to win and that he was a little frustrated. And I think he's really competitive and he's the best player in baseball. All right, I appreciate the phone call, but here's the thing. It's not like the Yankees are losing 100 games. They go to the playoffs every year. And up until last year, to be fair, Judge has not been great in the postseason. All right, that fifth inning that cost them Game 5 of the World Series two years ago, Judge was a part of that. He missed a fly ball. So let's not make it seem like all. Judge can never win because the Yankees don't do enough.

[Alan]

This is Patrick.

[Don]

They've got the third highest payroll. They're in the playoffs every single year. And up until last year, you've left a lot to be desired in the postseason.

[Alan]

This is Patrick Ewing. This is Patrick Ewing.

[Michael]

What do you mean in terms of what he's saying?

[Alan]

Michael's got all these. Michael's got Scotty, Michael's. They traded For Rodman. Michael's got all this stuff and not enough around me.

[Don]

Well.

[Alan]

And every time we lose, it's my fault.

[Michael]

Happy birthday, Michael, by the way.

[Alan]

Yeah. And congratulations on another championship for Michael Jordan.

[Michael]

Yeah. Tough weekend for him on social media, but it was nonsense.

[Alan]

Oh, but was it? Daytona is a pretty good day, but that's.

[Michael]

That's still pretty.

[Don]

But was it really. Jordan's got, you know, Pippin, and he's got. Whatever era you want to talk about. I guess at that era, it would.

[Alan]

Horace Grant. Like they were loaded.

[Don]

But it was Jordan and he wasn't Jordan. I mean, those Knicks teams were good.

[Alan]

Yeah.

[Don]

But, you know. But also Patrick. Right.

[Alan]

Came up.

[Michael]

Right.

[Don]

Patrick would come up short.

[Alan]

Tell me where the. Tell me where the comp between him and Judge is really that far off.

[Don]

I don't.

[Michael]

I judge better.

[Alan]

Yeah. That stature, like, Ewing was a great player. He was. He was never number four every year. But you'd never. I think he was. I think he might have been top five MVP once.

[Michael]

Right.

[Alan]

But I don't mean that. What I'm saying is, in New York, tons of pressure to win, and when they don't, it's all your fault. No one around you.

[Michael]

No part that. That part you could.

[Alan]

And that wears on year after year, especially when there's a team you're trying to go through and you can't because they keep getting all the players.

[Don]

But here's the problem is that this was not the year to do it because he was a beast in the postseason. Right. So say this would be the year to do it. No, this wouldn't be the year to do it because he was like. In the sense that. I think people were finally off his back a little bit.

[Michael]

Yeah.

[Don]

You know, I agree.

[Alan]

But wait a minute.

[Don]

Should have been.

[Alan]

He. He performed and everybody else didn't.

[Don]

Yeah.

[Michael]

Maybe it's a perfect year.

[Alan]

This is the exact time to do it. Like, even when I played great.

[Michael]

Yeah, because you wouldn't want to do.

[Don]

It the other year.

[Michael]

You can't do it on the year when you didn't show up.

[Alan]

He couldn't do it two years ago when he dropped.

[Michael]

This would be the year to do it. But.

[Don]

Yeah, but. All right, I don't mind. Blue Jays had their number, But. But also, I can understand it if The Yankees are finishing.500 every year or 183 games like the Mets did. They were tied with the Blue Jays. They couldn't beat the Blue Jays. The Blue Jays had their number. That happens.

[Alan]

Yeah. That's frustrating.

[Don]

But the answer can't always be spend more money.

[Alan]

Well, no, it didn't. It's, it's get better players, spend the money wisely, do more things to help us get better rather than the spit on the ground, run it back. That's what I like this because I agree with the previous caller. He wants to win. He's got his MVP in his pocket. He's got his home run record and all. He wants to win right now. That's the only thing left in his career, winning. And I love it.

[Don]

And now you go right. But, but the thing with it's you still got to walk in that room and it's like, dude, I'm doing everything. I can't worry.

[Alan]

He's not worried about that.

[Don]

Right.

[Alan]

I love the fact that he's fighting.

[Don]

Also has, you know, driving his team to be better. Right. Holding players accountable.

[Alan]

Well, maybe we'll see that this year. Maybe he's letting everybody know that there's going to be, it's going to be a little different now because our expectations, at least my expectations are the only thing we're playing for is a ring. And if we don't, it's a failure. And he has already voiced that.

[Don]

More calls. 1-800-919-3776. Steve Cohen's comments as well. Mark Cuban, some interesting things as well. It's going to be a fun show. Take you up until 7 o'. Clock. But there's a lot of reasons why people buy at Ramsey Mazda. It's their selection is their customer service and it's their savings. Lease a new 2026 Mazda CX32.5S select sports all wheel drive for $209 for 33 months. Start shopping now at Ramsey Mazda.com, choose wisely. Choose Ramsey Mazda. Call 833-853-2970 for details. VINTM 105852 MSRP 295300 security deposit ends 3226.

[Alan]

Thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast. I don't want to know how the sausage is made, but I just want to know it. 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 from 30 for 30 podcasts.

[Don]

Brian Pata, senior defensive lineman from Miami.

[Alan]

Gunned down the key to this case. It's Brian.

[Michael]

An hour before he died, he was.

[Alan]

On the phone arguing with somebody.

[Michael]

This might be a hit.

[Alan]

You want the truth? They just want a conviction.

[Don]

Being placed under arrest we had a killer amongst us.

[Michael]

Murder at the U. Listen now.