Hour 1: Opening Night & Meredith Marakovits

Summary

Don, Hahn & Rosenberg — Hour 1: Opening Night & Meredith Marakovits (March 25, 2026)

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Episode Overview

This episode kicks off with high-energy banter among hosts Alan Hahn, Peter Rosenberg, and remote guest Don La Greca as they get ready for the opening night of the baseball season. The trio discusses traditions in sports broadcasts, "Drop Madness," recaps recent Knicks and Devils games, and welcomes Yankees reporter Meredith Marakovits to dig deep into the Yankees' roster, Aaron Judge's perception, and the outlook for the upcoming MLB season.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Show Open and Host Banter (00:31–04:19)

• Sleep Deprivation Humor: Alan and Peter joke about Alan's lack of sleep and reliance on his "Whoop" fitness tracker. The casual, jovial tone sets up their chemistry.

  • "Yeah, my whoop hates me. You're like, why are you still awake? Like, it's yelling. It's, it keeps buzzing: 'go to bed.'" — Alan Hahn (01:31)

• Lunch Drama: They engage in playful ribbing over not inviting Peter to lunch at Black Tap Burger, and discuss dietary choices during Lent.

• “Drop Madness” Allegations: First mention of on-air inside jokes and playful accusations regarding their sports “Drop Madness” contest.

  • "Don actively lobbied to get Marcos to win... It's like paying off the refs to get your kid a win." — Peter Rosenberg (05:20)

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2. Knicks, Devils, and “Drop Madness” (06:36–13:11)

Knicks Game Recap (06:36–08:36)

• Strong Game vs. Pelicans: Alan and Peter praise the Knicks' entertaining win against the Pelicans, highlighting improvement and the contributions of Towns and Brunson.

  • "When it came time for winning time... Brunson, the entire fourth—big 15 point quarter he had—put it away." — Alan Hahn (07:14)

• Knicks Standings: The Knicks surpass the Celtics in wins for a virtual tie in second place in the Eastern Conference.

Devils Hockey Recap (08:41–10:44)

• Don’s Legendary Call: Don’s “absolutely filthy” call for Hughes’ second goal and playful banter about announcer collaborations.

  • “There comes Hughes. Absolutely filthy.” — Peter Rosenberg (09:01)

• Playoff Hopes: Devils' playoff chances are analyzed, with the consensus being a miraculous run is required.

“Drop Madness” Follow-up (11:00–12:00)

• Host Drop Impressions: The hosts joke about their broadcast personas, inventing “Absolutely Filthy” as Don's new rap name.

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3. The MLB’s Opening Night—Tradition vs. Change (13:11–22:38)

• Opening Night Lacks Tradition: Detailed discussion on how MLB’s single-game “opening night” (on Netflix) diminishes the excitement and communal feeling of traditional, full-slate opening days.
  • "Tonight just feels like a random game at night and it doesn't have that feel of the whole league is back..." — Alan Hahn (14:43)

Notable Quotes:

• "It's not baseball, Susan." — Peter Rosenberg (17:05)

• "For me, opening day in baseball... this is one thing that I would think that I would try to keep [the tradition]." — Alan Hahn (22:20)

• Modern Broadcast Frustration: Fans miss local voices and coverage (YES Network) due to exclusivity on Netflix. Nostalgic “I’ve been a Yankee fan since…” clips are played to illustrate generational fandom.

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4. “Drop Madness” Second Round (23:02–25:37)

• The March Madness-style "Drop Madness" continues, with listeners encouraged to vote on Twitter.
  • Fun, irreverent drops: “diarrhea you dream about” vs “you stink,” “yo yo, monkey boy,” Maya saying “mama.” Atmosphere is lighthearted and competitive.

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5. Yankees’ Hyped Video & Social Media Drama (31:07–36:02)

• Soto “Rent Free” Tweet: Discussion about Juan Soto reacting sarcastically to a Yankees promo showing him being struck out:

  • "Soto tweets 'rent free.'" — Alan Hahn (31:29)
  • "The Soto Yankees breakup with him going to the Mets, it's not going away." — Peter Rosenberg (32:27)

• Mets/Yankees Rivalry and Social Media: They reflect on the inevitable fan/media drama surrounding high-profile transfers in New York baseball.

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6. Tackling Social Media Trolls (35:29–36:02)

• Alan and Peter urge not to “give oxygen” to online trolls—advice extended to athletes and public figures:
  • "What you want to do...is take the oxygen out of it until it dies." — Alan Hahn (35:37)

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7. Don’s “Drop Madness” Defense (36:09–38:00)

• Playful Defense: Don insists his tweets did not unduly influence “Drop Madness” results:
  • "Did LeBron James help his son...I did the identical retweets for Marco and Maya..." — Don LaGreca (36:09)

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8. Interview with Meredith Marakovits (41:09–55:37)

Opening Banter & Traditions (41:41)

• Meredith jokes about the grind and intensity of a 162-game season.

Aaron Judge’s Reputation & WBC Impact (43:23–46:02)

• Media vs. Ballpark Sentiment:
  • "I think they love and appreciate him...you want him on your team when it is a big moment." — Meredith Marakovits (45:00)
• Criticism on social media over Judge’s WBC performance is overblown; true fans support him.

Yankees 2026 Roster Outlook (46:02–51:42)

• Bullpen and Offense: New faces and a full season from mid-season acquisitions create optimism. Defense in the infield should be improved.

• Rotation Strength:

  • “Can you think of another year... where the potential of the four guys... the talent of Rodón could be your fourth pitcher?” — Alan Hahn (49:20)
  • "Not since I've been here...it almost seems...an embarrassment of riches." — Meredith Marakovits (49:56)

• Young Talent: Carlos Legrand and Jason Dominguez are named as prospects with significant upside.

  • "I expect that you'll see [Legrand] as a piece at some point in time this season." — Meredith Marakovits (51:42)
  • Regarding Dominguez: "For a 23-year-old to act like that and carry himself like that, I think it's pretty impressive." — Meredith Marakovits (53:17)

Meredith’s Career & Aspirations (53:17–54:44)

• Celebrates her 15th season. She loves her role, remains open to new opportunities, but is motivated to finally cover a World Series.
  • "I haven't left yet kind of tells you how much I love this job..." — Meredith Marakovits (54:07)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "Who’s that? That's absolutely... It's absolutely filthy." (Playful speculation on Don’s “rap name”) — Peter Rosenberg & Alan Hahn (11:24)
• "It's not baseball, Susan." — Peter Rosenberg (17:05)
• "The only thing that I was disappointed about was that I was not down in Miami watching some of those games because the crowd just seemed insane." — Meredith Marakovits (43:23)
• "You expect him to hit a home run, which just is not realistic...what we see on a daily basis is not really normal." — Meredith Marakovits (45:00)

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Important Segment Timestamps

• [00:31] – Playful open and health/Whoop banter
• [06:36] – Knicks–Pelicans game breakdown
• [08:48] – Devils highlights and Don’s iconic call
• [13:11] – Opening night/baseball tradition debate
• [23:02] – “Drop Madness” second round matchups
• [31:07] – Yankees hype video / Soto “rent free” moment
• [41:41] – Start of Meredith Marakovits interview
• [43:23] – Aaron Judge, WBC, and fan perception
• [46:02] – Yankees roster analysis
• [49:20] – Pitching rotation deep dive
• [51:42] – Yankees’ prospects: Legrand and Dominguez
• [53:17] – Meredith’s career journey

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Tone and Style

The episode maintains high energy, wit, and camaraderie among the hosts, blending lighthearted ribbing, deep New York sports insights, and genuine consideration for long-term local traditions. The conversation with Meredith Marakovits brings expert analysis, optimism, and behind-the-scenes perspective on the Yankees and the evolving traditions of baseball.

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Takeaways for Listeners

• The episode embodies New York sports radio at its best—irreverent, insightful, and tuned into both legacy and change.
• Tension between tradition and modern broadcast deals in MLB is a central theme, especially regarding fans’ connection with local voices and community.
• The Yankees' roster is the subject of careful, optimistic scrutiny—particularly the talented rotation and infusion of youth.
• Fans are encouraged to maintain perspective on media narratives versus in-park sentiment, especially regarding franchise icons like Aaron Judge.
• The show's interactive “Drop Madness” and in-jokes foster a sense of in-group fun perfect for devoted listeners.
• Having Meredith Marakovits on brings high-quality Yankees reporting, reaffirming the value of longstanding voices in NY sports media.

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Transcript

[Alan Hahn]

The world moves fast. Your workday even faster. Pitching products, drafting reports, analyzing data. Microsoft 365 Copilot is your AI assistant for work built into Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and other Microsoft 365 apps you use, helping you quickly write, analyze, create, and summarize so you can cut through clutter and clear a path to your best work. Learn [e-mail] M365 copilot Don, there's no

[Peter Rosenberg]

tush push if you're not pushing the tush.

[Alan Hahn]

Don. I want you protecting my blind side and Rosenberg.

[Peter Rosenberg]

When I was seven, I was riding shotgun and smoking cigarettes. This isn't North Dakota. This is New York.

[Alan Hahn]

This is Don, Han and Rosenberg.

[Peter Rosenberg]

The best threesome I've ever heard on

[Alan Hahn]

ESPN New York and streaming live on YouTube.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Oh, you bet your ace it is. Welcome aboard 301 in New York City, New Jersey and Connecticut. Peter Rosenberg, Alan Hahn, Don Legreca. Don is going to be joining us from Cashville, AKA Nashville, Tennessee. Alan Hahn from right next to me in our beautiful studios.

[Alan Hahn]

Sleepy town Bobo.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You're sleepy time bobos, aren't you?

[Alan Hahn]

I don't know why I'm feeling it, but I am.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, what time do you get up today?

[Alan Hahn]

4. 3 something.

[Peter Rosenberg]

What time you go to bed last night?

[Alan Hahn]

Midnight.

[Peter Rosenberg]

So I, I, I'm not a scientist, but I can figure out why you're not feeling great.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah, my whoop hates me. You're like, why are you still awake? Like, it's yelling. It's, it keeps buzzing. Like, go to bed. I'm like, no, I'm still gonna work.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Wait, your watch.

[Alan Hahn]

It's a whoop.

[Peter Rosenberg]

What's a whoop?

[Alan Hahn]

This thing.

[Peter Rosenberg]

A whoop is a different kind of.

[Alan Hahn]

It's a device that, that, it's like a health device.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Health device that tracks it all.

[Alan Hahn]

Tracks all of it.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And it's upset about your sleep.

[Alan Hahn]

Very mad at me.

[Peter Rosenberg]

What does it want you to get? Seven dreams of seven.

[Alan Hahn]

Seven my sleep. 341.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You got 3:41?

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Dude, that's a tough. 341 is tough.

[Alan Hahn]

That's tough.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Alan Hahn]

And then we, I stayed because we had to do some digital stuff after get up this morning and so couldn't go back and then come back like I'd usually do. Usually I go home, touch a quick hour, catch it, catch a nap, refresh, feel good, quick little like just, you know, boom. And then I'm good.

[Peter Rosenberg]

How good?

[Alan Hahn]

Ride prep.

[Peter Rosenberg]

How good are you in that situation at being able to like, put your head down and get an Hour's sleep.

[Alan Hahn]

Oh, by then it's easy because you're so tired. Shot. Yeah. Takes an hour to drive back. So by the time you get home. Yeah. You just.

[Peter Rosenberg]

How do you go? Do you go. Let me ask you a personal question. Do you go full undressed, get in bed?

[Alan Hahn]

Yes.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You do?

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah, you do.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Like I'm going to bed.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And set an alarm.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And knock out for an hour.

[Alan Hahn]

Done.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And then get up and do it all again.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah. And so today couldn't. And thought, you know, and that's why

[Peter Rosenberg]

you had the big lunch without me.

[Alan Hahn]

You weren't coming. And you know you weren't coming.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah. But Black Tap burger is delicious. And to not be included in Black Tap, that's what bothers me.

[Alan Hahn]

Black tap was really good.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Jake, you went.

[Alan Hahn]

Of course he did. Oh, yeah, he's a gentleman. I'm fighting him right now. He got the black bean, so we're gonna. We're gonna make sure that door gets open some point.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Wait, you have the black bean burger?

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah, yeah, that's.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Oh, you'. You're a vegetarian?

[Alan Hahn]

No, no, he just got the black bean. Anthony's face when he ordered it.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Hold on, I'm confused. You guys went to Black Tap Burger?

[Commercial/Ad Speaker 1]

That's right.

[Peter Rosenberg]

They have several in the city. They're quite good.

[Alan Hahn]

And they're. Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Really good burger. And you're not a vegetarian.

[Meredith Marakovitz]

It's Lent.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Was it Lent?

[Alan Hahn]

It's Wednesday. So I gave up chicken, steak, I

[Peter Rosenberg]

gave up beef, all of it.

[Alan Hahn]

So all I mean is, like, salmon and any kind of. You did not inform me of this.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, that's a big.

[Alan Hahn]

Then why did we go there? I did say there's a. There's like five sushi places we could have hit. Yes. My first choice was Soho Diner.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Wow.

[Alan Hahn]

Once I saw we. I was like, I'm not gonna argue with the group. Why wouldn't you have just brought it up? I'm fine. Easily mentioned it.

[Don LaGreca]

You.

[Alan Hahn]

You didn't meet us there. You met us downstairs. Now I feel bad.

[Peter Rosenberg]

So, Anthony.

[Alan Hahn]

All I know is that Anthony's face when he said black bean burger.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Anthony, what did you get, for God's sake?

[Alan Hahn]

A burger. All American.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Proper burger.

[Alan Hahn]

All American. Like an American does.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah. Good for you. A little cheese on there. What kind of cheese you did there?

[Meredith Marakovitz]

Whatever they had.

[Alan Hahn]

American.

[Peter Rosenberg]

American cheese on American burger.

[Alan Hahn]

That's right.

[Peter Rosenberg]

God bless it, cooked it. You missed a couple things. Late in the show, Alan. Yesterday I heard Ladon James. Ladonn James.

[Alan Hahn]

I heard that there was some questions and concerns and even allegations about how one of our hosts conducted himself when it comes to voting.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, that's the thing. You know, it's. Don was not happy with the fact that Marco and Maya's drops were getting.

[Alan Hahn]

None of us were happy.

[Peter Rosenberg]

None of us were happy.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah, but the people were speaking.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But Don actively lobbied to get Marcos to win. Now, here's the thing. Don will. His argument will be. Well, he did the same thing for Maya. But here's the thing. Maya didn't need. Maya doesn't have any vested interest in it. She doesn't know what a drop is. She's 14 months old.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

There's no conversation to be had. However, Alan, we know for a fact that Marco cares about Drop Madness.

[Alan Hahn]

He's paying attention.

[Peter Rosenberg]

The reason I'm calling him Ladon James is because, like, Bronny, who wasn't really drafted to the Lakers, he got a yo Yo. You know, a yo yo Bum Chuck drafting, essentially.

[Alan Hahn]

So you're calling this

[Peter Rosenberg]

so he knew Marco wanted to win, and he cheated. He. It's like paying off the refs to get your kid a win.

[Meredith Marakovitz]

Wow.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Ladon James and Bronnie. Ladon and Ladani. Now, this also happened, too. This is exciting. Griffin, last night, late in the show, completely glitched out. The Griffin machine broke. Here's what it sounded like.

[Meredith Marakovitz]

It's.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's.

[Meredith Marakovitz]

It's okay.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah. We don't know if he's still with us.

[Alan Hahn]

He almost. Is that a Carlin? Can we call it a Carlin? It's. I feel like he had a Carlin.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I think Carlin's in action today. Yeah, I'm pretty sure. I'm gonna take a look here, because it's not just the opening night of baseball season. It's also Drop Madness. And yes, in the nether region, the one seed is in action today.

[Alan Hahn]

Wow. Well, we know.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Against the eight in the second round.

[Alan Hahn]

Put your money on it.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Alan Hahn]

Moving on.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's a.

[Alan Hahn]

It's a big moment. There's no beating this one.

[Peter Rosenberg]

So we got to talk Knicks. Nice. Nice win for the Knickerbockers last night.

[Alan Hahn]

I thought it was a very entertaining game. It was.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I was there. They played. They played a solid game. And you were.

[Alan Hahn]

You were right.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I was kind of treating the Pelicans like a complete joke. There's some talent on that team.

[Alan Hahn]

I know. Like, out of context, look at their record. And you're like, yeah, it's another bad team. But if you consider the fact that they finally have gotten healthy and in the last month, and a half. They've played really good basketball. Like they've really started to show who they are, what they can be like next season because they're finally healthy and then. And Zion's playing like he's actually playing.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Dude, he looked incredible. No donuts for Zion these days.

[Alan Hahn]

No, looked very jacked up. He looked good. That team looked good. That kid Jeremiah Fears, he's. He's a ball. He could play. What a. What a find he was. So I thought it was a really entertaining game, a fun game. And when it came time for winning time they. They got the plays they needed. Towns early in the fourth. Brunson, the entire fourth big 15 point quarter he had put it away. Got the win. That's seven in a row. And by the way, 48 wins which is one more than the Celtics.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That's right.

[Alan Hahn]

And percentage points but virtual tie for second right now in the east. And the Celtics played tonight against the Thunder. I believe that's an ESPN vehicle. So while we're watching the Yankees we can just easily hit last channel and. No, we can't. Can we wait?

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's not though.

[Alan Hahn]

It's not an ESPN vehicle. It's a Wednesday night game.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Hawks pistons get out.

[Alan Hahn]

No, no. It's got to be a double header, something.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Celtics are 730.

[Alan Hahn]

Don't tell me that's not a national game.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It is not the espn.

[Alan Hahn]

How is this not a national game?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Hold on. How does ESPN have a double header? It's Hawks Pistons and at 9:30.

[Alan Hahn]

Hawks Pistons should be a good game.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But it's at 9:30. They have rockets T Wolves.

[Alan Hahn]

I'm not. I did not plan this but this is a game to now. Oh, okay.

[Peter Rosenberg]

There's nothing.

[Alan Hahn]

So now I got to be on league pass watching this game while also watching the Yankees on Netflix.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That's right.

[Alan Hahn]

That'll be easy to navigate. Yeah sure. That'll be fun. And the Devils won last night.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That's right.

[Alan Hahn]

Again.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Devil's doing a little something some Don

[Alan Hahn]

had some great calls. Do we have any?

[Peter Rosenberg]

I believe I do. Let me see what I have here. Here we go. Here is the Hughes Hughes a second goal.

[Alan Hahn]

Ok.

[Peter Rosenberg]

There comes Hughes. Absolutely filthy.

[Alan Hahn]

Absolutely filthy. How about the Meyer goal?

[Peter Rosenberg]

I got the Meyer goal.

[Alan Hahn]

Here we go.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Here comes Timo Meyer. The Hecher sliding save by the Smith back is under back blast goes blast by Mercer Heecher Meyer score.

[Meredith Marakovitz]

Boom.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Don's score is giving. Do you remember. Do you remember the sound that did Howard Dean in as the democratic scream?

[Alan Hahn]

He was supposed to be just being fired Up. But it just got.

[Peter Rosenberg]

There was a lot of that there.

[Alan Hahn]

Well, first there was a lot happening on that play.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, and also, I mean, I love, you know, I love Danico. I had a great time with him.

[Alan Hahn]

Settle down.

[Peter Rosenberg]

He's fighting over him. I mean, Don would never say it because Don will never say anything negative about his teammates in any way. But if you listen to his go call, he's calling random things out like, oh, listen to this. Here comes Timo Meyer. The. He sure sliding save by the Smith Mercer. He sure Meyer score.

[Alan Hahn]

I give him credit. He stayed out. I give Dano credit.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Okay.

[Alan Hahn]

The first one, it's when Don took a mini pause.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Alan Hahn]

I thought Dano probably thought he. To get in something quick and then knew to shut up.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Alan Hahn]

And then the other. Oh, he missed. He does give away the call.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yes. That was the one. That was the one I was talking about.

[Alan Hahn]

But I mean, it's tv, so everybody's watching.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Right.

[Alan Hahn]

We all know he missed, so I think he was just being excited. But then he stayed out.

[Peter Rosenberg]

He did.

[Alan Hahn]

I give him credit. That's not nearly as bad as some things we've heard in the past.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That is true. And then I'm going to need to line up.

[Alan Hahn]

Voice crack. Oh, boy.

[Peter Rosenberg]

We're going to need to line up the. The Don and Don called it. He told us he had a Peter Brady call last night.

[Alan Hahn]

Right. Right.

[Peter Rosenberg]

This Hughes calls tremendous. The Absolutely Filthy. There comes Absolutely Filthy. By the way, it's Don's new rap name. Absolutely Filthy.

[Alan Hahn]

Absolutely Filthy. He walks around like an absolute bottle of vodka. Like that's his like thing.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I know. I don't.

[Alan Hahn]

Dirty shirt vodka.

[Peter Rosenberg]

He.

[Alan Hahn]

Who's that? That's absolutely.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's absolutely filthy.

[Alan Hahn]

Felt like absolutely all

[Peter Rosenberg]

E. E Absolute.

[Alan Hahn]

He's absolute.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But there's no E on the Absolute because it's the alcohol brand.

[Alan Hahn]

Absolutely.

[Meredith Marakovitz]

Wow.

[Alan Hahn]

And then filthy. So he just looks like a. He's got dirty clothes on. Yeah, he's a very. An absolute.

[Don LaGreca]

Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

So it's basically his gimmick as a rapper is a drunk favorite.

[Alan Hahn]

I'm a. I'm a dirt bag drunk.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That is Don's rap name. So.

[Alan Hahn]

And you know what's great?

[Peter Rosenberg]

The Devil Wings.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah, he's at full health. He sounded like he powerful voice was back.

[Peter Rosenberg]

He did say though he late in the game, though, because there was so much action. He was starting to lose a little bit late there.

[Alan Hahn]

Eight goals in the game or nine goals in the game.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, that. That made it five three.

[Alan Hahn]

The Myers final. Perhaps.

[Peter Rosenberg]

So now how close are the Devils? How close to. The Devil's getting here to making it interesting?

[Alan Hahn]

I don't think they're even showing knee.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, they're not.

[Alan Hahn]

Nothing. Right. They're 74.

[Peter Rosenberg]

They're 74 points.

[Alan Hahn]

Oh, there.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's another way out. They're way out. Yeah, you're talking about.

[Alan Hahn]

But a good finish to the season could help.

[Peter Rosenberg]

As far 85. The Senators are at 85 and the Devils are still at 74. So. And they are 70 games.

[Alan Hahn]

So there's 24 points on the table. Right.

[Peter Rosenberg]

So there's. Yeah. In theory.

[Alan Hahn]

In theory. Not officially eliminated, but virtually feels like it's going to take a miracle.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And because Ottawa's played 71 games, the Devils have played 70 games. Yeah. Bruins are sitting there too, at 86.

[Alan Hahn]

The fact you can get cheap overtime loss points, you know, it's really going to be hard to catch. So it's. Look, they're playing well down the stretch, though. And Hughes, since that golden goal just seems to be at a different level.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, man, that's something fundamentally changed. So the subject, though at hand, of which there are many things, but baseball tonight, is it. Is it opening day?

[Alan Hahn]

It's opening night. We discussed this on get up. And it's like this feeling of. And it's not like this is new, but every year we kind of come to the same place. When it's the first game of the season is a standalone, which is to make it feel big. But I think for baseball, tradition is everything. The Cincinnati Reds used to always open the season with an afternoon game at home. It was just. That was when you knew the season was here.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's baseball.

[Alan Hahn]

It's the Reds versus whomever. And then a couple more afternoon games after them. And then of course, everybody else at night. There was something about the day where it was a whole day of baseball with various weather. Right where beautiful at this in this highlight. Snow in this highlight. Maybe it's just gray and everybody's wearing, you know, turtlenecks and earmuffs and this. But it just felt like the whole league started today and baseball was back. Tonight just feels like a random game at night and it doesn't have that feel of the whole league is back and this is exciting and all these games are happening. I wonder if baseball will ever reconsider, but I know that Netflix certainly didn't pay what they paid to share the spotlight.

[Peter Rosenberg]

So pardon my ignorance.

[Alan Hahn]

You get what I'm saying?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Oh, 100% part of my ignorance. I just don't remember how many Years have we been doing this opening night with one game. Is this the first?

[Alan Hahn]

I can't remember exactly, but it's not the first time.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's not the first.

[Alan Hahn]

We haven't done. Well, we can easily find that, but we have. I don't think we've had the Reds open the season at.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, I don't mean that though.

[Alan Hahn]

30 thing.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But what about. I just mean the solo. Oh, here we go. I'm going to look to last year. What day? What day? March. Twentieth. March 20th. Last year, Thursday, March 20th. Last year. Wednesday, March 19th. Let me see. Are these all spring training games? I can't figure out. These must be spring training. Yeah. Oh, sorry. These are spring training.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah. Yep.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Those are all spring training.

[Alan Hahn]

Believe it or not, we had spring training yesterday.

[Peter Rosenberg]

All right, so it's the next week. It was the next week last year. It was Thursday. Thursday, March 27th was a full slate of games. That sound right to you?

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And then.

[Meredith Marakovitz]

And then.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah. Friday, a light slate for makeup games, etc. And Saturday, back to a full slate. There wasn't an open air. An opener last year by.

[Alan Hahn]

Have one. Yes, last year I thought we did.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Was there?

[Alan Hahn]

No, I don't see one.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No. Tuesday, March 25th was spring training. Wednesday, there were no games.

[Alan Hahn]

I think Thursday was the Tokyo game.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, I'm looking at Thursday. There's a full slate, though, on Thursday. Well, yeah, Thursday was a full slate. They didn't do it.

[Alan Hahn]

No, wait. The Tokyo game was March 18th though.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But so, but so there was the weirdo Tokyo game. So a week earlier.

[Alan Hahn]

That's what it was.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It was even less of an opener.

[Alan Hahn]

That's what it was.

[Peter Rosenberg]

What I'm saying was they didn't do what we're getting this year, which is the night before everyone plays.

[Meredith Marakovitz]

Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Like. Like the NFL. This is like NFL Thursday for baseball. That's essentially what this is. Yes, we're going to run a one off, but and on with two bit with. With big teams, big markets, on Netflix.

[Alan Hahn]

Right. And while that sounds nice, it doesn't hit right. It's not baseball, Susan.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's not baseball, Susan.

[Alan Hahn]

I. That's how I feel. And there's a lot of things that we've said about baseball where you need to get with the times and be more like the other leagues and all that stuff. And then there's some things that. The old timey tradition thing is a good thing. And this is one of those that, you know, we all, we all agree. It's just there's something about that Just having that long tradition of the first game being in the early afternoon, usually in Cincinnati, and then, you know, everybody else right after that. And it just feels like a lot's happening in one day. That it. To me, that feels bigger than the one standalone game where the whole league

[Peter Rosenberg]

is watching, but you're not watching because that's not how baseball works. This is a regional sport.

[Alan Hahn]

So you don't think everybody's watching tonight because it's baseball and it's back and let's watch the first real game of the season.

[Peter Rosenberg]

The hardcore is tomorrow is when they'll watch. Yes.

[Alan Hahn]

Their first team.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Correct.

[Alan Hahn]

Is this less about. Because, you know, Michael and others, and for good reason aren't comfortable with the fact that, like, I can't even call the opener of my team. Like, there's no yes network. There's no local broadcast for the Yankee game tonight. Is it. Is. Is that more annoying than the idea of it being a standalone?

[Peter Rosenberg]

No. I don't think the average fan. Respect. I don't think fans necessarily. Some do, of course. You know, there's a. There's a certain sect of fans. In fact, I can play you what some of those fans sound like, but there's a certain sect of fans who may feel that way.

[Meredith Marakovitz]

I'm a Yankee fan since 1968. I'm a Yankee fan since 1955. I've been a Yankee fan since 1972.

[Alan Hahn]

Do you have this by year?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yep.

[Alan Hahn]

So how far back and how do you have every single year?

[Peter Rosenberg]

So I'm glad you asked. This is a. This was a project of me, RJ and Andrews that we see this. The first one. I love the first one. The oldest one we have is I've

[Meredith Marakovitz]

been a Yankee fan since 1938.

[Alan Hahn]

Come on, when was that? When was that recorded?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Four years ago.

[Alan Hahn]

God bless.

[Peter Rosenberg]

God bless.

[Alan Hahn]

Now, do you have a 1971?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, of course.

[Alan Hahn]

Let me see.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Been a Yankee fan since 71.

[Alan Hahn]

How about a 76?

[Meredith Marakovitz]

Born in 69. Yankee fan since 76.

[Alan Hahn]

Those are the two that I would have gone with.

[Peter Rosenberg]

We don't have a 39. We have a 40. I've been a Yankee fan. It's got to be at least 1940. We don't use that one a lot. The 1940 is fantastic.

[Alan Hahn]

Gotta be at least.

[Peter Rosenberg]

So the people like that. Those fans may care. The average fan, I don't think cares as much about having their home announcers for the opener. It's just the fact that there's one game and it's on Netflix and a lot of people don't even know how to deal with the fakocta Netflix. That's the reason they pay for the yes network. They pay specifically for the yes network to watch their Yankees on the yes network. Of course they'll miss their local guys. But I think the bigger issue is

[Alan Hahn]

it's just a standalone game.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's just a weird standalone game. It just doesn't feel like baseball.

[Alan Hahn]

It feels like MLB Network. You know, you do a whip around and you're just checking in on all the opening day games and the opening day ceremonies and who threw out the first pitch and you know who came out to throw the first pitch here, there. And you see all these old time guys and introductions, whatever it is the first home run of the season and everybody's like, that's what they should be capturing in my opinion.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You know, I do want to backtrack a little bit.

[Alan Hahn]

Okay.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Because I will say because baseball is a regional sport, you do have a lot of care for the local broadcast. So it is a bummer to not have that. Welcome to Yankees baseball. Like that is. Welcome to Mets baseball. Like that is its own thing.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah. I think it's the familiar voices of the familiar people. It's all the people you recognize. Now I understand why the networks want to have the opening night or opening day thing. They want to have one game that's on their network to get everybody excited. But again, it's this. It still feels like it's something sacred about opening day.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Right.

[Alan Hahn]

And if I could talk to Manfred about things that his sport needs to change.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Bob Manfred.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah. I would also talk to him about things that they needed to go back to. Feels to me I could be wrong. I'm an old time guy. I've been a Yankee fan since 1976, but I just grew up watching and that was what I was used to and I almost. It was an event because you knew everybody was playing all at the same time. You had different highlights and different weather and different things and it just made you feel like spring is definitely here now because we have baseball tonight. Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But tonight thing from Adams family is throwing out the first pitch.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah. That doesn't the new for you. There's nothing about tonight's game that's going to feel opening day. It's just going to feel like a game at night that they're playing in San Francisco.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Only thing that. Sorry. I mean, listen, if you're a broadcast nerd, it's compelling to see what Netflix looks like.

[Alan Hahn]

Well, actually it sounds like a great booth.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Sounds like, they had a great up and down. They have a lot of.

[Alan Hahn]

No question. Like, I'm not. It's not about the Netflix show. It's just what we're talking about.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Not.

[Alan Hahn]

We love all this stuff in sports, especially NFL, the bigness of the game. But for me, opening day in baseball, if there's anything that we want to keep in the past, tradition, because we don't love tradition anymore, apparently, in this world. But this is one thing that I would think that I would try to keep.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, I'll tell you the tradition we all love, and that's having Don legreca on Don Hahn and Rosenberg. He joins us now. I think we're good.

[Don LaGreca]

Hey, Don, can you hear me?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Oh, we hear you now, Don. How are you? Good.

[Don LaGreca]

I'm sorry. I had some connection problems.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's Nashville. No, I completely blame Nashville Style up.

[Alan Hahn]

You're using dial up now.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You made it in time, though, Don, for a little something we like to call the start of Drop Madness.

[Don LaGreca]

Well, I'm ready for it.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Drop Madness, I said. There we go. Now, this is the second round, and we have a lot of chalk today. Like a ton of chalk. We start out in the flub region with the one seed 25amonth. Rosenberg with you until 7. Now, that, of course, being that we went, chalk means it's up against the eight seed. Happy new Jewish New Year. Not newish Jew year to be a tough, tough afternoon, I think, for Jewish.

[Alan Hahn]

For newest Jew year, still a tough one, though.

[Peter Rosenberg]

We go to the funny region where the one seed is in action a little yo, yo, monkey boy. He wanted me to jump up and make the jokey jokey. So the people go lap time. Up against. Up against the eight seed. Maya and the straw Maya. Can you say mama? We go to the troubling region, the one seed. I had diarrhea that you dream about. Not against the eight seed, though. The nine seed. Sitting sick.

[Meredith Marakovitz]

You stink.

[Peter Rosenberg]

So we have diarrhea versus stink in that troubling region. Matchup in. In the nether region, the one seed. This is college football.

[Alan Hahn]

This is running the table. Is the music coming in? Just.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's even before that. To me, it's like there are horns playing earlier, too. There's so many things as if the

[Alan Hahn]

producer is sitting there, like, looking at him and then just goes, let me

[Peter Rosenberg]

just put the music. I'm gonna pray this music will take care of it. We go to the eight seed looking to battle against Carlin. You guys know I'm a fan of this Drop two. Beautiful women died. I'll give you quickly. So that is the four matchups, guys. It's just four matchups for you right now on your Twitter machine, on your Pooter, as it's known, Dhre espn. Go vote early and often and vote for all four. You don't just vote for the first one. You vote for all of them. And I can promise you today that these elections will not be compromised. No one.

[Alan Hahn]

Don, I don't know what happened after I left, but allegations were flung. Dude.

[Don LaGreca]

I have to address this when we come back.

[Alan Hahn]

Okay?

[Don LaGreca]

A lot was said.

[Alan Hahn]

Yes.

[Don LaGreca]

A lot of allegations were thrown out.

[Alan Hahn]

Yes.

[Don LaGreca]

A lot of opinions were expressed and I need to retort.

[Alan Hahn]

Okay, a retort.

[Peter Rosenberg]

All right. We look forward to that and much more right here on Don Han and Rosenberg. And like we said, guys, the baseball season is here and FanDuel is letting you choose your own reward for opening week betting customizations that transform how you experience the game. Make your choice and reward. Make your choice and the reward will be ready to use on your next MLB bet. Right? Easy enough for me to say. Fanduel is the home of home runs. Now listen, he's catching a lot of heat, but I'm sorry, I'm going with Aaron Judge tonight to hit a dinger. A Rama Llama Ding Dong. I said it tonight. All right, so you want to play it?

[Alan Hahn]

You can do it.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Play your [e-mail] local to choose your reward for MLB's opening week. FanDuel official partner of Major League Baseball 21 plus and physically present New York Opt in required rewards are not withdrawable. Restrictions apply including bonus and token expiration, leg requirements and max wager amount. See [e-mail] for help with a gambling problem, call 877-8-HOPE NY or text openy467369Amazon

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[Peter Rosenberg]

That's servicetitan.com this college basketball tournament moment

[Meredith Marakovitz]

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[Peter Rosenberg]

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[Meredith Marakovitz]

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[Alan Hahn]

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[Peter Rosenberg]

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[Alan Hahn]

thanks for listening to the Don Han and Rosenberg podcast.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I didn't listen to anything you just said.

[Alan Hahn]

Catch the show on demand whenever you want. Just subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts. Before we get to Don, what he needs to say his retort, I do want to tell you about Rings in because we're excited about some home improvements that we're going to do on the house this spring and we're replacing old windows and adding one as well. And to do it we are partnering with Ring's End. Why rings end you say?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Why rings end?

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah, I knew you'd say that. Well, because they work with pro contractors who build and remodel for a living. The pros trust them so I can and you can too. They have premium brands in windows, doors, decking, paint, lumber, kitchens. All the things you need to upgrade your house built to last. High end product lines that contractors rely on. They do it right so they don't do it over. They're not a national chain now. They have regional expertise. Eight full service lumber yards in Connecticut and Westchester county and 12 freestanding paint centers. Rings End is family owned and operated since 1902. How many years in business is that, Peter?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Since 1902, 124 years to you and me.

[Alan Hahn]

That is correct. They have deep northeast roots, supporting local builders and communities. And you gotta love that. Can't make it to a store. You can shop [e-mail] so check it out. Ringsend.com. go ahead, Donnie. The floor is yours.

[Meredith Marakovitz]

No, no, no, no, no, no, no.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's like Ladon James.

[Alan Hahn]

It's.

[Peter Rosenberg]

He.

[Alan Hahn]

Now you're going to taunt him because his connection is not allowing him as he is in Wayne and Charlotte.

[Peter Rosenberg]

What's up, Wayne? Hey, Pete. How you doing? What's up, Ron Allen?

[Alan Hahn]

Oh, boy.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Ron and Alan.

[Alan Hahn]

Apparently it's Crashville right now, so there's that. So did you see this video? The Yankees put out a highlight, you know, a hype video.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You were just telling me about this. Yeah, okay.

[Alan Hahn]

Hype video.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Get you ready for the season.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah. You know, like it's all highlights and stuff. It just gets you. You want to run through a wall. It's great. Every team that does this, it's. It's awesome. And I didn't even notice specifics of any of these videos, but Juan Soto apparently did. In it is, I think, Max Fried striking him out.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That's Max Fried's you and me.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah, of course. And Soto tweets rent free.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Wait, there's a lot of irony there.

[Alan Hahn]

You know what I mean?

[Peter Rosenberg]

So he tweeted rent free to say,

[Alan Hahn]

this is Alanis Morissette. This is exactly what she was singing about.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I'm living rent free in your head

[Alan Hahn]

because you had to put in the video me being struck out by the picture that you got with the money that you didn't spend on me.

[Peter Rosenberg]

If you're the Yankees, you're saying, I

[Alan Hahn]

just put a video of my pitcher striking a met out and you're posting

[Peter Rosenberg]

about it because we live rent free

[Alan Hahn]

in your head because, you know, there's

[Peter Rosenberg]

a Carly Simon song that reminds me of this.

[Alan Hahn]

You're so vain. Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You probably think this video is about you. Like, it's not like, yes, you were the guy in it.

[Alan Hahn]

That's really good.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But it's not really about you. I mean, listen, I'm sure they took a little bit of pleasure in it.

[Alan Hahn]

I don't, I don't understand.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Listen, this, this, the thing is, this just ain't going away quick. The Soto Yankees breakup with him going to the Mets, it's not going away.

[Alan Hahn]

Were people mad at me when I said, guess what this is going to become last? This was me last year. A whole year of Soto and Judge, Judge and Soto, Yankees and Mets. Right. The whole thing, who won the trade, all that stuff. This is going to be a thing I said. And you all told me I was creating drama, that I was creating something that wasn't there. Oh, that's a problem.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's okay. Everything's all right.

[Alan Hahn]

That's, that's Jacob.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Did you do what you're supposed to do?

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Okay, thank you.

[Alan Hahn]

Did. But I gotta now do something.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, no, you're gonna be fine.

[Alan Hahn]

I'm gonna fix that.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You're gonna be just fine.

[Alan Hahn]

See, I got excited.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I understand. Well, you know what? Rent free.

[Alan Hahn]

Rent free indeed.

[Peter Rosenberg]

So listen, this is. You did, you are the one who called this out. And Don did fight back against it. There was a little bit of like, no, why are you making it such a thing? And maybe in the end.

[Alan Hahn]

And callers were too.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah. And in the end maybe people thought, oh, it's not that much of a thing. But the reality is you have a top flight player go from one team in this town to another. That's going to be a thing always. There is just absolutely no way around it.

[Alan Hahn]

And, and by the way, it's not me that's creating the story this time around. It's Juan Soto. You know, he could have just let that go. He could have been like, that's cute. They wanted to put that up there. Okay, we'll see him again. And you know, then he may even go to the Mets and say, hey, make sure you show something of me doing, you know, whatever it is. But him saying Rent free is continuing the story and continuing the drama because no one would have said is never going away.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No one would have said anything. Here's what happens.

[Alan Hahn]

It was such a dramatic, historic moment when he left the Yankees for the Mets.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, huge. And someone shares that moment like, yo, Soto, did you, Juan, did you see what they did?

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah. Who's the guy that.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Because there's no problem with social media.

[Alan Hahn]

You don't think Juan Soto's watching a Yankee hype video? You don't think he's doing that, do you?

[Peter Rosenberg]

I mean, Honestly, I think that it's literally probably social media. Social media is showing.

[Alan Hahn]

Someone tagged him and said, look, they showed Soto. So his response.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And now he has to respond when really, I relate. Because, listen, I. As you. As you can see, probably if you look through my social media, the last couple weeks, I've been responding. So I get it. Sometimes you get caught up. But in reality, when you have a

[Alan Hahn]

moment, you go, you with that stuff, Pookie. You are Pookie. It'd be calling me. I try to stop. I let go.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yo, yesterday, I skipped one there. Another one happened, and I was alerted to another one that was very similar.

[Alan Hahn]

And you went.

[Peter Rosenberg]

A New York legend said something that I thought was like, you can't argue. People can tell me all I want. Don't be offended by that. But the word choice is the word choice, and the word choice is a little offensive, okay? But I said, you know what? People don't mean anything. Even though they're using a word choice. That's kind of lame. They're not even being aware of what they're saying sometimes. And why does it affect me? Just keep going.

[Alan Hahn]

Don't.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Imagine if I was making 50 million a year. It would be even easier for me.

[Alan Hahn]

Don't give it oxygen.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No oxygen. You're one soda.

[Alan Hahn]

What you want to do, right, is strangle it, right? Is. Is take the oxygen out of it until it dies.

[Don LaGreca]

Wow.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You hear that?

[Alan Hahn]

That's what you do to things like choke it.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Choke it dead.

[Don LaGreca]

Trolls choke it dead.

[Alan Hahn]

Well, that. Don, is that not the way to handle a troll? Instead of getting an oxygen, Take it away.

[Don LaGreca]

Take it away. Kill it.

[Alan Hahn]

Kill it dead. Kill it dead.

[Don LaGreca]

Not only do you give it oxygen, you give it life. You make it powerful.

[Alan Hahn]

You make it feel important.

[Commercial/Ad Speaker 1]

These.

[Alan Hahn]

Oh, yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You mean like this yesterday? Ladon James.

[Alan Hahn]

See you start trouble. Go, Don. I'm out. I'm laying out.

[Don LaGreca]

First of all, wait, I'm sorry. Did LeBron James help his son and then help somebody else's son on the Lakers? Because that's what I did yesterday. I sent out the identical retweets for Marco and Maya saying, do we hate children?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yes.

[Don LaGreca]

I was trying because I want that matchup. I thought it was good for the station, good for the sport, good for drop madness. It was good for humanity to have Maya and Marco advance to the sweet 16.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But here's. But here's the question each other. So I did that.

[Don LaGreca]

Listen, anybody can comment on any of the Drop Madness tweets.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You could do whatever you want.

[Don LaGreca]

You can Campaign openly. Why is that so wrong? And it wasn't like I was doing it against Maya.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, doing it against no one. No one would cares. No, no one would suggest. That's not what makes you. Ladon James.

[Alan Hahn]

The suggestion is that it just sounds so unreal.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Is that the Don Juan? The suggestion is that like the same way LeBron. Look, Bronny, they put out that video member of like Bronny getting the phone call of getting drafted, shocked. And it's like this big emotional video. Like they're playing like the Lion King music. And it's like, can you believe it? Bronny, the prodigal son. And it's like, well, LeBron is the one who made the phone call. Essentially, that's the only thing is that we know Marco is invested in Drop Madness. And now you say, marco, congratulations, you won. But secretly, this is what people are alleging. Not me, other people there. What they're saying is, but secretly, you know that you influenced the result. Did I?

[Don LaGreca]

I just asked the question, do we hate children?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Ladon James, now you can make the case.

[Don LaGreca]

You know how a lot of people are, especially on social media.

[Alan Hahn]

It could have act.

[Don LaGreca]

It could have hurt.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Then they could have answered, yes, we do hate children.

[Don LaGreca]

So I don't, I don't see it.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You slept, you slept. You slept fine last night.

[Don LaGreca]

Oh, like a baby. All right, well, listen, you're great, right? Home dreams, they dream about.

[Alan Hahn]

Oh, we need. All right.

[Peter Rosenberg]

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[Alan Hahn]

thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I didn't listen to anything you just said.

[Alan Hahn]

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

[Peter Rosenberg]

Okay?

[Don LaGreca]

Did you know Aerosmith hates this song?

[Alan Hahn]

I did not know that because it

[Don LaGreca]

they don't believe it represents them. It was released in 1973, didn't do very well. The record company re released it in 76 and it became a hit. But they always felt that this didn't represent who they were.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I I understand why you'd feel that

[Don LaGreca]

way until they got into the movie soundtrack business and then it kind of made sense. Well, because you can make the case that, you know, crazy isn't exactly.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I mean, crazy and amazing are. They're very specific. There's one, you know, bit of sad news when it comes to the baseball season starting today, and that is you will not get to hear the sweet sounds of the great Meredith Markovitz doing all the wonderful reporting she does during a Yankee broadcast. You will have to wait till this weekend for that, but we are lucky enough to have her on the program right now. Meredith, it's Peter Allen and Don, how are you?

[Meredith Marakovitz]

Gentlemen, gentlemen, gentlemen, Happy opening day. I know you're celebrating right now. Ready to get the Yankees season underway. You said crazy and amazing. I thought you were talking about 162 game baseball season.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Look at you. Shot out of a cannon.

[Alan Hahn]

The whole point was let's go the Whole point was, is that you won't get to hear her tonight, but for the next six months, every single day. That's right, you will be hearing. But first of all, I don't know how. Meredith, you got through an entire off season and not once were we able to cross paths as we were supposed to do. So now I'm gonna take it as avoidance. I'm feeling like you did all you could do to avoid me. I think it's on the table.

[Meredith Marakovitz]

Here's the thing, guys. Not once did he text me and say, hey, Mary, you wanna go to msg? There's a big game tonight. Not once, guys, into consideration. Also, Alan, I still have your hat from last season sitting at my condo in New York. So I'm good for it, I promise. And I do want to let you guys know you're not going to hear us during the broadcast tonight. But don't worry, we have you covered pregame and post game. We have extended pregame coverage.

[Peter Rosenberg]

There you go.

[Meredith Marakovitz]

Like you dream about some of your favorite guys like Cody Bellinger, Max Freed, Aaron Judge. So shameless. Yes. Plug. There we go. To start the season.

[Alan Hahn]

Well done.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, and as. As well you should. So you got to hit. Yes. Tonight, of course, for all your Yankee coverage. The game is on Netflix. How, Meredith, tell me about your consumption of the WBC before we get to everything happened with the Yankees. How into it were you? Did you, did you enjoy it? And how impactful or not impactful do you think the end of it was for Aaron Judge and the feelings that people have about him at this point?

[Meredith Marakovitz]

Look, I think it's great for baseball. You saw the way everybody got behind the team, countries being represented. I thought it was a wonderful tournament. Some really great baseball that was played. Some big moments throughout the course of that tournament. The only thing that I was disappointed about was that I was not down in Miami watching some of those games because the crowd just seemed insane. And speaking to Tino Martinez, who was there for one of the first ones as a coach, he said, just the noise is so much different. And everyone that was there will tell you just the way the celebrations were happening and the level of noise throughout the entire game, just a different feel than what you get during an entire baseball season. So I think anything of that is going to carry over how people view Aaron Judge. Look, he wins here in New York. Nobody's going to say anything. He is a three time MVP award winner as he goes, this Yankees team goes. And I think he is more confident than ever that this could Be the year the Yankees finally are hoisting the trophy at the end of it.

[Don LaGreca]

You know, Meredith, I'm glad you brought up Aaron Judge because he's become such a hot button issue as far as not winning the titles, not being clutch in certain situations. He got killed by callers and social media for going 0 for 4 with three strikeouts in that final game of the World Baseball Classic. But what I found is there's callers in social media's opinion, and then there's the people in the ballpark, the people that you get a chance to see. And you've got the luxury of both, right? Getting to see the one side and the other side. Are they in unison or do you feel that the negativity towards Judge is just a social media caller thing, that in general, the Yankee fan still loves him, appreciates him?

[Meredith Marakovitz]

Oh, I think they love and appreciate him. I understand why the conversation is taking place. I know he got booed a little bit down in Tampa, but I think overall, if you whole most people, they will agree he is the best, if not one of the best hitters in all of Major League Baseball. And you want him in the batter's box and you want him on your team when it is a big moment. I think one of the things with Aaron Judge is he is so great at times that every time he steps to the plate, you expect him to hit a home run, which just is not realistic. Like, you almost have to pinch yourself sometimes and say, like, what we see on a daily basis is not really normal. Now, I think when you talk about the postseason and the Yankees ultimately not getting it done, I understand why fans are upset and why fans are mad. It makes sense. They want to see this team win. But do I solely put it on the shoulders of Aaron Judge? Absolutely not. You go back to that Toronto series and the way that ended. There was sloppy play, poor pitching, there was a lot of things that were a reason that they did not advance to the next round. It wasn't Aaron Judge.

[Alan Hahn]

Well, with that in mind. All right, let's now look at this coming season, because that's the team we remember from last year and maybe the last couple of years, right? Like the fact that they had been sloppy, that it is a lot of all or nothing. And then injuries. Of course, this, the running back theme from the off season now comes into this season. So if this is the same team essentially that they finished the season with, what will be different about this season?

[Meredith Marakovitz]

Well, that's the million dollar question. When I look at this roster, I Look back to last year guys. I look at the bullpen and especially early on and at times throughout the course of the season the bullpen was not very good. So you wonder now a full season of David Bednar as the closer and other guys leading up to that, Camilo Duvall, is that the guy that they thought they were getting in the trade or is it going to be the guy we saw at times last year? They believe that there's a more of an upside and he's going to be a help in the back end of that bullpen. So I look at the bullpen in particular. I think guys were not necessarily comfortable in roles in the second half when they were traded for and then early on we had the issues that we saw on the back end. So I think that's an area right there. While there are some of the same faces, that look is a little bit different obviously without guys like Luke Weaver and Devin Williams. And then you kind of said it all or nothing when it comes to this offense. Look, this team scored over five runs per game last year. They let all of Major League Baseball and run scored. One thing we know about them, they can absolutely mash when they are on with guys like Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and even Cody Bellinger. But I think you're getting a full season now potentially. Who knows when Anthony Volpe will be back of Jose Caballero who can steal some bases, adds a little more athleticism when it comes to that when you he gets on. Also Jazz was out with an oblique injury for over a month last year. He didn't run for quite a while when he comes back. So I think there are some guys that are going to add some athleticism in having them on the roster from day one. And also you have to remember Jazz moved over to third a little bit last year because of injuries. So him at second, Caballero at short to start things off and Ryan McMahon who is as good as it gets defensively at third base. The infield could perhaps be viewed as, you know, a little bit better defensively than they were to start last year. Ben Rice still getting his footing at first base, but he has shown signs of improvement. And then your outfield of Bellinger, Grisham and Aaron Judge solid there. They expect Grisham to be a bit better defensively in center field this year than he was a year ago. So in a lot of ways, yeah, it is the same roster, but I think you're getting some guys that they added at the deadline for a full season and Then other guys like Max Free, who's getting the ball today in the first game for the Yankees, telling me during spring training after he won 19 games last year, mind you that this year he just feels so much more comfortable coming in because it's his second year with the organization. First year, you don't really know what to expect. You're kind of finding your way a little bit, getting the lay of the land. There are guys like that are now here for the second year where they feel more comfortable, they feel like they fit in in that clubhouse. And I think all of those things can help. But ultimately they need to stay healthy and they need to perform on the

[Alan Hahn]

field, pitching wise for this team. I'm sorry, Don, but the pitch pitching feels like when it's healthy and I know when it's healthy seems to be the prefix to everything and no matter what team we're talking about, right? But the potential of this pitching rotation. Can you think of another year in Yankee, recent Yankee history where the potential of the four guys that you could rely on, the. The how the talent of like Rodon could be your fourth pitcher, you know, like, can you think of another year they had this much pitching potential, starting pitch? Not.

[Meredith Marakovitz]

Not since I've been here. I can't remember a year since I've been here. That's 2,012. And that's the thing. The caveat is if they're healthy and you can see a situation where, look at the baseball season, stuff always happens, but you can't not get excited when you think about the potential of this rotation and get a Garrett Cole back, getting Carlos Rodin back. And then it almost seems. Seems like, you know, an embarrassment of riches. That. That is a for. I mean, you're going to, you're going to have to decide on the fifth starter. They're in a good spot. And then those guys that are not in the rotation are going to be coming out of the bullpen, making your bullpen even stronger in the second half of the year. And let's not forget about Carlos Legrand, who will most likely see at some point in some capacity this season.

[Alan Hahn]

You think this season for sure.

[Meredith Marakovitz]

When they're. Yeah, I think so.

[Alan Hahn]

That kid throws triple digits, right? But you're talking.

[Meredith Marakovitz]

Oh my gosh. I was. Yeah, yeah. Carlos lagrange, prospect, big guy. They're comparing him to Dylan Batantis. When I spoke to him in sport training guys, I like this. He had 1 on 1102 pretty consistently and asked him about. About throwing that. I know just Like a casual Tuesday. Right. I'm just trying one or two consistently, making it look easy, almost effortless. And I want to feel, you know, can you describe to people that will absolutely never come close to throwing a baseball that hard what. What that's like, when you blow somebody away with a fastball like that? And he just looked at me and goes, well, I threw 103 last year. I was like, whoa, excuse me. Back up, break back up. But he has a ton of confidence, and he kind of has that moxie on the mound. And I know the Yankees really, really like him, finding the strike zone, being more consistent in the strike zone for him, a key. But that's any young pitcher you're talking about. So as long as he continues on the path that we have seen so far, I expect that you'll see him as a piece at some point in time this season. Yeah.

[Don LaGreca]

Meredith, when or if Jason Dominguez makes an impact in Major League Baseball, do you. You think it'll be as a Yankee or elsewhere?

[Alan Hahn]

Great.

[Meredith Marakovitz]

You know what? That's really hard to say. And he was asked a lot about his future. When the handwriting was on the wall, essentially before spring training even started, without an injury or something happening, it looked as though he was destined for Triple A. And I think, you know, you have to remember the fact that this kid is still 23 years old. Like, he is a young guy. It's too early, I think, to write him off as being a piece of this Yankees team, a contributor for this Yankees team. You're always one injury away. You never know what's going to happen. So I think we'll see him back up here. I don't know when that'll be. I don't know in what capacity that'll be. And I don't know, you know, how. How his role could change in the future. But I know they still like him. I know they still think at 23, there's still an upside, but, you know, we all saw it with our own eyes. It can get a little bit better defensively out there in left field, and he needs to do a little bit of work, being able to consistently hit from one side of the plate in the batter's box. But I got to compliment his attitude throughout all of this in spring training, guys. He's been around athletes a ton, and, you know, when things don't go well, you have some guys that put their head down, they're talking, they're. They're not great to be around. This is a guy that. That just kept lounge Forward. Hey, whatever they need me to do, I'll do. I'm not happy about it, but I'm gonna work to get back up there with the attitude that he had. So for a 23 year old to act like that and carry himself like that, I think it's pretty impressive.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Before we let you go, Meredith, just on a personal level, you've been. How many years you've been doing this now with the Yankees?

[Meredith Marakovitz]

This is now going to be my 15th season. Wow.

[Alan Hahn]

That's awesome.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That is so cool.

[Meredith Marakovitz]

I know, it's weird. I'm like Benjamin, like Benjamin Button. I'm aging backwards guy.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It really is true. I mean, looks legit. Um, you'll be a newborn.

[Meredith Marakovitz]

Lie to me. Lie to me, please.

[Alan Hahn]

She turned there. Have you turned 30 yet? That's all I want to know.

[Peter Rosenberg]

She's now 30.

[Meredith Marakovitz]

Oh, not yet around the corner.

[Peter Rosenberg]

So. So let me ask you, though, like, you know, generally a lot of us get into this business to do certain things, and you have aspirations. You want to check this box and then do the next. And in. In your position, it's hard to imagine a job similar. That's much cooler. Like, do you have aspirations of doing other things beyond the Yankees, or would you love to get to play the part that you play with this team for a very long time?

[Meredith Marakovitz]

Look, I've been having a blast covering this team for the last 14, now 15 season coming into this one. I enjoy what I do. I've enjoyed the relationships that I've made throughout the year and the opportunity that yes, gave me. But I think everybody is always, you know, looking to see, is there something else that interests you? Is there something else out there? And I think the fact that it's been over a decade and I haven't. I haven't left yet kind of tells you how much I love this job. But, you know, you never know what the future holds. That's. That's what I'll say. You never know what the future holds. But right now, I am enjoying every minute of finally the year, guys, that I get to cover a World Series.

[Alan Hahn]

Your lips to God's ears.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Love baseball.

[Meredith Marakovitz]

I know.

[Alan Hahn]

Oh, my God.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I know. You were so close on the other side. We hope you get one. Get one soon. Meredith, we'd love to talk to you throughout the year.

[Alan Hahn]

Come in studio. We got to get you in studio when you're in your home.

[Meredith Marakovitz]

Yeah, you know what this is, guys? This isn't Meredith, come in studio. This is. Maybe she could deliver my hat.

[Alan Hahn]

No, that's right. See I'm a bad friend.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I want to get the story on the hat. People want to know where the hat. I'm with the hat.

[Alan Hahn]

Don't worry about the hat. I'm a bad friend because you're absolutely right. I should have. But I felt like if I'm reaching out to you, it's almost like I come to the game so I can get my hat. See what you just did? Now I don't know what to do. Made it very awkward.

[Meredith Marakovitz]

I know.

[Alan Hahn]

Come on. There. You made it all.

[Meredith Marakovitz]

Not the only one that's confused when it comes to me. But it's fine. We'll move forward.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You know what? I look forward to diving more into that next time. Meredith, have have a wonderful night of coverage tonight for opening day. And then of course, we'll watch you this weekend again on yes. Thanks so much.

[Meredith Marakovitz]

Of course, guys. 7:00pm YES Network. Talk to you soon.

[Peter Rosenberg]

There it is. Plugging till the very end. You have to love it. That is Meredith Merokovitz.

[Alan Hahn]

Thanks for listening to Badan, Han and Rosen podcast.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I don't want to know how the

[Alan Hahn]

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. Monster Energy. Everybody knows White Monster Zero Ultra, that's the OG it kicked off this whole zero sugar energy drink thing, but Ultra

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