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

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.

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."

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..."

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..."

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."

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

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.

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.