Don, Hahn & Rosenberg - "Put Up A Fight"

ESPN New York | October 7, 2025 | Hour 1

Episode Overview

This hour centers around the New York Yankees facing elimination in the ALDS after being badly beaten by the Toronto Blue Jays in Toronto. Don La Greca and Alan Hahn break down the must-win scenario at Yankee Stadium: lineup decisions, pitching trust issues, the narrative around Aaron Judge, and the rollercoaster emotions of fans. The duo blends frustration, hope, and sharp baseball analysis to set the stage for a tense do-or-die October game. Peter Rosenberg is notably absent, with Don and Hahn holding down the fort.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Yankees Facing the Brink: Mentality & Matchups

• After an Ugly Weekend: Yankees were outscored 23–9 in two losses in Toronto. Five of Sunday’s seven runs came in "garbage time" after the game was already decided.

  • "You were frustrated. You have every right to be frustrated." (Hahn, 03:09)

• Survive and Advance Mentality:

  • Don: “…don’t even think about Thursday or potentially Friday. Let’s get a win. Survive in advance.” (02:31)
  • The Blue Jays have only "held serve" by winning at home; now the Yankees return to the Bronx, where they've played well all year.

• Tonight’s Pitching Matchup:

  • Carlos Rodon (Yankees) vs. Shane Bieber (Blue Jays)
  • Rodon's most recent outing against the Jays (late July) was shaky—5 walks, but only 2 ER.
  • Bieber is just starting to come back from injury; only two previous postseason starts.
    • "He’s not like a grizzled playoff [vet]…" (Hahn, 02:04)
  • Yankees' 50 wins at home this year; third-best home record in the AL (07:09).

2. Lineup Dilemmas & Offensive Woes

• Who Leads Off?

  • Trent Grisham is 1-for-8 in the series, 3-for-20 in the postseason—struggling.
  • The debate: stick with him for stability, or make a statement with a change?
    • "Do you just stick with your guys here?" (Hahn, 03:09)
    • "I want to signal to my team urgency by doing something dramatic." (Hahn, 12:39)
  • By hour's end, lineup is announced: no major changes, Grisham still leading off (39:32).

• Depth Issues

  • No one in the lineup is hitting, aside from Judge (moderately) and Bellinger (but with "meaningless" HRs).
  • "Bellinger has meaningless home runs. Judge has been their best offensive player, but everybody’s complaining because it’s only one extra base hit and it was a double." (Don, 13:45)
  • Goldschmidt sits. "If you’re Goldschmidt…you know that you’re not getting a chance in an elimination game…especially with Rice struggling, you’d want your shot." (41:38)

3. Pitching Trust & Bullpen Panic

• "Circle of Trust" Shrinking:

  • Certain relievers (Weaver, Cruz, Duval, Warren, Schlitler, Blackburn) are seen as unusable—bullpen is a minefield.
    • "Weaver’s got to be out. There’s no condition tonight where he comes in the game. Zero. Agree or disagree?"
    • "He shouldn’t play." (Hahn, 14:13–14:52)
  • Only reliable arms: Devin Williams (8th inning), Bednar (closer), but not many trustworthy options for the 7th.

• Starter Usage — All Hands on Deck:

  • Discussion of possibly using potential later-game starters (like Max Fried or "Heil") in relief if necessary.
    • "You can rest in November." (Don, paraphrasing Jim Kaat, 20:23)
  • "You don’t have the luxury to think about tomorrow. You can’t. So really anything could be on the table." (Don, 24:15)

• Rodon’s Leash:

  • Let him go long if necessary. “If I’ve got a great bullpen, yeah, I’m itching to do it—but what I don’t want to see is…after 100 pitches, I’m looking to get him out of there. No, it’s the last game of the season.” (Don & Hahn, 27:07)
  • “If you got to go 120 pitches, get out of this and get me to [Williams]…Well you got all summer. You got the whole winter to rest up.” (Don, 27:50–28:03)

4. The Aaron Judge Standard & Critical Fans

• Judge’s Performance Under the Microscope:

  • Callers and hosts debate whether Judge gets unfairly scapegoated despite an MVP-level season.
    • "All we gotta do is punch 'em in the mouth and then…But we gotta stop pointing the finger at Judge…he is nowhere near the reason we’re down two games to zero." (Caller Mike in Orlando, 28:34)
  • Hahn wonders about possible fan reaction if Judge fails in clutch: “If things don’t go well tonight, how does… the stadium treat him?” (Hahn, 29:33)
  • Don brings perspective: “When you get historic players who are doing it better than anybody ever did it, is it realistic to expect them to duplicate that in the postseason?” (Don, 31:17)

• Historical Context:

  • Comparison to Jeter, Reggie, Bonds, and how lineups once had more depth, making it harder for pitchers to avoid superstars (33:14–35:06).

• Fans Getting Fatalistic:

  • Several calls express outright pessimism.
    • "Die hard, Yankee fan here, but the season's done here…Rodon stinks. The bullpen is cooked..." (Caller Andres, 45:09)
  • Don: “I really thought we’d get a few calls believing…but it sounds like these Yankee fans think people are quitting, team’s cooked. Prove me wrong.” (47:14)

5. Decisions, Drama, and October Pressure

• Single-game Intensity:

  • “The drama tonight…unreal—and it’s only the divisional round…Every time Boone walks out of the dugout to make a pitching change, he’s gonna hear it.” (Hahn & Don, 30:42–30:56)

• Venue Shift Matters:

  • Don: “The change of venue is big. The Blue Jays are not going to have the same atmosphere...The Yankees should be able to come in with a bit of a swagger too. They're a good offensive team, especially in their building.” (37:07–37:49)

• Approach at the Plate / Analytics vs Reality:

  • Discussion also veers into small ball mistakes in other playoff games—overbunting, failing to ride rallies.
    • “Talk about a fake execution…They had an opportunity…And we’re gonna bunt? Is nobody out?” (Hahn, 41:38–42:02)

Memorable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• On the Fans’ Mood:

  • "You were frustrated. You have every right to be frustrated." – Hahn (03:09)

• On Trust in Rodon:

  • "This is the guy that wanted to keep the ball. He sent Boone back. Something that Freed should have done the day before and didn't... It wasn't great, wasn't amazing, but it was enough." – Don (07:51–08:08)

• Bullpen Reality:

  • "Weaver’s got to be out. There’s no condition tonight where he comes in the game. Zero." – Hahn (14:13)

• On Urgency and Lineups:

  • "I want to signal to my team urgency by doing something dramatic...for me, it’s urgency." – Hahn (12:39)

• On Playoff Panic:

  • “You don’t have the luxury to think about tomorrow. You can’t. So really anything could be on the table.” – Don (24:15)

• On Judge & Expectation:

  • “Is it realistic to expect them to duplicate that in the postseason? Against only good teams, against only good pitching, when everybody knows that you’re the one guy I can’t let beat me?” – Don (31:17)

• Cynical Callers:

  • “Die hard, Yankee fan here, but the season’s done here. Radon stinks. The bullpen is cooked. Grisham can’t hit. We have to move on from him. Ben Rice is in a slump. I love Judge, but he can’t come through in the clutch.” – Andres (45:09)

• On October Baseball in NY:

  • “The drama tonight...unreal. And it’s only the divisional round...Every time Boone walks out of the dugout to make a pitching change, he’s gonna hear it...” – Hahn (30:42–30:48)

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |------------|--------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:50 | Show starts, sets up Yankees' must-win home game | | 02:04 | Analysis of pitching match-up: Rodon vs. Bieber | | 03:09 | Letting go of past frustration; playoff mindset | | 10:23 | Debate on tinkering with the lineup/lead-off spot | | 14:04 | Shrinking bullpen trust: Weaver etc. "not available" | | 17:03 | Desperation pitcher deployment—all hands on deck | | 28:34 | Caller defends Judge, sets realistic expectations | | 29:33 | Discussion: how Judge’s performance shapes crowd reaction | | 31:17 | Don’s take: Is it reasonable to expect stars to dominate? | | 39:32 | Lineup announcement: unchanged, Grisham still leading off | | 41:38 | Critique of Phillies/Dodgers playoff bunt decision | | 45:09 | Caller: doom and gloom on Yankees' chances | | 47:14 | Don/Hahn riff on negative fan sentiment |

Episode Flow & Tone

• The hour moves briskly from analysis to fan engagement, with a blend of smart baseball insight and classic frustrated New York sports talk.
• Tone is urgent, at times exasperated, but always informed and passionate for the team and for October baseball’s unique atmosphere.
• Callers are high-strung, reflecting the city’s tension when a season hangs by a thread.
• Hosts maintain a balance between realism (frustration with the bullpen, offensive struggles) and cautious optimism (Yankees' strong home record, historical resilience).

Summary

Don and Hahn dig into the Yankees' do-or-die playoff scenario, scrutinizing every lineup choice, pitching option, and fan emotion. The "Put Up A Fight" theme recurs: no excuses, no tomorrow, all hands on deck. From bullpen nightmares to whether Aaron Judge deserves more support, this episode captures the gripping anxiety and drama of postseason baseball in the Bronx.