Hour 1: Not Prepared

Summary

Don, Hahn & Rosenberg — Hour 1: Not Prepared

ESPN New York | October 6, 2025

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Episode Overview

This episode dives into an exasperating sports weekend in New York, centering around the Yankees' postseason collapse, the ongoing misery of NYC football teams, and the larger issues with local sports franchises. Don La Greca, Alan Hahn, and Peter Rosenberg commiserate over the state of New York sports, focusing intensely on the Yankees’ disastrous start in Toronto, the fans’ frustrations (especially with Aaron Judge), and a culture of excuse-making and lack of accountability within the Yankees organization.

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Main Discussion Points & Insights

1. New York Sports Weekend: “A Lost Day”

• The hosts paint a bleak picture for New York fans, highlighting failures across all major teams (Yankees, Mets, Giants, Jets).
• Don sums up the collective futility:

  “Yesterday felt like a lost day, didn’t it? ...I don’t even think it’s the fourth inning and I got up and I said, I’m done.” (01:29)

2. Yankees’ Collapse in Toronto

Contrast in Mood & Expectations

• The prevailing shock is over surrendering 23 runs in two games to Toronto, flipping pre-series optimism to resignation.
• Alan reflects:

  “It does feel like the season is over, the series is over. Based on what I saw in Toronto.” (02:22)

Max Fried’s Failure and Pitching Woes

• Speculation over Fried being “rocked” unexpectedly leads to larger questions of preparation and confidence:

  “He didn’t want to be there. He saw it in his eyes...” — Don (03:56)
  “They hit him like they knew it was coming.” — Don (03:59)

• Conspiratorial undertones (sign stealing, prepared Blue Jays) emerge but are ultimately cast aside in favor of blaming poor pitching and preparation.

Chances to Come Back?

• Alan emphasizes that, despite the odds, teams should focus on “Win a game tomorrow”—urging fans to avoid defeatism:

  “Can I win a game tomorrow? And the answer is yes, you can... Just win a game and worry about Game 5.” (06:24)

Blame Allocation: Pitching vs. Aaron Judge

• While the media and fan narrative shifts to criticize Aaron Judge’s lack of clutch at-bats, particularly his disastrous strikeout with bases loaded, Don and Alan argue the far bigger problem is the Yankees’ pitching meltdown:

  “When you've given up 23 runs in two games, shouldn’t we be looking at the pitching... isn’t that where the crosshairs should be?” — Alan (08:15)

3. Excuse-Making and “Yankee Standard”

• The hosts push back hard on the excuses: sign stealing, lack of high-tech batting machines, Toronto’s stadium quirks, etc.
• Don and Peter mock the shift from Yankee arrogance to excuse-mongering:

  “You’re the New York Yankees. You’re not supposed to make excuses. Built to win.” — Alan (14:14) “Give me a break. Sometimes you just go, 'you know what? The kid was freaking good.'” — Don (16:37)

4. Fan & Media Accountability

• Listeners and the media obsess over Judge and call for heads (Boone, Cashman), but the hosts encourage more holistic critique—players, and team preparedness need to be accountable, not just the manager or single superstar.
• Rosenberg calls out Yankees’ tendency to live in a “we’ve been robbed” mindset (“Astros” narrative), to their detriment:

  "They have been comfortable living in a we’ve been robbed world over the last five or six years." — Peter (17:41)

5. Toronto’s Preparation and Motivation

• Don insists Toronto “wanted the Yankees” and were “incredibly prepared,” using their chip-on-the-shoulder energy to dominate.

  “That was an ambush up there in Toronto. They were ready. You weren’t. That’s all you need to say as a team. We were not ready for this.” — Don (18:46)

• Hosts challenge Yankees to show similar urgency and edge, warning “don’t go quietly into that good night” (19:24).

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Mood of NY Sports Fans:
  “Monday. That's what it feels like, right?... The football teams just continue to embarrass themselves and the Yankees are facing elimination.”
  — Alan (00:52)

• On Max Fried’s Confidence:
  “He didn’t want anything to do with that atmosphere and what the Blue Jays had for him.”
  — Don (03:56)

• On Excuse-Making:
  “I don't want to hear about... the hotel in center field... they’re stealing signs just like the Astros did... Don’t make excuses. You’re the New York Yankees.”
  — Alan (13:52, paraphrased for clarity)

• Accountability for Poor Play:
  “Give me some accountability for once.”
  — Don (17:23)

• On Fans Wanting a "Pound of Flesh":
  "It's a pound of flesh thing that fans want when they're mad and no one's holding the players accountable because they can't. That's all they want."
  — Don (42:43)

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Key Calls & Fan Commentary

29:34 — Anthony in the Bronx:
Advocates holding Judge accountable for his failures, especially when compared to clutch opposing players:

“Until [Judge] does it, that narrative is not going to change. He's not a big game player.”
(30:18)

Alan and Don both agree that Judge should be held accountable for his high-profile strikeout with bases loaded (31:00), yet Alan points out it’s a weird conversation: Judge is still batting .440 but isn’t coming up big when it counts.

37:12 — Dave:
Questions Judge’s “clutch gene” and criticizes the media for making excuses; invokes “What would George do?”

• Heated (and circular) debate on whether harsh public criticism (a la George Steinbrenner) improves team outcomes or just appeases angry fans (41:17).

48:27 — Eddie in Massapequa:
Echoes fan frustration:

"How deflating is that for the rest of the lineup when we have nobody out, bases loaded, and our guy, instead of just taking the pitch, getting a run... our captain is garbage in the playoffs."

• Don agrees with the moment’s impact, but won't call Judge “garbage.” They debate possible reasoning for Judge's actions and revisit the narrative that only Aaron Judge gets held accountable—adding that the problem is wider than one player (49:40).

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Additional Show Highlights

• On Team Culture:
  The Yankees are challenged to play up to their historical standard and quit excuse-making.
  “Maybe it’s time for them to be the little engine that could. Because... they looked like the team that plays in another country... didn't belong.”
  — Alan (19:24)

• On Fan Frustration:
  Repeated calls for firing Boone and Cashman, but hosts say fans should aim their anger at the whole organization:

  “Let people vent... everybody’s on the carpet right now.”
  — Don (33:30)

• On the “Big Moment” for Judge:
  “There’s a part [where] you ask yourself deep down, bases loaded, nobody out, and I’m the man... I’m really taking that pitch?”
  — Don (44:19)

• On Accountability after Failure:
  “When he does something wrong in the stadium and you boo, that’s the pound of flesh you’re getting.”
  — Don (43:18)

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Pro Sports and Beyond

• The first hour closes with the promise to address Giants/Jets football struggles later (“NFL binge” at 4:30), with Alan teasing a hot take about the ugly state of NFL play due to “extended preseason” (21:27).
• The show maintains a New York-centric, sarcastic, and passionate tone, balancing fan discomfort with bracing realism and humor.

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:52: Setting the scene — NY sports failure, Yankees’ elimination woes
• 03:34: Max Fried’s meltdown, Blue Jays’ surprising preparation
• 06:24: Can the Yankees come back? Focus on “one game at a time”
• 08:15: Should Judge be in the crosshairs? Pitching staff vs. offensive scapegoating
• 13:52: Debunking excuses — sign stealing and equipment; the “Yankee standard”
• 18:13: Toronto’s chip on their shoulder, Yankees’ lack of urgency
• 29:34/37:12/48:27: Fan calls — holding Judge accountable, the need for a “Yankee pound of flesh,” and deeper frustration
• 44:19: Psychology of the big moment — Judge’s approach at the plate

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Tone & Language

The episode is classic sports talk: passionate, irreverent, and combative between hosts and with callers. The mood is heavy with disappointment but spiked with sarcasm and plenty of back-and-forth about who should bear blame. There’s no sugarcoating—just a blend of tough love, humor, and an abiding lament for what New York fans have to put up with.

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Summary

This sobering first hour crystallizes the malaise around New York sports, with the Yankees’ playoff collapse as the main course. Despite the temptation to pin blame solely on Aaron Judge for not delivering in key spots, Don, Hahn, and Rosenberg argue the real failures were systemic: pitching collapses, lack of mental readiness, and a creeping culture of excuse-making. Their message to the Yankees and fans alike: accountability starts everywhere, and only playing up to your pedigree—not excuses—will reverse New York’s sports misery.

Transcript

[Caller]

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[Don Hahn]

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[Alan Hahn]

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[Don Hahn]

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[Alan Hahn]

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[Don Hahn]

Han, I didn't know you were a screamer.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And Rosenberg, happy New Jewish New Year. Not newish Jew Year.

[Alan Hahn]

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

[Don Hahn]

This is Don Hahn and Rosenberg.

[Caller]

The best threesome I've ever heard on.

[Don Hahn]

ESPN New York and streaming live on.

[Alan Hahn]

YouTube 301 in the big city. Don Hahn and Rosenberg on a. I never looked forward to a Monday more than I did this weekend. Monday. That's what it feels like, right? I mean, how bad was this weekend? If you're a Met fan, you didn't have anything to worry about because your team couldn't make the playoffs. The football teams just continue to embarrass themselves and the Yankees are facing elimination. We had the conversation on Friday. Where are we going to be? Up two. Oh, oh. Two, one, one. How about giving up 23 runs in two games? Other than that, how's everybody doing? All right?

[Don Hahn]

Not great. No, not great.

[Alan Hahn]

Bob.

[Don Hahn]

Yesterday felt like a lost day, didn't it? Me again. No. I don't know for you, but it's like yesterday's a day where, I mean, I don't even think it's the fourth inning and I got up and I said, I'm done. I'm done, done. Like, like I already wasted the 1 o' clock hour or the 1 o' clock time slot watching. I turned the jet thing off. I just stuck with the Giants the whole way. There's the Giants in red zone.

[Alan Hahn]

Like, it just like.

[Don Hahn]

Honestly, I'm saying this and I'm dead. I've said it from the start. I don't want to spend five minutes on the jets today or any other day for the rest of the season. Not worth it until they get. Until they get their act right, which you could tell they're not. The battleship turn, it'd be sinking like, like. So don't, don't waste my time anymore with telling me any optimism you have about the current iteration of this team. Okay? Moving on.

[Alan Hahn]

All right.

[Don Hahn]

But the Yankee part of it, the. It's the incredible contrast of mood From Friday to Monday is unreal. And it does feel like the season is over, the series is over. Based on what I saw in Toronto.

[Alan Hahn]

Well, you give up 23 runs, right, Peter? I mean it's tough to, to believe. You still believe because they've done it before 2017 against the then Indians. They came back from 02 to be able to win that series and they usually never get swept. So you figure if you could just win one game and then you put a little pressure on Toronto. But it just feel like the Blue Jays are a completely different animal to the Red Sox. And also that city has not been kind to the Yankees all year long. Remember they got swept in a four game series for the first time ever in Toronto.

[Don Hahn]

Tried to tell you it's personal. Tried to tell you.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And, and would you guys have ever imagined though, the batting? Okay. I think we expected, you know, expect the unexpected when it comes to the bats in the playoffs for this team, we are used to that. But if we were going to say that Max Freed was going to get absolutely rocked, I don't know if that's what anyone would have had in the Cards.

[Alan Hahn]

No, no. This is what you got him for. Right. You got him for the regular season. But a guy that you know was great in 21 when they won the World Series with the Atlanta Braves, great. But he was good. Not great in the postseason in his history. But he's your ace and you want your ace. A certain of expectations are leveled upon those types of players. And he was good in the Red Sox series and he just gave you nothing.

[Don Hahn]

Nothing. He didn't want to be there. He saw it in his eyes. He didn't want to be there. He did not want anything to do with that atmosphere and what the Blue Jays had for him. Which like I'm not big on conspiracy theories. Conspiracy theories. But I'll say this because it's like it's a cliche. They hit him like they knew it was coming. Like they hit him like they knew it was coming. So either they're doing what Schneider kind of has accused the Yankees of doing, which is legal sign stealing and they were very much. They knew exactly what. What to read from what he was throwing or every, almost every Yankee pitcher was throwing.

[Alan Hahn]

Well, I don't know.

[Don Hahn]

Or they were incredibly prepared for this series, which tells you how much they wanted the Yankees. Yeah.

[Alan Hahn]

And they've been wanting them and they had a chip on their shoulder. We talked about it over the weekend and the only reason I was apprehensive about the Blue Jays, we've seen this act from them before and it not really amount to anything in the playoffs, but in the first two games, man, 23 runs. And we're going to take your calls at 1-800-919-3776. And even though they're still alive, a lot of Yankee fans feel like Allen does that the season's over.

[Don Hahn]

Give me a reason. Because just, just, just do the math. Rodon has to sit, has to keep you alive. You do. The series comes back to Yankee Stadium, different atmosphere. Radon on the mound. 18 game winner. You hope that they don't have a book on him, right? Because you know they prepared for this series and, and you hope that he can handle the stress and pressure of winning that game. He, he was good in game two against the Red Sox. Then you have Schlitler, you, that's where you can believe maybe, maybe who's in.

[Alan Hahn]

Game five back in Toronto. You're going to go back. You're still going to go to Max Freed. You can't not go to Free.

[Don Hahn]

You're not going to heal well.

[Alan Hahn]

It's going to be a whole hands on deck, right? So you're going to go to Freed with a short inning. Warren with a short lead they wouldn't let.

[Don Hahn]

He'll get out of the third inning, which tells you all they need to know about what they think of his stuff and his ability to go give you any length. Freed, they look like they know everything he's throwing and he look like he wanted nothing to do with that atmosphere. You're going to put him back in there for game five and you're going to believe that he can win that game.

[Peter Rosenberg]

What other choice do you have?

[Alan Hahn]

You don't, you don't have any.

[Don Hahn]

But I'm not talking about choices the Yankees have. I'm talking about the reality of what decisions they.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Right. The things that they've done.

[Don Hahn]

The reality of this series makes you feel like how the hell are they really going to come back?

[Alan Hahn]

Don't even think of it that way. You've been around sports long enough to know when you get into these types of series, when you're facing elimination, whether it's down 30 or down, in this case, 02 and a best of 5. All you're thinking about is tomorrow. Can I win a game tomorrow? And the answer is yes, you can. Rodin was good against Boston. You've played well against the Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium. Win a game in advance to Wednesday, that's all you should be thinking about. And Then if we get fortunate enough to get to Wednesday, same thing. Just win a game and worry about Game 5. We can't have the audacity who's pitching in Game 5. We're not even sure there's going to be a Game four.

[Don Hahn]

Oh, hang on a second. Audacity, who asked me about coming back to win the series? That's why I told you. Why do I. Why? Why don't I have a lot of faith? That's why. Because even if they forced a Game five, you're back in the crucible with the guy who didn't want to be there.

[Alan Hahn]

Right? So. But we're just trying to win a game tomorrow and Rodan's on the mound. That's all you're looking to do. But right now we assess playing and listening to Michael driving in for everybody wants Boone fired, Everyone's Cashman fired. But now the narrative has shifted to something I think has a lot of nuance to it, and that is Aaron Judge, who is batting.440 and no one in the postseason has more hits than he does. And yet it seems like the crosshairs, at least from a player's standpoint, seem to be on him because of the strikeout on Saturday, which was an awful strikeout. Bases loaded, nobody out, you're down to nothing. Work the count full and you swing at an awful pitch, which you never see Judge do. All right, the hits that he has so far in this series have just been basically singles. Didn't have a great field moment yesterday, but when you give up 23 runs in two games, guys, you can be disappointed in a Judge not hitting home runs and typical Aaron Judge not hitting a big spot. And I'll give you the narrative maybe changes if he hits the ball 600ft on Saturday and they take a 42 lead. But guys, when you've given up 23 runs in two games, shouldn't we be looking at the pitching and how Freed gave you nothing and he'll gave you nothing and your bullpen has been awful. Isn't that where the crosshairs should be? Before we start talking about Aaron Judge not getting extra base hits, not hitting home runs and not driving in a ton of runs when you give up that many, shouldn't be it beyond your pitching staff and your starters for not giving you a shot in either of these two games?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Don, we know that is the most reasonable answer. But we also, this whole season knew how important this playoff would be for Aaron Judge, and he is graded on a reverse curve that is unfortunately of his own doing because of the last decade of baseball. And so even though he has all the hits, I mean, Allen, there was that one at bat, was it Saturday or Sunday? I can't remember which at bat it was where he. Where he came up short with men in scoring position again. And I just. I just over text could feel the exasperation from Allen of just, this is what this guy does all year long. And then we're here, and he's quiet in the big spot. So while the blame, of course, has to be on the pitching more than anything, you certainly understand the frustration of fans who just cannot see the guy come up with a big hit in a big spot.

[Don Hahn]

Don, you have the right approach when it comes to focusing mostly on the pitching, because even if we. We give Judge a moment there. Bases loaded in the six in game, game one, and he comes through, Weaver still comes in the game in the seventh and blows the hell up.

[Alan Hahn]

Right?

[Don Hahn]

Right. And that's a decision that Boone made. And I don't know how, like I said, I don't know how. You go back to. You can't. You cannot play him anymore. He's going through it. He thinks he's tipping pitches now. They're trying to get him to change things so he doesn't tip the pitches, which is now messing with his mechanics. He is a mess right now. You can't put him on the mound. And so you put him out there. And we sort of saw it against the Red Sox mess. Put him out there in that situation. You knew it was coming now. And so what if Judge comes through and they. They take a lead? They go up three, two. Doesn't matter. It doesn't matter. They put up a crooked number in the seventh. It was over at that point. All because, you know, you cannot trust the guys you think you can trust in that bullpen.

[Alan Hahn]

And don't get me wrong. I'm not saying you should be happy or, you know, defending Judge and saying, you know, give him MVP award for having the. The most hits of anybody in the postseason. I'm just saying that there's a lot of other problems. And that was an awful at bat. And if they end up losing tomorrow, that's gonna be the signature moment for Judge striking out with the bases loaded.

[Don Hahn]

That'll be the one, everybody.

[Alan Hahn]

But let's just say, for sake of argument, he did what he was supposed to do and take that pitch. He walks. Then it's two one.

[Don Hahn]

Yep.

[Alan Hahn]

And then Bellinger walks. It's two. Two. But this team has not been Able to get many big hits. Well, it's 22 if Bellinger. Because Bellinger walks to make it 2 1. They got out of that inning. They didn't even take. There was two, two one.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah, yeah.

[Alan Hahn]

So what I'm saying is if Judge.

[Don Hahn]

If Judge.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Judge also walked one in. Now you're fully in fallacy of the predetermined.

[Alan Hahn]

No, quite. I'm just saying you're criticizing him for swinging at ball four. So he wasn't. You're not criticizing him for not hitting a home run on that pitch. You're criticizing him for not taking that pitch. So all he could have done, really, unless you wanted a home run earlier in the at bat. Then again, I'm not saying he hasn't been great in other situations either. The way things have been going for the entire offense outside of when the game's 13 to 2, and now all of a sudden everything's coming together because the Blue Jays are throwing the underbelly of their bullpen. They don't care. They're up 11 runs. They won game one already. All I'm saying is there's a lot of bad. But judge to me is a few rungs down from. What is the biggest problem is that outside of the last game against Boston, you did not get quality starts. Your ace completely spit the pit, and the team that you're going up against has scored 23 runs in two games. And now you've got to turn that faucet off and win three straight. Otherwise this season comes to a crashing halt.

[Don Hahn]

And I think if you're a Yankees fan, you have every right to be pissed off on every level.

[Alan Hahn]

Every level.

[Don Hahn]

If you want to call for jobs, call for jobs. This is the kind of frustration that builds up over the course of not just two games. This is built up over the course of a. Of a full season of seeing it and knowing it and hoping you won't see it when it matters most. And then you go to Toronto and there it is again. It's the clueless at bats. It's the A team that looks terribly unprepared. They've seen Gosman five times this year. Five times. And judges had him think about it. They've seen him five times, and yet it looked like the first time they've ever seen him. I get the kid yesterday, he savage pitched. He was unreal. That was slitler gay like, like day. And that's fine. But like, after a while, you would think the first time through the order, you kind of. I see. I see what he's doing. They had no clue. And please, I don't want to hear about how well they didn't have that pitching machine that they have back at the stadium where it can show your arm angle and you can get some swings again. Like. Like, were they doing this in the. I'm sorry, was there a point where, like, Bob Lemon was like, you know, well, if only we had that pitching machine, you know, was. Is that what Billy Martin was saying? Did Joe Torres say that, you know, if all we had that pitching machine, maybe we'd have a better. Get some better swings on this kid.

[Alan Hahn]

What's good for the goose is good for the gander, Right? Because I went after the Mets for this last week. I'm going to do the same thing for the Yankee fans, too, because I see it on social media. I know it's a cesspool, but believe me, we get the same phone calls and all that. All we hear, we're the New York Yankees. We have a different standard than everybody else. That's what Alan Hahn, my partner here, says all the time. We're the New York Yankees. And now we're making excuses. Oh, there's the hotel in center field. They're probably stealing pitches. They're stealing signs just like the Astros did. Something. Something fugazi is going on here. Oh, we don't have the same batting. Don't make excuses. You're the New York Yankees. You're not supposed to make excuses. Built the win. And I think having, you know, Cashmere and having Boone all the time ends up being a bit the same kind of scapegoat. You've got the personnel. There is no reason that this Yankee team, even with Cole hurt, that this Yankee team should be embarrassed by the Blue Jays. So you're telling me the Blue Jays are that much better? Well, the regular season showed you the same record.

[Don Hahn]

No, they are, but they.

[Alan Hahn]

But you saw during the course of the year that this Blue Jays team was better.

[Don Hahn]

Mm.

[Alan Hahn]

This Blue Jays team isn't scared of you.

[Don Hahn]

That's a fact.

[Alan Hahn]

This Blue Jays team is ready to play. How about you come to play? You know, maybe the big bad Yankees is good for the player, for the fans, Peter, and for the media and for the talk show hosts of the world. But the Yankees have to start playing like what the name on the front of their jersey is. And if you're New York Yankees, go out there and play. You don't make excuses. You go out there and you win and you play well. So instead of always blaming the manager and always Saying, well, Cashman built the wrong team. How about looking at these players and saying, why don't you guys play to the back of your baseball card? You hold Judge accountable. Why don't you hold everybody else accountable, too?

[Don Hahn]

How's Grisham doing in the postseason?

[Alan Hahn]

Exactly. This dime was a big surprise all year. All of them. Really? Who? Who? Can you just say, all right, that guy's playing above his pay grade. That's the guy that's actually coming to play. And listen, the Red Sox series went your way.

[Don Hahn]

How about Stan, We Wax poetic Stan.

[Alan Hahn]

Oh, hall of Fame. If he gets the 500, where's he been this postseason?

[Don Hahn]

Yeah, everybody deserves playing. But I just.

[Alan Hahn]

That's what I'm saying. Well, how about doing that instead of. You're playing the same people. Judge doesn't end the postseason. Boone's awful. Fire Cash, same thing, doesn't care. It's the same garbage time there.

[Don Hahn]

And it's also a lot of times what you see in the media, too, are the excuses you talk. Lack of accountability of just, like, you know what? We weren't prepared. We weren't ready for this. No. To have to come up with re. Like, again, like, go back to the 81 World Series. Fernando Valenzuela. Nobody ever seen him, right? Like, was Bob Lemon saying that? Yo. Well, you know, we'd never seen him. So, you know, we. If only we had our pitch machine. Like, give me a break. Like, sometimes you just go, you know what? Kid was freaking good.

[Alan Hahn]

That's what.

[Don Hahn]

Maybe it was good. We had to be better, and we weren't. We had to just be able to match zeros. And our ace couldn't do it.

[Alan Hahn]

We got a guy that they might hand the Cy Young Award to, by the way, at the end of the season. Right.

[Don Hahn]

He couldn't do it. And you know what? The guy who couldn't wait to get out of the game against Boston couldn't wait to get out of this one, either. He don't want to be there. You see his face. You see him just on the mount. He did not want to be there. And you look at his playoff numbers, and now you know why. That's. If you're. That's the stuff to me you want to focus on. Because if he does get the ball in game five, it's going to be in Toronto, and he better bring it. Strap up and bring it, because that was a bad look for him. For Max Free. Bad look. Don't tell me about pitching machines. Don't come. Give me a break.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I Mean, that's the stuff I can't stand.

[Don Hahn]

Give me some accountability for once.

[Alan Hahn]

But.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But for the record, Don, this has been set. This is. This has sort of been the Yankee fan conversation for a while. Let's not forget, not even the fan. The organization, in my opinion, has always talked about the allegations against the Astros too much.

[Alan Hahn]

They.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I'm sorry for the New York Yankees, for the greatest franchise in all of sports. They have been comfortable living in a we've been robbed world over the last five or six years. On multiple occasions, it comes up. And we all know there was some shady stuff around the Astros, but it still was weak when they complained about it. And now you're seeing it again in this moment. And Don, so much for the idea of. And you said this. And it's not like I'm giving you a hard time for it. It made sense.

[Alan Hahn]

I don't know.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's a long break for the. The Blue Jays, they obviously took advantage of that.

[Don Hahn]

Yes, they did.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Every way possible.

[Don Hahn]

I told you this was personal for them. I told you guys this on Friday. This team wanted the Yankees. They might have been disappointed if the Yankees lost that series to the Red Sox. They want them. This is their time right now. They wanted the Yankees because they want to beat them. So they can use it as the launching pad for what they feel like is their time. They know everyone wants to buy the Yankees. Everyone's good. The Yankees credit. They were ready for this. That was an ambush up there in Toronto. They were ready. You weren't. That's all you need to say as a team. We were not ready for this.

[Alan Hahn]

And they should also have a chip on their shoulder. Blue Jays owned them during the course of the regular season. You lost the division to them. Another team that finds a way to get better within the division. You should have had a chip on your shoulder from the beginning of the year when the way you lost the World Series to the Dodgers and they danced on your grave.

[Don Hahn]

I told you, man. Didn't I say that last year?

[Alan Hahn]

So maybe it's tough.

[Don Hahn]

That never happened either.

[Alan Hahn]

We criticized, I mean, at least with an air of criticism that the Blue Jays and the city of Toronto, they got the chip on their shoulder. They're always thinking that somebody's out to get us. Well, give them credit if that's the narrative that they used. They used it and they used it well.

[Don Hahn]

Oh, yeah.

[Alan Hahn]

All right. You gotta do more than just show up. Vlad Guerrero doesn't like the Yankees. Guess what? He showed you how much he doesn't like you, but by bashing a dent into the baseball every time he came up the home plate. All right, maybe it's fugazi, maybe it's stupid, maybe he can't stand it. But give him credit. They use that and they look like a team that was not going to be denied. Well, you know what? How about the Yankees doing that starting tomorrow? And they'd be the team that's not going to be denied, and they're the team that's going to want to take it. They did it with the Red Sox, now do it with Toronto. It's not impossible. It's been done before. Three straight wins. You got two of them at home. You played well against them at home. Matter of fact, you won a series against them at home not that long ago. Take care of business. And we get to a game five, then we have to wonder who's going to pitch and all that. But let's get there. Don't go quietly into that good night and hearing about excuses and telescopes in the hotel and all the, you know, the garbage that we always end up hearing. Or that it's a crap shoot. Hey, it's the postseason. It's just a crap shoot. Or they got. We'll get them next time. It's time for them maybe to walk around and have a bit of a chip on their shoulder. Maybe it's time for them to be the little engine that could. Because you know what? That's what they looked like over the weekend when they allowed 23 runs. They look like the team that plays in another country. They look like a team that didn't belong. So now they've got the opportunity, because as fleeting as it is, they're still breathing. And don't let the door open a crack, otherwise you knock it down. That's the team you want to see play baseball tomorrow. I know it's kind of a football cliche, but you know what? Some big boys on that side. Let's see it happen. 1-800-919-3776. We got a big show. We hope to hear from Tim Kirchen at some point during the course of the show. Find out what he thinks about not just the Yankees, but the postseason in general. It's been pretty interesting, especially over the weekend. It's a lot of interesting baseball being played. We'll get into the football. We'll go. We've got to put a hazmat suit on first. And when we do that, we'll go into the swamp that is New York football. We're also Going to have an NFL binge coming up at 4:30. We're going to try to keep.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I've never looked forward to it more, Don.

[Alan Hahn]

I've never looked forward to it more. There's. Yeah, there's a lot going on. I got, I got a hot take about football that I'm going to say for you, I didn't even bring it up during the meeting, but there's something that I, nobody's talking about. I wish, I wish they would because it's not. Listen, this preseason is extending now into a second month. I mean, the football's been really turnover ugly. A lot of turnovers, a lot of penalties, a lot of poor play and.

[Don Hahn]

A lot of kickers with the story early now. It's about like fumbles.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah, it's fumbles. And let's drop the ball before we score. How many times does this happen? It's really.

[Don Hahn]

How many times does that have to happen?

[Alan Hahn]

Apparently not enough because it happens every week.

[Don Hahn]

Somebody needs to explain to me why that's supposed to be such a great fun play that it becomes a habit for so many of these guys. It's just stupid letting go of the ball at the goal line.

[Alan Hahn]

And we got to condense it all in three hours because at 6 o' clock we're handing off the Phillies and Dodgers, all of it right here on ESPN New York.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And Don, let me jump in here for a second because I have an ad brought to you by BetterHelp. All right. October 10th is World Mental Health Day. And this year we're saying thank you therapists. Better Help therapists work according to a strict code of conduct and are fully licensed in the US BetterHelp does the initial matching work for you so you can focus on your therapy goals. A short questionnaire helps you identify your needs and preferences. And their 12 plus years of experience and industry leading match fulfillment rate mean they typically get it right the first time. If you aren't happy with your match, switch to a different therapist anytime from their licensed tailored recommendations. With over 30,000 therapists, BetterHelp is the world's largest online therapy platform, having served over 5 million people globally. All right, this World Mental Health Day world, we're celebrating the therapists who've helped millions of people take a step forward. If you're ready to find the right therapist for you, BetterHelp can help you start that journey. Our listeners get 10% off their first [e-mail] timeout. That's betterhelp.com timeout.

[Don Hahn]

When did making plans get this complicated, it's time to streamline with WhatsApp, the secure messaging app that brings the whole group together. Use polls to settle dinner plans. Send event invites and pin messages so.

[Alan Hahn]

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[Don Hahn]

All protected with end to end encryption. It's time for WhatsApp message privately with everyone.

[Alan Hahn]

Learn [e-mail] 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 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. Experience a membership that backs what you're building with American Express Business Platinum. Get 2 times Membership Rewards points per dollar on eligible custom purchases in key business categories, as well as on each eligible purchase of $5,000 or more on up to $2 million in eligible purchases per calendar year. American Express Business Platinum there's nothing like it. Terms apply. Learn [e-mail] Business Platinum.

[Don Hahn]

Thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I didn't listen to anything you just said.

[Don Hahn]

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

[Alan Hahn]

Game Time is brought to you by Tele Bardu. Irish Whiskey Week is when it's game time, fellas.

[Don Hahn]

I like when he holds it.

[Alan Hahn]

It just. It feels like it's getting longer, doesn't it, Peter? Okay.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I mean, I doubt you'd have to tell me.

[Alan Hahn]

Really?

[Don Hahn]

Congratulations. Yeah, I didn't know that happened with age.

[Alan Hahn]

What's funny about that is that I asked the question. But what makes it a real funny drop is I'm asking you.

[Don Hahn]

I know.

[Alan Hahn]

I showed you.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, no, you're asking me to judge.

[Don Hahn]

Conversations in the men's room during the by the way.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Or you. Or were you asking about me? You know what I mean? It could have been either way, right?

[Alan Hahn]

And I'm obviously like literally measuring it against maybe the last time I saw it.

[Don Hahn]

Right? It's like you turned to Peter and said, hey, what do you think? Feels bigger, feels longer. What do you think? And Peter's like, you know what? Last time I saw it, I don't.

[Alan Hahn]

Know if anybody heard that because I just saw a mad rush to the board. But you know what? I'm proud of what I did.

[Don Hahn]

Good for you.

[Alan Hahn]

No locals in action tonight, so just imagine the jets and Giants playing again today. It's that same kind of feel. Emptiness. But we do have coverage of the Dodgers in the Phillies game too. Right after us at 6 o'. Clock. That'll be followed by the Cubs and the brewers at nine. So we'll join that in progress. That Philly Dodger game was really interesting on Saturday. Tullamore Dew. The original triple distilled, triple blended. A triple cast matured iris whiskey. Be sure to grab a Tullamore Dew or try the new Tullamore Dew. Honey, during today's action. Glasses up to enjoying Tullamore do responsibly.

[Don Hahn]

So the. You remember Tony? Ann called about the wedding invitation?

[Alan Hahn]

Yes, there it is.

[Don Hahn]

It arrived.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Oh, nice.

[Don Hahn]

Yes. So, yeah. 15th of November in Andover, New Jersey. Nice. Beautiful. Yeah.

[Alan Hahn]

That's a nice area over there.

[Don Hahn]

I have to send a gift now, right? Yes.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Either way, you're sending a gift. Look at you.

[Alan Hahn]

So he's gonna send to the Columbia. This is, this is part of the scam that is, you know, the wedding industry that he now has. It's a moral imperative that he send a gift. Now, you could pretend to be outside the tri state area and like send a toaster, but in the tri state area, gift is only money. You know, when you leave the New York area, weirdo tell you, you go wedding, it's like candlesticks, place setting. I one time saw a buddy of mine in California. The gift that he got was his invitation in a frame, like, hey, it went all out. No, just give us the cash. We're good, right? Peter, you've learned that.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Listen, I learned it. I didn't know the fact that I didn't know.

[Alan Hahn]

And now you know. And that's why you got married here.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, but now I've learned you're 100% correct.

[Alan Hahn]

It's.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's only if you're from the tri state. It's cache. And it's expected. And it's expected to minimum cover each plate.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah, minimum. So that's. That's all I have to find a way.

[Peter Rosenberg]

So because of this phone call? Yeah, because Tony and just reached out and. And casually invited you to her wedding, knowing you really were very unlikely to go.

[Don Hahn]

Well, her husband too.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You're now in it for 150 minimum.

[Alan Hahn]

And I know Allen. I've known Alan.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, they're in Andover, New Jersey. I don't know what a plate is down there. Could be 150.

[Alan Hahn]

It's more up there. But It's.

[Don Hahn]

He's.

[Alan Hahn]

He's definitely. He's gonna be north of 200.

[Don Hahn]

I see. All right, we gotta. We got. We got an address here, so. All right.

[Alan Hahn]

What a racket.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Alan just got hustled into. Alan was just robbed on the radio, Don. For $200 mug to his head. Give me the money. He just got musk on the radio.

[Alan Hahn]

And the thing is, Peter and I, we should be happy about it because we're spared. But why did we get spared? Why was Allen singled out?

[Peter Rosenberg]

They like Allen.

[Alan Hahn]

But you had a chance of tripling your amount by sending all of us an invitation.

[Don Hahn]

Good point.

[Alan Hahn]

And I'm a Jersey guy, too, you.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Know, I wasn't sending it.

[Don Hahn]

So we did. We did give the. I mean, that's how I got it here. It was sent to the studio.

[Peter Rosenberg]

True. So easily been us done.

[Alan Hahn]

I was just gonna say, man, you're go. Go for it. And send multiple Andrew and Anthony Jacob. Get them involved, too. Heck Winthrop to send the whole station.

[Don Hahn]

Why not?

[Alan Hahn]

You got some extra ones? All right, let's get to the busy phones. People are red hot. Let's go to Anthony in the Bronx. You're on ESPN New York. He gets started off here. Letter river, what's up?

[Caller]

Hey, what's up? What's up, fellas? You know, Michael K. Spent two hours trying to tell the Yankee fans how we should feel. Please don't tell us how we should feel. Let us express ourselves. And Alan, you're right when you said ambush. But that was only the first night we was ambushed. The second night we were just embarrassed. And for me, this goes back to Judge. I don't blame just Judge because our ace, you know, didn't show up and he looked nervous. But. But Judge, the thing is, here's a scenario, here's a narrative that can't be changed until Judge change it. Look at the first baseman on the other side. That's a big game player doing big things. Judge haven't done that since he's been a Yankee. Until he does it, that narrative is not going to change. He's not a big game pitcher. And then, I mean a big game player. And that's the thing. And there's a lot of blame to go around, gentlemen. There's a lot of blame to go around.

[Alan Hahn]

I. It's such a weird conversation because you're not wrong. But he's also batting.440 and he's got more hits than anybody else. And he had the big hit. Granted, it could have been an error, but it was a Hit that led to a run that helped you win a game against the Red Sox. So he hasn't been awful, but he's. He's the most prolific home run hitter we've seen.

[Don Hahn]

He's the face of the franchise in a long time. He's going to take the heat when the team loses.

[Alan Hahn]

But. But I just think.

[Don Hahn]

And he had a big moment in game. He had a big moment, and it.

[Alan Hahn]

Was a big moment.

[Don Hahn]

Failed miserably. You know, it's not even like, you know, hit one to the track. Like it wasn't. He failed miserably in that. In that one app. Everything else pales because none of it had the same impact as that at bat would have had. And that's why on a day like today, for today, he gets held accountable. That's just how it's supposed to work. That's all.

[Alan Hahn]

And he's supposed to be held accountable.

[Don Hahn]

For today, for what he did over the weekend or lacked to do in an important spot in a chance to flip momentum, put a little pressure on the other team, let everybody know, hey, I'm still the reigning mvp. He had an awful at bat.

[Alan Hahn]

Understood.

[Don Hahn]

That's it. There's nothing more to say. It doesn't mean you hate him, doesn't mean you think he sucks, doesn't mean you don't believe in him. It just means for right now.

[Alan Hahn]

No, I get it.

[Don Hahn]

You got to face the music. You got to hear it.

[Alan Hahn]

You know what? But in, Bellinger walks, all right? And then, you know, Ben Rice pops out, and in Stanton, Mr. October, rice.

[Don Hahn]

Is at bat was bad, too, you.

[Alan Hahn]

Know, and he strikes out.

[Don Hahn]

Yep.

[Alan Hahn]

All right, so what could have been a really big inning? Bases loaded, nobody out. We're going to single out Judge for striking out and kill Bellinger because he walked Don.

[Don Hahn]

He's the face of the Frank. He's going to have to face that. He's got to take that pitch.

[Alan Hahn]

But the fallacy of the predetermined outcome is if he takes that pitch and walks, the Bellinger walks, it's two. Two. But then, you know, Rice pops out, Stanton strikes out. There's a chance that they only score two runs, and then they still put up another eight runs in that game. I'm just saying there's a lot to complain about. And Judge is somebody you can complain about. But you gave up 23 runs in two games in Toronto. Your ace that they're going to hand a Cy Young to in a month from now, completely spit the bit in a big game could not get you out of the first inning.

[Don Hahn]

Right.

[Alan Hahn]

You're down 5. Nothing in the blink of an eye. So why aren't you complaining about that?

[Don Hahn]

Well, we only took one call, but.

[Alan Hahn]

I'm just saying it's not just that was. It was all day, you know, I'm taking in information all over the place.

[Don Hahn]

Oh, I'm sorry.

[Peter Rosenberg]

We know.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And by the way, was that caller telling the truth? Was Michael doing a lot of like, well, you can't be mad at this person. You can't be mad.

[Alan Hahn]

Well, because he was fielding calls on, you know, fire cashmen, fire Boone, that whole gag. But when I did what. What little I did here because I got off to a late start today, was that you? Why don't you blame the players? So if you're blaming the players, then I guess Judge would have to fall into that category.

[Don Hahn]

And I'm in complete agreement with that. But I also feel like today's a day where just let people vent.

[Alan Hahn]

Oh, yeah, let them. Let them vent.

[Don Hahn]

You want to kill Bunko? Kill. You want to kill Cash? Kill Cashman because you're frustrated by it and they get it. Everybody's on the carpet right now. Everybody.

[Alan Hahn]

No, you're right.

[Don Hahn]

They might even be on the plastic.

[Alan Hahn]

But you're all saying is, is that it's a completely different animal. Three games to five games. But this sounds eerily similar to the game one loss to the Red Sox where we're doing a post mortem on the season. And then what do they do? They got off the mat, won the next two games. All right, this is a lot harder because it's three straight against a much better team.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah.

[Alan Hahn]

But let's save all of that, what to do after they lose for when they finally lose. But right now, let's focus on the two games and why they're down oh two. And is there any way that they can come back from this? Juan and White Plains John, ESPN New York. What's up, Juan?

[Caller]

Hey, Peter, Don and Han. You guys are premium radio content and it is a privilege to be here speaking with you today. I spoke to Michael K today on his show right before yours. He disagree? He disagreed with me and it's because he didn't let me finish my point. But the point that I'm going to make on your show is that Max Freed is a pitcher that has suffered from blister injuries. He's had five of his last seven. He's dealt with blister injuries. Last night in the Post, Max Freed told the New York Post he prides himself in keeping guys off balance and throwing these pitches that keep these players off balance. And he threw his sinker for 99 miles an hour last night. So he overcompensated on a pitch where you do not have to put your fingertips on the seams. So he threw the sinker the hardest he ever has all year last night. Okay? And you might say, well, why would they start him? And why would they hide an injury like this? Well, I hate to break it to you guys, but they gave Max free $200 million last year. He is your ace and the Cy Young, okay? So it would be. It would be catastrophic, I think, in the playoffs right now not to let him go in that game, see what he can do, which was absolutely nothing. And that's what happened last night. I know this sounds like an excuse, but this is backed by historical data. Okay? He suffered from blister injuries last night. He said, you know, I heard you the first.

[Don Hahn]

First time around. So you made. Right. He. All right. So the blister thing that he went through was more of, like, late July, August. He had not had that issue after that. And he was amped up, which is why all his numbers were off the charts. He was overthrowing. And that suggests to me it has nothing to do with a blister. That suggests to me that the atmosphere got to him. Well, everything he was throwing was, like, at a ridiculous number.

[Alan Hahn]

I think the evidence backs you up. And plus, well, he went six and a third, four hits, no runs, and six strikeouts in the game against the Red Sox. It wasn't a perfect performance by any stretch. He did walk three, but there was no conversation about a blister or issues then.

[Don Hahn]

No.

[Alan Hahn]

Now, maybe he does. I don't know. But, Peter, you're out there. You're pitching again. Stop with the damn excuse.

[Don Hahn]

You know it's a blister. When he's going to a.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Prior to. Prior to today, prior to this weekend, yesterday, I should say, in his last 10 games, he. The most runs he gave up was three, about five, like a month ago.

[Don Hahn]

So, no, he's been very good. Killing him? Yeah. No, I think he was just the atmosphere there. He. Look at his eyes. Look the way he was pacing them out. He looked rattled. He did not look comfortable at all. Mission accomplished. If you're Toronto.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah. Dave in the car. You're on espn, New York. What's up, Dave?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Hey, Dave.

[Caller]

Hey. How you guys doing? I'm laughing because your screener said, how do you think the phone calls are going to go? I said, I'll get hung up on. No big deal. But Don is right. Yes, the fishing is getting bombed all over the place and that's the bottom line of this whole situation. But here's my whole thing with the media. And I've been had a problem with the media all year long. The same thing every time. When, when Gino Ayema was talking about Sue Bird going into the hall of Fame, you have to. He mentioned this as a third point. You have to be a clutch player in order to be a tremendously great player. Has this guy, Aaron Judge indirectly or directly had any hit this whole season that led to a Yankee win or done anything on the field that led to a Yankee win? The answer is no.

[Alan Hahn]

Oh, the game too.

[Caller]

A six year old girl would have caught that ball in my field.

[Don Hahn]

Error.

[Caller]

Anybody would say dinero. I don't care if I. I don't.

[Alan Hahn]

Agree.

[Caller]

He said it's an era. It's an error. It's an error. They felt bad for the guy. They gave him a hit. It's an error.

[Don Hahn]

Okay? Official scores. Don't feel bad for people. That's not how this works. Just so you know.

[Caller]

Let me ask you one question. Here's the question for Al because the other guy will just hang up on me. I know. You know, I'm going to go back to George, but I'm going to go back to George. If George was alive and had his brain, what would he be saying since Judge was a Yankee? Well, you remember what he said about Winfield. What would he be, would he be happy about Aaron Judge the way you are and you think he's. He's better than Bonds, he's better than Jeter, he's better than Mickey, better than all these crazy guys that you're out of your mind.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Better than Anthony. I've never heard that.

[Don Hahn]

Well, he hit him. What would you do hitting wise? But no, he asked a question. I think after a weekend like this, Steinbrenner would be obviously beside himself. He'd have like what Jerry Jones does. He'd have the media around him and he would say what he's gonna say. They're gonna ask him all kinds of questions and he'd be frustrated, he'd be angry. I don't think somebody like Judge, who he probably would love just like he loved Jeter, he'd love Judge, but he would be frustrated with. He wouldn't treat him like he did Hideki Arabu. I can tell you he wouldn't do that.

[Alan Hahn]

So what? So what?

[Caller]

What about Winfield?

[Don Hahn]

No, I don't think he would ever go back to the Winfield.

[Alan Hahn]

You know the history. His hatred for Winfield ended up getting him suspended for Major League Baseball. Right. So you'd feel good. He wouldn't be calling.

[Don Hahn]

He wouldn't call him Mr. May. He would do.

[Alan Hahn]

Right. But let's say he did. Let's say he called him Mr. May. Let's say he ripped Judge a new one. What good would that do if Judge.

[Caller]

Got a base hit? Not even a home run. Maybe that game's not 12.

[Alan Hahn]

So you're not going to answer my question. You don't want to engage in conversations. I asked you a direct question.

[Caller]

What is it?

[Alan Hahn]

So. All right. So he rips. He rips Judge. How does that help the situation Makes you feel better? Because Judge gets ripped.

[Caller]

It doesn't help at all. But that's George's personality. And Alan Hammond. This is the only team in sports history that is held to a higher standard.

[Alan Hahn]

But I want to know how it benefits. Dave. I keep. How does it benefit?

[Caller]

It's not going to benefit.

[Alan Hahn]

Makes you feel good.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But question.

[Caller]

You want me. I just answered the question so I can help the team. But George would get on hud. Judge. I guarantee we would.

[Alan Hahn]

That would make you feel good. But I'm wondering how I don't blame.

[Caller]

Boone for none of this. I don't think he's a good manager.

[Alan Hahn]

How would it. I like.

[Caller]

Boom.

[Alan Hahn]

All right. But I'm just saying. So I don't get it. Don't you get it?

[Caller]

At least there's somebody in the world out there that would say something about this guy.

[Alan Hahn]

I like to be a little bit more productive. Dave. I'm not going to get into a fight with you. Okay? And we hung up on you because it was going nowhere. Not because we disagreed. Because I didn't know what. Because you wouldn't answer my question. All right. So you'd feel good that your owner ripped into your best player.

[Don Hahn]

Yes. It's the pound of flesh dog.

[Alan Hahn]

And you bring up Dave Winfield who he went out and hired a private investigator and eventually got himself suspended from Major League Baseball. I love how I love these Yankees. What would George do? There was a time where George would ruin the franchise because of saying these things. And nobody would want to come play for the Yankees because he was saying these things. That's why I'm asking you the question. What good would it do? You want to trade him. You want to release him. Then you're talking about doing something. Peter. But by ripping Darren Judge. He's got. Oh. It's seven years left on his contract. I want to know how that helps him and how that helps the team.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Just I'm seeing this in the chat on YouTube and I think it's important we mention it. I think Dave should be nominated for worst caller ever. It might be time to switch the sign. That is a horrible.

[Don Hahn]

We got to update the ridiculous call. Okay. Update the sign.

[Alan Hahn]

He never got to the point that he was trying to make which was on sub meter was that the judge should be traded. Because that's what I was trying to.

[Don Hahn]

Get him to say which he didn't.

[Alan Hahn]

Have the guts to say that was George would have traded him and that'd be so stupid. First of all, the first 162 games of the season do matter. So when he goes out and hits 60 home runs, it's a lot of money in your pocket and you do go to the playoffs.

[Don Hahn]

I just say a couple.

[Alan Hahn]

None of his. None of his.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And none of his hits in the wins against the Red Sox. Don, they. None of them contributed to the plus.

[Alan Hahn]

Where would all the and in the package you would get back Allen. Where would all these guys play?

[Don Hahn]

No, just everywhere you play them all done.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Bat 12, 13, whatever.

[Alan Hahn]

Go ahead, Alan.

[Don Hahn]

It's a pound of flesh thing that fans want when they're mad and no one's holding the players accountable because they can't. That's all they want. They want somebody to yell at them publicly. The public flogging and the last time George did it was Hideki Arabu. Had that work out.

[Alan Hahn]

Didn't work out.

[Don Hahn]

Didn't work out well at all. It didn't help. Didn't do anything right. So it's not something that is the right thing for an organization to do. But it makes you feel good in the moment because you're like good. He's. He's facing the music. But that's not how it works in sports.

[Alan Hahn]

Not anymore.

[Don Hahn]

When he does something wrong in the stadium and you boo, that's the pound of flesh you're getting. So let that go. And oh, by the way, judge and pressure. Stop it. The guy was chasing 62 home runs down the stretch of a regular season and he knew nobody wanted to pitch to him. He knew nobody. Like think about all. And he felt the pressure every at bat that he had to break this record and he came through. Now you could say that was individual, it was personal, it didn't matter to the team and all stuff fine. But it still was pressure moments for him. So he has proven he can in pressure moments in the playoffs, teams are not pitching to him. They are throwing him things that they know either he can't resist but there's no way he's gonna hit it. And that's what he dealt with in that at bat. And there's a part of you ask yourself deep down, bases loaded. Nobody out. And I'm the man. I'm really taking that pitch. Or if I see it and has a chance to be anywhere near the plate, I'm sending this thing all the way to Montreal.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah.

[Don Hahn]

That's what he was thinking because he knows I gotta be the hero. But he couldn't lay off. But ask yourself, oh, I'm gonna lay off and pass the baton. The hell with that. You're gonna do that. And he knows deep down they're not expecting me to do this. I have to make a play here. He's putting pressure on himself to swing that bat.

[Alan Hahn]

An amazing thing is is that I think Gosman was cool with walking him.

[Don Hahn]

You saw the pitch.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah.

[Don Hahn]

Knee high and then out of the zone. But that's the problem. He wanted it too much. That's it. But don't talk about pressure and all that stuff. That's ridiculous. And no. George would not be yelling and screaming. He would not have big headlines about. He would not dare to call him Mr. May. Dave Winfield with the Yankees. By the way. How many playoff. How many playoff games after? 81. How many?

[Alan Hahn]

000.

[Don Hahn]

So like he called him Mr. May for that reason because he didn't never had an October.

[Alan Hahn]

Go ahead. Peter.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Real quick. Just. I'm sorry. Just while we're still on this subject to the Dave's of the world and everyone. Don who calls about this what would George do thing. You know what George did that led to the glory of the Yankees. He brought in Brian Cashman who is still leading this team. This is what George wanted.

[Don Hahn]

This is.

[Peter Rosenberg]

This is who was entrusted by the Steinbrenners to lead this thing in the Steinbrenner way.

[Don Hahn]

I'm sorry.

[Peter Rosenberg]

The whole idea of streaming because of what George did.

[Alan Hahn]

Alan.

[Peter Rosenberg]

How many during the years of Steinbrenner's craziness How much success was there for this team? They reminisce on it.

[Alan Hahn]

But the Yankees were winning the World Series.

[Don Hahn]

It was G. Michael and G. Michael and Watson like they really set the groundwork here. Cashmere worked for them. Moved up quickly. And you know, when Watson was. Didn't want to do it anymore. He passed it on the Cashman who was probably too young for the job when it mattered. But he's turned it into a winning champion career. Yes.

[Alan Hahn]

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[Don Hahn]

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[Alan Hahn]

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[Don Hahn]

Thanks for listening to the Don Han and Rosenberg podcast.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I didn't listen to anything you just said.

[Don Hahn]

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

[Alan Hahn]

Not just one of these nights, one of these weekends for the locals. Losses across the board, but of course the Yankees the topic because they're facing elimination tomorrow. All over it beginning at three as far as the preview, but still kind of the postmortem of the weekend. We'll get into the football of it all coming up at 4:30 with our NFL binge. We're out at 6 because we've got Phillies and Dodgers here on ESPN New York. Let's get back to the busy phones and talk to Eddie. He's in Massapequa. You're on ESPN New York. What's up, Eddie?

[Caller]

Going on, fellas. I have to go right back to what Allen was just saying about Judge. And you would take that pitch. That's the whole point, Aaron. Judge has a great eye during the regular season. He doesn't chase pitches. He was trying to do too much. And how deflating is that for the rest of the lineup when we have nobody out, bases loaded and our guy, instead of just taking the pitch, getting a run. Then Bellinger walked four straight. Then it's Stanton, two to two, nobody out, bases loaded, our captain is garbage in the playoffs.

[Don Hahn]

Well Aside from the last line you gave. Because I'm not going to say that about Aaron Judge. But the rest of it, what you said, it's a fair point to make about what it does to the rest of the group because, you know, everybody was on the top step. I completely get what you're saying, that he does have a good eye that usually he knows. But those pitches, he has a hard time laying off, man, we have seen him strike out on those many times because it's like. It's as if he wants it too much now, again, I'm not making an excuse for him. I told you, he belongs on the carpet with everybody else today. Yeah, I'm not trying to defend him, but I'm not going to call him garbage. The only thing I'm going to disagree with you on.

[Alan Hahn]

But.

[Don Hahn]

But you make a good point.

[Alan Hahn]

But also you can make the case that it's been his approach, which is to not hit home runs and to make contact. Is the reason why he's got so many hits and. And doesn't have the home runs is because I think his approach has been different. And he strayed from that by I don't want to take the pitch. I don't want to walk. I want to be able to hit the ball 600ft. And that was not the right.

[Don Hahn]

Like, would you put yourself in that moment? Just put yourself in that moment and you know, everybody, this whole Yankee universe, bases loaded, nobody out in the playoffs, in a game one. Everybody's wanting, I got to do something here.

[Alan Hahn]

But.

[Don Hahn]

And taking a pitch, you know what happened. That's not really it.

[Alan Hahn]

Here's what I think happened, is he's thinking he's gonna. He's gonna throw me a fastball. He doesn't want to walk me. I think Osman wanted to walk him.

[Don Hahn]

That's a good point.

[Alan Hahn]

Rather than give him a fastball because he wasn't hitting, even if he made contact with that, maybe he fouls it off. He wasn't hitting that ball anywhere.

[Don Hahn]

That's a great point.

[Alan Hahn]

He felt like the last thing he expected was that pitch. He figures he's gonna groove one and I'm gonna smash it. And he got caught. He guessed wrong. And when you guess wrong, you look bad. And that's what happened.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But isn't that sort of the. The point, like, he needs to have the big boy moment where if you know what you're going through and you know what that moment is, you err on the side of caution and take the pitch?

[Alan Hahn]

No, because then you take what if you take her down the middle and was a fastball you could have mashed. I just think that he got. He guessed and he got. He got it wrong. And again, I'm not offending him. But here's the thing, Peter. What have you said? What's been the narrative offensively for the Yankees for a decade in the postseason?

[Peter Rosenberg]

They don't hit in the position.

[Alan Hahn]

The only one that hit Stanton. Well, guess what? Stan's not hitting either now. All right, But Stan gets a pass because he's got a history of hitting in the postseason. But this year hasn't done anything. As a matter of fact, the one time he made contact, he decided to be mesmerized by what he thought was to be a home run. Almost got thrown out of second base. But we don't bash Stanton because he's got a history. But Stanton's killing his team. Can't play the field. He's only can DH and he's not doing it.

[Don Hahn]

And nobody's hitting 150.

[Alan Hahn]

Is Jazz hitting the way he did in the podium in the regular season? Is Grisham hitting the way he did in the regular season? I get Judge makes more money than everybody else. And I also get that Judge is a masher during the regular season and he has been multiple in the postseason. But I. And I'm. But I don't understand why he's the narrative of this O2 start to this series when they've given up 23 runs. And there's the possibility, Peter, that if he did take that walk, they still. They lose 103 instead of 10 4.

[Peter Rosenberg]

For sure, by the way. And Alan, there'd be people complaining like really, you're taking walks in that spot.

[Don Hahn]

That's not going to be. I'm telling you, that's probably. I gotta believe he'll never admit it. So I gotta believe that's in the back of his mind saying I need to do something big here. And he was kind of amped up for it, that's all. But you know the next game with the kid on the mound, 22 year old. You're savage. 11. You struck out 11 times in the first 15 hours. 11 swinging like the amount of swing and missed that like. I know he was good and I know the overhand. I get it like the whole approach 11 times. Did you like nothing? You must have been really that full like that fooled by this kid.

[Alan Hahn]

Unreal. And then the stat then, then the game is over, right?

[Don Hahn]

They're down.

[Alan Hahn]

They're down 13 to 2. And then they come back and make it 137 because, you know, basically Judge Bellinger and Rice ended up going seven for seven with five RBIs. Oh, thank you. After you're down 13 to two.

[Don Hahn]

Well, against their, against their book.

[Alan Hahn]

Against the bottom of their book because they didn't care at that point. They had 11 point lead, 11 run lead.

[Don Hahn]

Thanks for listening to Madonna and Rosen podcast. I don't want to know how the sausage is made, but I just want to know. It's good. Hear more of Don Allen and Peter weekday afternoon starting at 3 on 8 80, ESPN, the ESPN New York app and your smart speakers.