Hour 1: Yankees Next Steps

Summary

Podcast Summary: Don, Hahn & Rosenberg – Hour 1: Yankees Next Steps

Release Date: March 11, 2025

In the inaugural episode of "Don, Hahn & Rosenberg," ESPN New York legends Don La Greca, Alan Hahn, and Peter Rosenberg delve deep into the New York Yankees' current challenges and future strategies following the unfortunate season-ending injury of pitcher Garrett Cole. The episode is rich with expert analysis, lively discussions, and insightful commentary, making it an essential listen for Yankees fans and baseball enthusiasts alike.

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1. Garrett Cole’s Season-Ending Injury and Contract Insurance

The episode kicks off with a critical examination of Garrett Cole's injury, which has significant implications for the Yankees' pitching roster. The trio discusses the financial and strategic aspects of Cole's contract, particularly focusing on the insurance provisions that allow the Yankees to recoup a portion of his salary.

Notable Quote:

• Buster Olney (via Michael K): "Typically, they have insurance on his contract and typically it's about three quarters. I mean, if those numbers are right, then it would be about $27 million that they'll recoup." (08:58)

2. Luxury Tax Implications for the Yankees

Alan Hahn and Peter Rosenberg delve into the complexities of the MLB luxury tax and how it affects the Yankees' ability to make strategic acquisitions post-Cole's injury. They debate whether the insurance payout will significantly ease the Yankees' financial constraints or if the luxury tax penalties will continue to limit their spending.

Notable Quote:

• Alan Hahn: "It's not about putting money back in your pocket. It's about, if you spend on free agents beyond a certain point, how much is it going to cost me dollar for dollar on the tax?" (09:30)

3. Potential Strategies for Replacing Garrett Cole

The discussion shifts to possible strategies the Yankees might employ to replace Garrett Cole. The hosts explore both immediate and long-term options, weighing the benefits of signing a veteran starter versus developing talent from within their roster.

Notable Quote:

• Alan Hahn: "If you sit back and go, we're good. We believe in what we have. We still think we can win. We're the defending American League champions. We started last year without Cole. Look how Warren will rise, maybe Stroman will find a second win." (18:40)

4. Buster Olney’s Insights on Yankees’ Financial Maneuvers

Buster Olney provides expert analysis on ESPN.com regarding the Yankees' financial maneuvers in light of Cole's injury. The hosts discuss Olney's perspective on the potential for the Yankees to navigate the luxury tax while maintaining a competitive edge.

Notable Quote:

• Buster Olney: "The better option, probably for the Yankees as the season goes along, is as teams drop out of contention and they become sellers. That's when names become available." (28:52)

5. Audience Engagement and Listener Calls

Midway through the episode, the hosts take live calls from listeners, addressing fan concerns about the Yankees' strategies and broader sports topics. A notable interaction involves a caller from South Carolina named Henry, who expresses his frustrations regarding the Yankees' approach to managing their roster and expectations.

Notable Quote:

• Henry: "I was just messing around, but he goes, do you guys have cold brew? And I said, yes, we actually do. We do. But he said, I'm good." (36:59)

6. Broader Sports Discussions and Banter

Beyond baseball, the hosts engage in lively discussions about other sports and personal anecdotes. Topics range from WWE Raw events attended by Michael K. to humorous exchanges about personal preferences in music and sports personalities. These segments provide a well-rounded perspective, showcasing the hosts' diverse interests and camaraderie.

Notable Quote:

• Peter Rosenberg: "What would you like the power to do? References to charitable organizations is not endorsement." (43:02)

7. Future Outlook for the Yankees

As the episode concludes, the hosts reiterate their belief in the Yankees' resilience and ability to navigate the challenges posed by Cole's injury. They emphasize the importance of strategic patience, suggesting that the Yankees may wait until later in the season to make significant roster changes unless absolutely necessary.

Notable Quote:

• Alan Hahn: "But I know you don't put a lot of stock in this, but the odds for the Yankees to win the World Series by Vegas did not change after the Cole news." (17:55)

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Conclusion

"Don, Hahn & Rosenberg" effectively combines expert sports analysis with engaging dialogue, offering listeners a comprehensive look into the New York Yankees' current predicament and potential pathways forward. The episode balances in-depth discussion with light-hearted banter, making it both informative and entertaining. Whether you're a die-hard Yankees fan or a casual baseball follower, this episode provides valuable insights into the team's strategies and the broader landscape of Major League Baseball.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

• Garrett Cole’s Injury and Insurance:

  • Buster Olney: "Typically, they have insurance on his contract and typically it's about three quarters. I mean, if those numbers are right, then it would be about $27 million that they'll recoup." (08:58)

• Luxury Tax Implications:

  • Alan Hahn: "It's not about putting money back in your pocket. It's about, if you spend on free agents beyond a certain point, how much is it going to cost me dollar for dollar on the tax?" (09:30)

• Yankees’ Replacement Strategy:

  • Alan Hahn: "If you sit back and go, we're good. We believe in what we have. We still think we can win. We're the defending American League champions. We started last year without Cole. Look how Warren will rise, maybe Stroman will find a second win." (18:40)

• Buster Olney’s Financial Insight:

  • Buster Olney: "The better option, probably for the Yankees as the season goes along, is as teams drop out of contention and they become sellers. That's when names become available." (28:52)

• Listener Engagement:

  • Henry: "I was just messing around, but he goes, do you guys have cold brew? And I said, yes, we actually do. We do. But he said, I'm good." (36:59)

• Future Outlook:

  • Alan Hahn: "But I know you don't put a lot of stock in this, but the odds for the Yankees to win the World Series by Vegas did not change after the Cole news." (17:55)

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Note: The episode features a blend of sports analysis, personal anecdotes, and humorous interactions among the hosts and callers, providing a dynamic and engaging listening experience.

Transcript

[Don Hahn]

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[Peter Rosenberg]

Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.

[Alan Hahn]

That sounds like heaven to me.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Listen live weekday afternoon starting at 3 on 8 80, ESPN, the ESPN New York app, and your smart speakers.

[Michael K]

Oh, yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Oh, yeah.

[Michael K]

That felt nice.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Just lean back and let out an oh, yeah.

[Michael K]

Honestly, you had a chance to say.

[Alan Hahn]

Hello, how are you?

[Michael K]

Honestly, it felt good. This is. This. It's. It's. It's one of those. It's one of those weeks. You never know what's going to be the thing that made you feel good. But sitting here with you guys hearing that song actually felt makes you feel good. It does.

[Alan Hahn]

And I heard that you had quite the night last night at the old Garden.

[Michael K]

You know what? I got to tell you, I did have a night. First of all, me and my friend Alan Hahn went there like gentlemen. We took the. We took the ace. Was it the sea we jumped on?

[Peter Rosenberg]

We jumped on the sea.

[Michael K]

Took the C right there. Which, by the way, I've never taken the C up to the Garden before. Don didn't realize it lets you off right at the media entrance.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Spit you right there.

[Alan Hahn]

Oh, Donna, I'm gonna be using that.

[Michael K]

Wait, wait, Don, I'm being serious. When I say legit, like, you dream about, like the opposite of the fakacta. 1, 2, 3. Downtown, you are spit out right where you need to be. It was fantastic.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah, because the one, it's nice. It's four stops, just like the sea. But you literally walk the length of.

[Michael K]

Penn State as people are commuting. It's like a nightmare. This is. You literally pop out on a street that doesn't have cars on it.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Your own private street.

[Michael K]

You're on a private street path right to the entrance.

[Alan Hahn]

Because right now, no offense, but post Covid, Penn Station's kind of like a zombie movie.

[Michael K]

No, it is. It's apocalypse.

[Alan Hahn]

It's like dawn of the Dead.

[Michael K]

So Alan and I got to go to the suite, have some chicken. Some weep worthy chicken fingers. Not quite weep worthy anymore, but you know the deal.

[Peter Rosenberg]

They're different.

[Michael K]

They're Different. They change, but it's still good. You had a burger, right?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, I did grab a burger. Thanks for sharing.

[Michael K]

I had. I had a burger. I ripped off most of the bun. I felt good about it. Made myself a little. A little gin and tonic. And Alan got to experience a little bit the opening of Raw. He got to see Jay USO come out and see what the crowds like.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Wild.

[Michael K]

It's awesome, right?

[Peter Rosenberg]

It really is something. Yeah, it's an. It's an. It's an experience.

[Michael K]

It's a really cool atmosphere. The Gardens does it special. And then I. I'm hanging out. I had a friend there. We had our contest winners there, who were lovely. Some clients. Sorry, sorry. Some partners. Partners, that's right. Teammates and teammates and partners, if you will. And then Don, I went backstage to go say hello to people and ran into some people, got some nice condolences about Rocky, said hello to coworkers, got some hugs. And I'm talking to one of my bosses and my friend Tommy, who's one of our producers, comes up and he goes, hey, your on cam is a seg5. And I went, what do you mean, my on cam is seg5?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Oh, you were working.

[Michael K]

I didn't know I was working. I just had a drink.

[Alan Hahn]

I didn't know.

[Michael K]

I know. He goes, you're on cam, seg5. I went, I don't. You're talking about. He goes, yeah, we're just gonna show you. We're gonna promo evolve.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Oh, okay.

[Michael K]

And then we're gonna show you on camera.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That's great. You got a promo.

[Michael K]

And I went, oh, well, what seat is this gonna be? And he showed me, oh, I better go to that seat then. And so I went there and got to have. I just put it up on my Instagram and, you know, when you're having a crappy week, one of the places you always dreamed about working, throwing you up on the big screen and live on the show on Netflix with a little font. And got to tell you, it got a nice little reaction there from the MSG crowd.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Applause.

[Michael K]

Yeah, Smattering. What made it particularly nice is one of my least favorite public personalities, Andrew Schultz, the quote unquote comedian, AKA podcaster, who is popular, he was getting promo up a storm because he has a Netflix special, and he was all over the show. And Don, at one point, when him and I got into it, he felt very strongly about how irrelevant and unpopular I am, and he really made clear how big a loser I am and how successful he is. How often is it that there's someone who badmouths you specifically about your relevance. Right. And then you're in the same building and you both get shown on the screen so the crowd can judge who is relevant. And if I were to say he got crickets, it would be offensive to crickets. It was pin drop.

[Alan Hahn]

Show some respect, too. It's not just a building. It's the world's most famous arena.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I mean, I was gonna say I'm not talking about just any people.

[Michael K]

Right, exactly.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And listen, this is North Dakota. This is New York.

[Michael K]

This was New York.

[Alan Hahn]

This is the Piscataway Armory. All right?

[Michael K]

And I'm not living in denial. The man has a very popular podcast. He had a show at the Garden, for God's sake. I get when his people were there for his show, he got a loud applause. But when it was just a sampling of 18,500 New Yorkers, they made a choice and it felt good. You know what I did? I looked up and I said, rocky boy.

[Alan Hahn]

There you go.

[Michael K]

Another. Another one coming down from Rocky boy. He knows that his pop is nothing if not vindictive and wanted to give me a cheap pop. So thank you, Rocky.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Vindication.

[Michael K]

But no, it was a really fun night. Great show. Roman Reigns came out and.

[Peter Rosenberg]

All right, so can I let you know? Because as you know, I'm not like a real.

[Michael K]

No, no. You're getting caught up a little bit.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I. It lost me years ago and whatever.

[Michael K]

Many people are being in the building.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And then the energy and all that stuff. I did draw some curiosity because the steel cage is hanging from the famous ceiling. And I'm like, what will that look like? So obviously I had to go over and work the Knicks game. Knicks one for those who fell asleep. And so I'm like, I, I. So I checked on Fired up the.

[Michael K]

Netflix, social media or social media. There you go.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Went and just, you know, looked up. What was it? WWE Raw was the hashtag.

[Michael K]

Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Wow.

[Michael K]

Yeah. So Seth. Seth Rollins and CM Punk had a nice question. Roman came in and broke the whole thing up.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Quick question before we get into local sports, when, like, there's times, though, when you kick or punch, you actually are making contact. Am I right or wrong here?

[Michael K]

Oh, for sure.

[Peter Rosenberg]

There's actual human contact.

[Michael K]

No, no. Every time there's some contact, it's about how much. It's about how much there.

[Peter Rosenberg]

A kick to the face is a kick to the face. Whether it's gentle or not, it's still a kick to the face. That can't be one of Those where you're like, I was fine.

[Michael K]

No, I don't think any of it's great. It's just. But if you. If you work a really good match, if you have two great wrestlers who work a good match, no one should come out feeling too. Too bad. But, I mean, every night, someone's getting walloped in the face. It's just what happens.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And we saw one guy when he landed, he, like, told the ref, like, I think I just messed up my back.

[Michael K]

Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I mean, like, I saw him say that to the referee.

[Michael K]

Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I think as they're about to raise his arm because he won. It was the dude with the mask. What's his.

[Michael K]

What's the penta?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah. He turns to the ref, he goes, I think I just blanked up my back.

[Michael K]

Yeah. I mean, by the way. And that happens, too, but I'm glad you got to feel it. I. I love the vibe in there, and the Garden fans are the best, and they treat us like gold. So it was. It was a fun night, and it was nice to get a fun night this week.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Good stuff. Well, we're going to have a fun show for you today. 800 now at 93776 for the calls, and we'll get that rolling here momentarily. But, you know, again, yesterday's show. Later in the show was the news about Garrett Cole being officially out for the season. And it's just awful news. Of course, Buster only was on with Michael K. We'll hear from what he had to say momentarily because he. He had something that he put on ESPN.com that I asked this yesterday. Right. Donnie. I was curious about. Okay. If he's out for the season. From my experience in covering sports for 20 years as a sports writer is like, everybody has insurance on the big contracts you have, because you got to protect yourself as an organization. So he said he wrote about the Yankees having the insurance on it so they can actually recoup some of the money for this year that they owe him. And, you know, to me, like, that's. That's what's important is. Okay, if that's true, then we have to have a conversation about the Yankees and Hal Steinbrand and what they do because the season has even started yet. So let's first listen here to what Buster only told Michael K. About just how much the Yankees can recoup from Cole when we know that they are not. There's no hard cap, but we know they have a budget, and we know that they weren't willing to spend any more money. That's why Aron Otto was not a Yankee. So here's Buster only explaining the, the, the Yankees ability maybe to get some money back.

[Buster Olney]

So I don't know the answer to that, the precise answer to that. You know, typically, you know, they have insurance on his contract and typically it's about three quarters. I mean, if those numbers are right, then it would be about $27 million that they'll recoup. But that doesn't affect their luxury tax situation. You know, having Cole go on the injured list, they still, if they make additions going forward, it's a dollar tax for every dollar they spend, whether it's a free agent, you know, like a Cal Gibson, if they wanted to go that route, or if they trade for a player during the course of the year.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Now that's something I think you said yesterday to me that the tax is the problem. So as he explained, so if you, let's say bring in a player for a $5 million player, it's going to cost you 10 million. And that feels to me like still there's a hard cap.

[Alan Hahn]

See that. See, that's why I take. And Michael for years took exception to the Yankees being cheap. The reason the Yankees sometimes scale it down financially is they don't want to have to pay the tax. There are penalties that come with having a very high payroll, so they could recoup all of Cole's salary. It's not about putting money back in your pocket. It's about, all right, if I spend on free agents beyond a certain point, how much is it going to cost me dollar for dollar on the tax? Am I going to lose international money? Are they going to take draft picks away from us? Those are the things the Yankees are loathe to do. So if they get $27 million back, okay, that's $27 million in Hal's pocket. But if it doesn't help them in the luxury tax situation, Alan, I don't think they'll be as aggressive as you want them to be. It's not like hockey, because the big thing in hockey is you put a guy on injured reserve, the money goes away. You spend the money that you didn't have to spend on the injured player. And then come playoffs when there's no cap, you get the injured player back. And now you've got you found a loophole through the cap. I don't know if it works similar in the NBA, but that's the way it works in the NHL.

[Peter Rosenberg]

The NBA has been habitat.

[Alan Hahn]

Right, but, but baseball is too. Without having a Hard cap. There are punishments to going over the tax and it doesn't seem like the Yankees want to. And it doesn't sound like this injury is going to allow them to.

[Peter Rosenberg]

So for us to spend this time then saying, like I said, I wanted to have this conversation, but the way it's being explained tells me there is no conversation to have. Right. Like, because if it was what, like the NHL is, then there'd be no question that the Yankees should go out and find Someone.

[Alan Hahn]

I've got $36 million to spend.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I can get one, I can get 2p. But I got to go out and find somebody. And apparently that's not the case because the luxury tax is what's going to be the thing that keeps him or anyone, you know, keeps the Yankees from wanting to do something like that. That's the part that to me would be frustrating.

[Michael K]

Oh, who's that?

[Alan Hahn]

Speaking of the devil, what's the voice.

[Michael K]

Of the New York Yankees? Michael Cage just walked into the room.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Why? You know, if we have a question about things, then why wouldn't.

[Alan Hahn]

Well, I had said. Because what happens a lot, Michael, is that we refer back to the old show.

[Michael K]

By the way, you're hoping that another microphone.

[Alan Hahn]

But it was just a few months ago. And so something that we had talked about on the air, I had said, you know, Michael talked about it too, about the Yankees not wanting to exceed the luxury tax. It isn't so much. I get all this money back because Cole's hurt. If it's not gonna help me with the luxury tax, they may not spend it. So I mentioned your name and then next thing you know, you walked in.

[Carl Banks]

Well, but, you know, I understand.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's like Beetlejuice what he's saying.

[Carl Banks]

I mean, if you get divorced, you don't want your husband to talk about the ex wife all the time.

[Michael K]

It's not a.

[Alan Hahn]

What was it like? Oh, Michael used to do it this way. Why don't you do it like that, Alan? It's just referring back to the show that's on before.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You have set such a high standard that I have pretty much given up on trying to meet it at this point.

[Alan Hahn]

That's good.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I just, I allow them to just, you know, have their moments where they get, you know, misty eyed.

[Alan Hahn]

Now it's Michael.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Upset.

[Carl Banks]

Sensitive.

[Alan Hahn]

Very sensitive.

[Michael K]

Well, that you guys are shutting me out.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Lighting up. Yeah, as you know. Lighting up.

[Alan Hahn]

We've got two other people to talk to besides ourselves. Right.

[Carl Banks]

You at the end just go over mean tweets.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I love that's actually great.

[Michael K]

Wait, are you getting. Are people mad at you about coal or something?

[Carl Banks]

No, no, no. Like, yesterday I put a picture up.

[Michael K]

Get close to that microphone like a professional.

[Carl Banks]

Here's the new digs or whatever. And then like, just. They just started, you know, talk. Why don't you do 162 games? You should retire if you don't do that.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Oh, my goodness.

[Michael K]

What is wrong with you?

[Carl Banks]

Nobody listens to your show. I'm so glad your other show got canceled.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But you know what's funny?

[Alan Hahn]

They got canceled.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I've seen the cancel thing, which is hilarious. So. So if you. If while you're sharing that. Since. Since we're going to do this.

[Carl Banks]

Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

All I see is how bring Michael back.

[Michael K]

Oh, really?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Just bring Michael back already. Like, seriously.

[Michael K]

So here's what I get, though.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Like, which I find hilarious.

[Carl Banks]

You stink without Don and Peter.

[Michael K]

Oh, well, some people.

[Carl Banks]

I get that.

[Michael K]

Salient point.

[Carl Banks]

A nice little burner you got working there, Peter.

[Michael K]

No, people are the worst. Let's be honest.

[Carl Banks]

No, people are just. Just the worst.

[Alan Hahn]

You're right.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, the ones that sweet are. Let's be honest. Anybody that.

[Carl Banks]

No, I think the general population, I'd say 70 to 80% of people are awful.

[Peter Rosenberg]

70.

[Carl Banks]

They're very unhappy.

[Alan Hahn]

In general. No, no.

[Carl Banks]

In general.

[Alan Hahn]

Really?

[Carl Banks]

I think if you walk down the street, 70% of people are just miserable.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I'm not feeling well.

[Alan Hahn]

They might be miserable, but doesn't mean they're miserable people. They might be unhappy, but they want.

[Carl Banks]

To put that unhappiness on us.

[Alan Hahn]

70% of the population.

[Carl Banks]

71.

[Michael K]

It's a high bar. It's a very high number. Peter, do you believe this year? No.

[Alan Hahn]

You usually see the good in people.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I was always told, like, never tell anybody your problems because 90% of the people don't want to hear it. The other 10% are happy that you have problems.

[Carl Banks]

One of the. You know, we took that ribbon cutting, which the station put out.

[Michael K]

Nothing negative you could say about that.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Oh, yeah.

[Carl Banks]

I thought Michael K. Was tall. Allen just dominates him.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, that's all I get.

[Carl Banks]

You're criticizing me for being six'four But.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Michael K. You understand that that's actually a shot at both of us, right?

[Carl Banks]

Because you're a big goon.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah. It's like the only redeemable quality of this human is that, well, he's much taller than everybody else.

[Michael K]

Right.

[Carl Banks]

And then they obviously did it in size places. It's Alan, Michael, Don, and Peter. They did that on purpose.

[Michael K]

Wow.

[Carl Banks]

71%, by the way.

[Michael K]

I can't believe you can't even get tall. They won't even consider you tall anymore. That's unbelievable.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Six, four.

[Carl Banks]

So if I stood next to Shaq.

[Michael K]

Look how short Michael is.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Sorry.

[Michael K]

Yeah, this is tough.

[Carl Banks]

You are really tall, though. You're much taller than I thought.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And there's nothing like this again. There's nothing that. It doesn't do anything for me.

[Carl Banks]

I mean, I think your looks have gone a long way for you. You're a TV star.

[Michael K]

Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

What is the height done?

[Carl Banks]

You're a handsome dude.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, let's take it easy with that.

[Michael K]

The height is a thing.

[Alan Hahn]

Because you were shorter, you might not be here. You don't know.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You think so?

[Alan Hahn]

I don't know.

[Peter Rosenberg]

What?

[Carl Banks]

Your wife.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, I know. She wouldn't.

[Carl Banks]

Really.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Literally told me when she was a little girl, she always wanted to marry a tall guy with a short last name. Then she met me and that was it.

[Carl Banks]

Wow.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Isn't that crazy?

[Carl Banks]

So she would not have. Doug. Peter.

[Michael K]

Oh, my God. Short guy. Long name. Long name.

[Carl Banks]

Yeah.

[Michael K]

I was trying to think of who the. In my brain. I'm just scanning for the top.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You were thinking of short guys with a long last name.

[Michael K]

That could be three. Was Yao Ming. Yao Ming was really.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I would have had no shot with Yao Ming.

[Michael K]

Right?

[Peter Rosenberg]

The minute he walks in, like. All right, I'm out.

[Michael K]

Oh, God.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's over.

[Carl Banks]

Chamberlain. It would have been.

[Michael K]

No, no last name.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But she would have been very complete.

[Michael K]

Yeah. Kareem Abdul Jabbar. Same problem.

[Alan Hahn]

Right?

[Carl Banks]

Lu Alcindor had a better chance. Bye, guys.

[Alan Hahn]

So long.

[Carl Banks]

71%.

[Michael K]

There you go.

[Peter Rosenberg]

71. That was.

[Alan Hahn]

That was a little pleasant surprise, right? To get to see Michael.

[Michael K]

Well, here he goes.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I mean, did you. Okay.

[Michael K]

He can't stop.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Does he need a towel? Peter, does he really need a towel?

[Michael K]

By the way, I'm just glad. I'm just glad his waist is covered by the desk.

[Alan Hahn]

He's.

[Michael K]

This guy's. He's gear.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I didn't need that. It's literally noon here. I mean, there's kids coming out of the house.

[Michael K]

You don't enjoy Michael's company, By the way, I. Listen, I love it. I love seeing the caser. It's. It's a pleasant surprise.

[Alan Hahn]

People don't realize how rare it is to see him.

[Michael K]

And look, we get to see him right now in the flesh. You kidding me? It's like a dream come true. I just know Alan feels away about it, you know?

[Peter Rosenberg]

I don't feel away. I just. I'd like to Joke about it. I know because of how giddy you guys get the minute he comes around.

[Michael K]

That's Michael K. You're talking about.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I know, I know, I understand that. But it's, it's, it's definitely something. So, all right, with, with this, with the notion that insurance or not, it's not really a savings for Hal Steinbrenner. Is there no way to put like. So fans like me shouldn't be sitting here now saying, all right, you're getting that money back reinvested in the team and go find a starter. Go get somebody that's out there that's gettable. But, but we, you.

[Alan Hahn]

I understand that it's not the, that.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That'S not the intelligent thing to do, and I know we're fans of all.

[Alan Hahn]

You gotta wait. You gotta wait and see. All right, you're gonna need another starter. Now, is it gonna be Warren? Is it gonna be somebody that's, you know, come out of the bullpen?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Right.

[Alan Hahn]

But I know you don't put a lot of stock in this, but the odds for the Yankees to win the World Series by Vegas did not change after the coal news. Didn't change.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I know. You know why? A, it's the Yankees, okay? They know you're going to put. They know you're going to put your money on them and the American League is what it is.

[Alan Hahn]

But, but I think that there are.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Ask me in May if it changes.

[Alan Hahn]

Well, that's what I think Brian Cashman's going to say is he's going to look at it and go, let's go at it. Let's see where we are. And then if we have to, we'll make the move. Do you have to make the move now or do you say, let's wait till May, let's wait till the first week of June, assess where we are, and then we'll, we'll decide. Because why make right now. If you start calling general managers, those general managers are gonna know you're in full blown panic and they're gonna try to extort extra prospects from you, take advantage of your situation.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Oh, I agree.

[Alan Hahn]

If you sit back and go, we're good. We believe in what we have. We still think we can win. We're the defending American League champions. We started last year without Cole. Look how he'll rose. Maybe Warren will rise, maybe Stroman will find a second win. We don't need to do anything until we absolutely have to do something. And then you'll assess and if this team hits, usually the first line for me is Memorial Day. Kind of assess where you are. And if the Yankees are like seven games under.500 and leaking oil, you might say, I don't know if there's a move that's going to save us. Let's not do anything. Or maybe there'll be.500 and just a two or three games out of the wild card and say, let's make a move and let's go for it. Why make the fever dream move now? Right? Because you're in such a panic and you're in cold sweats because you just lost Cole and you just lost Heel and the news isn't good on Stanton. Why not just wait, see how it plays out. Maybe you feel good about this team and you make a different move. I think one thing we found out last year with the Mets basically being out of it in June and then being two games away from going to the World Series tells you baseball is a really long, arduous season. I don't have to make any move for maybe the first month and a half of the season.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Oh, no.

[Alan Hahn]

At the earliest.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I get that part. I'm not saying, like, there should be this urgency right now, don't get me wrong. But I do feel like at some point this season, like, that's. As a fan, you just. I'm going to go back to the thing, the expectation thing. You know, when you said, oh, if things aren't going well and it's May, it's like, all right, don't do it. And you know, it's just not going to be your year. I just, I don't know the Yankees to operate in a way where they punt on a season.

[Alan Hahn]

You know, I was giving examples of. You assess where you're at. Like you. You might. Because again, even with Cole healthy, I wasn't ready to say the Yankees were guaranteed to go to the World Series as wide open as the American League was. That's baseball. You saw the Texas Rangers, they went through some injuries last year and they didn't even finish.500 after go after winning the championship the year before. What I'm saying is, is that maybe it determines who you get. Like right now, I got to go find an ace to replace Cole. Well, maybe Rodon is your ace and now I need a two or three or four.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I'm not buying that.

[Alan Hahn]

No, I'm not either, but can I at least see how it plays itself out? Did you think he'll be rookie of the year and save your bacon? The first two months of last season, nobody knew how to say, people were calling him Gill.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, I know.

[Alan Hahn]

Who's this Gil kid? And the next thing you know is he wins rookie of the Year and now you're crying in your pillow that you lost him. For the first couple of months of the season, he went from nobody knew how to pronounce his name to, oh, my God, he's not here.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Right.

[Alan Hahn]

Who is going to be that guy this year? So you wait and you see what you have to assess. Do I think they're going to take, but they're going to punt? No, but they might evaluate and say, I don't think I need to hemorrhage prospects to try to go after a. I don't want that run either.

[Michael K]

Yeah, I don't.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I don't want the hemorrhaging prospects thing either. But it's about. Mostly it's about a team that wants to unload a contract that nobody else will want to take, and you have the ability to do that.

[Alan Hahn]

But there's. There's different ways. Like there could be, hey, we want to go for it and get somebody big because we're struggling or, hey, we're struggling, so let's not get somebody big. Let's take a. Let's make a minor move, see if we can turn it around. Yankees are always going to try to get better. Yeah, they're not going to punt unless, you know, they start owing 20 or something like that. But where you're at will assess what you need right now, panic says, we need another ace. Is that the best move to make? When. If you could look at a crystal ball and say, hey, in on May 31st were 10 games over.500. Like, do I need to do that?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, your Mets example is. Is the best example.

[Alan Hahn]

That's it.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Where they were last year and how they looked and then.

[Alan Hahn]

And what was the move?

[Peter Rosenberg]

But it turned around.

[Alan Hahn]

What was the move? You know, Iglesias going to second base. Having Vientos have more of a press was. It wasn't something more internal? I wasn't going to trade for Mike Piazza. No, it was, let's get this guy off the scrap heap. Let's call this kid up. Let's move this around here. Let's move Lindor to lead off. Little tiny moves that all of a sudden bore really big dividends. So everybody right now is, oh, my God, we gotta replace Cole. I think the wait and see mode is probably best. And I still on air on the side of. I don't think it's gonna be as crippling as you think, well, it's Garrett Cole.

[Michael K]

Yeah, but the thing is, the reason it won't be as crippling as you think, Don, is because you and I already have theory of overpaying pitchers is stupid because they play once every five days. So I'll tell you what.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's really getting there with baseball. At some point where you're. I'm waiting to see the first time the whole league decides. Like. Like you're seeing with quarterbacks, they're not getting the money we all thought they were going to get, right? When does the whole league reach a point where I'm not going? Eight years. Yeah, because somewhere in those eight years, you're going to probably miss half a season or a whole season due to something that messes with your elbow, your wrist, your shoulder, who knows? But it's always gonna be something. When do you get to that point where you realize this is not a good investment?

[Michael K]

Here's a silver lining, by the way. Is. Is. It's. It's not Aaron Judge we're having this conversation about.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's. Why would you put the seat.

[Michael K]

No, no.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's.

[Michael K]

That's. It's your everyday best player.

[Alan Hahn]

You put that evil on it.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I mean, have I been through enough already?

[Michael K]

Can you knock?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Please knock. Just knock on.

[Michael K]

Oh, sure.

[Peter Rosenberg]

This is not even wood.

[Michael K]

Sure, sure, sure. It's particle board, but still, my point is, whoever. Whether it's Aaron Judge or anybody else, your everyday player being lost for the year to me is so much more crippling. Okay, if Garrett Cole had hold of. Garrett Cole had one of the best years of his career. One of the best years of his career.

[Alan Hahn]

He has.

[Michael K]

This year gets you 19 wins, right? Can you still get. From the person who replaces Garrett Cole, can you still get 10 wins? You know what I'm saying? Like, it is a surmountable thing for a starter.

[Peter Rosenberg]

For. For a basic starter, 10 wins is pretty good.

[Michael K]

It is.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You know what I mean? For like a. For a mid starter.

[Michael K]

I'm not saying it's easily gettable.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Double figure wins is fine.

[Michael K]

But you can hope for it. You can hope to get someone who can get you 10.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, let's.

[Alan Hahn]

You want to finish your point just real quick? It's not even about how many wins you get. It's how many times your team wins when you made the start. All right, so. But you're still in Cole. Cy Young season, which was in 2023. He was 15 and 4. So to your point, can I get someone to win 10 of those games and Then I can find the other five. But you also have to find out what was their record in the games he started. He started 33 games, right? So.

[Michael K]

So the question is, what happens is.

[Alan Hahn]

That, you know, how many did you win? And can I get that from somebody else?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Really devaluing the starter in Major League Baseball.

[Don Hahn]

I can say to my new Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, hey, find a keto friendly restaurant nearby and text it to Beth and Steve. And it does without me lifting a finger so I can get in more squats anywhere I can. 1, 2, 3.

[Alan Hahn]

Will that be cash or credit? Credit.

[Michael K]

4 Galaxy S25 Ultra.

[Peter Rosenberg]

The AI companion that does the heavy lifting.

[Michael K]

So yeah, you can do you get [e-mail] compatible with select apps.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Requires Google Gemini account.

[Michael K]

Results may vary based on input. Check responses for accuracy. You don't wake up dreaming of McDonald's fries. You wake up dreaming of McDonald's hash browns. McDonald's breakfast comes first. Ba da ba ba ba. Ryan Reynolds here from Mint Mobile with a message for everyone paying big wireless way too much. Please, for the love of everything good in this world, stop with Mint. You can get premium wireless for just $15 a month. Of course, if you enjoy overpaying. No judgments. But that's weird. Okay, one judgment anyway. Give it a [e-mail] Switch upfront payment.

[Don Hahn]

Of $45 for 3 month plan equivalent to $15 per month required intro rate first 3 months only, then full price plan options available, taxes and fees extra. See full [e-mail] thanks for listening to.

[Peter Rosenberg]

The Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.

[Michael K]

I didn't listen to anything you just said.

[Peter Rosenberg]

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

[Michael K]

The SWV Michael remix is truly one of the most perfect songs ever made.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That's the best way to describe. I haven't found a person that has said, oh, I hate this. Not a single person in the world.

[Michael K]

It's, it's. It's a breathtaking song. And then you remember the version they made the remix where they kept Michael's part so after she'd finished it would hit the Y. Y go back and forth. And I think it's so cool in retrospect that Michael versions. I think it's so cool that he cleared this too. And Ebro. So Ebro's friend produced this record.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Oh really?

[Michael K]

So Ebro has told me the story.

[Peter Rosenberg]

They came out of nowhere, swb like out of nowhere.

[Michael K]

And Michael and Michael individually cleared this. Like they played him the record and he specifically was like, gave the blessing to use it because, I mean, it's completely giving your song away. It's the entire song. I mean, they sing a whole different. They sing whole different lyrics etc, different tune.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Right.

[Michael K]

But the music is his song. And Don's probably never doesn't have an idea what I'm talking about.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I had to have heard this song.

[Michael K]

Never, not in his life.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Did you like it?

[Alan Hahn]

I know this. I know the original.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Right, but do you like that version?

[Michael K]

You have to let him hear it. You have to let him hear it, though. You can't give it to him like that. He'd have to like ears. No, he's gotta, like, turn it all. You gotta like. That's a tough way to get a song for the first time that you and I consider a classic. You gotta sit down and hit play and listen to a song.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That's very fair.

[Michael K]

I think he'd love it.

[Alan Hahn]

Got 30 minutes between this show and the Ranger pre.

[Michael K]

I'd like a moment.

[Alan Hahn]

I'll listen to it during dinner.

[Michael K]

Okay, beautiful. I'd like to make sure that happens.

[Alan Hahn]

And then we'll reassess, what, 3, 25 tomorrow.

[Michael K]

I'd like to bring it back. Yeah, sure.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Don is already. Already working. I Love it. Grinding. Donnie 800 Now, 193776 on the Yankees and Cole and Buster only telling us that while the Yankees will recoup the money, it doesn't necessarily mean that they'll have like all this money suddenly to spend to go out and get a starter to replace him this season because the luxury tax is still in play. So Buster, when he was on Michael K. Did say that the Yankees might have to wait, though, and it could work to their benefit.

[Buster Olney]

The better option, probably for the Yankees as the season goes along, is as teams drop out of contention and they become sellers. That's when names become available. The Blue Jays, for example, if they don't wind up contending and they wind up being sell during the course of the year, they had Chris Bassett, they got Max Scherzer. The Padres drop out. You got Michael King. Dylan Cease is out there, but I think right now there's not a lot out there in terms of veteran starters.

[Michael K]

Oh, my God.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Richard King back.

[Michael K]

Richard would be so happy if Michael King came back down.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Big. Big Michael King.

[Michael K]

Oh, yeah, he was. Isn't that my. Is that who he's always complaining about leaving was Michael King?

[Alan Hahn]

Well, he said that the Padres would win the deal.

[Michael K]

The Padres won the World Series with Michael King and the Yankees. Don't win it with soda.

[Alan Hahn]

That's. The Yankees didn't win it and they lost him. So I guess if they do eventually win, but maybe they get him back.

[Peter Rosenberg]

What is, what is our feeling on what I said yesterday too, about like, you know, the way things went this off season, that if you had the same thing happen but Soto had signed, are you in a better place or a worse place? Because you got to take away Freed, right? That's gone. You probably. You're taking away the closer. He's gone.

[Alan Hahn]

Now, do we know that all three guys they signed weren't doable if they brought back Soto, or was it just two of the three? Could they have gotten Freed, but not Bellinger and Goldschmidt? Like, if they, if they kept Soto, could they have still gotten.

[Peter Rosenberg]

They wouldn't have gotten Bellinger because they wouldn't need him, right?

[Alan Hahn]

They wouldn't right now.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Goldschmidt, I guess maybe you could say, because he needed a first baseman. But think about it.

[Alan Hahn]

But I still have holes. I mean, even with, even with what they got. Just think about it. Yeah, they went and got three guys, couldn't get a third baseman. Still will not give Aaron Otto the money.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Right?

[Alan Hahn]

So they, they that tapped him out. So looking at what the money the Mets gave him, I guess they wouldn't have gotten free.

[Peter Rosenberg]

So with that Soto, are they. Would they be in a better place or a worse place? Because could you say, well, at least you have like an unbelievable offense. You know, you still have Judge Soto. You could, you don't have to worry about your starting pitching as much because you know you're going to be putting up runs.

[Alan Hahn]

I think they.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Or is it now you have Max Freed, so at least you can have a guy that can sort of be an ace anyway.

[Alan Hahn]

But to Peter's point, all right, Max Freed is going to help us in the 30 plus starts that he makes, but Juan Soto would be helping us for 162games and maybe we'd slug our way through this situation. I don't know if you'd say they're better off. Like, I don't think you'd sit there and go, thank God we didn't sign Juan Soto because we got Max Freed. Would you want to go back in time and are you happy you didn't sign Juan Soto for this?

[Peter Rosenberg]

But I wonder, though, honestly, it's a very interesting thing. And how would it be received if this injury happens to Cole? Soto got the 700, whatever million, $730 million. Right. And he's a Yankee. And now you're looking at Carlos Rodon's your man. That's your guy.

[Alan Hahn]

Right. But you're also looking at this like a lot of fans do. I am where Soto signed for 15 years, but we're going to focus on the first year. So, I mean, the Yankees were also looking at, yeah, how is it going to hurt us or help us in 25?

[Peter Rosenberg]

But then it's a stupid question.

[Alan Hahn]

It's like it keeps going up and down, up and down. So you're for this year, I guess you could say. Thankfully, Soto's not here because we've got Freed because where would they be?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Right. Okay. So it's really dumb because.

[Alan Hahn]

Well.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But yeah, I'm not thinking of it that way. I was thinking just immediacy. But you're right. You still have this guy for another 13 years. So if you, if you don't have them for one year, you know, if you have to live through this for one year, you'll live through it because you still have Judge and Soto for the next year.

[Alan Hahn]

It would have been interesting because obviously you didn't sign Freed to replace Soto. So you still would have signed a pitcher. Right? Or would they have gone with Warren in your rotation to begin with? They probably go out to get a pitcher. Would they get Max Freed? Maybe not. But you probably get somebody a little cheaper.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Didn't they want to move on from Stroman anyway? Like when that was already?

[Alan Hahn]

Probably, yeah, probably.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But, you know, like I said, it's, it's. I asked this yesterday. I was really curious, you know, like you said, can you imagine if they had signed Soto and now you don't have Max Freed. At least you have Max Freed right now. But you, what you said is something I don't consider, which is always look beyond this, this year. But right now all I care about is this year.

[Alan Hahn]

But in football, basketball, even hockey, you lose somebody of the significance of Garrett Cole, it can completely blow up your season. I think baseball, so long he's a pitcher, it's 30 plus start. They can, they can get through this without replacing him with an ace. The first thing Buster only is going to talk about is, oh, you go get Dylan Cease. You can get this guy.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Name brands.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah, but I don't know, does Max Scherzer float your boat? You can go out and get Max Scherzer.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Is he older than LeBron? How old is he?

[Alan Hahn]

Gotta be around the same age.

[Michael K]

Sure.

[Alan Hahn]

She's got to be. Oh, no, I think he's got to be Scherzer.

[Michael K]

Scherzer's like. Scherzer's like 38, 39. No, he might be 40 now. Scherzer's 40, I think.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Is he with Toronto?

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah, Charger. Now, that's what Buster said. If Toronto falls out of it, then maybe he gets Scherzer.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Michael K]

How old is Max Scherzer?

[Alan Hahn]

Max Scherzer is 40 years old.

[Michael K]

Thanks, Jake.

[Alan Hahn]

And LeBron's what, 39?

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, he's 40.

[Michael K]

He's 40.

[Alan Hahn]

He's 40. There you go.

[Michael K]

Guess what? Guess who's better, though.

[Alan Hahn]

Oh, LeBron's better.

[Michael K]

Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

LeBron, 800 now 3, 7, 7, 6.

[Alan Hahn]

Who's having a better year, LeBron or Ovechkin?

[Michael K]

LeBron.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That's a good one.

[Michael K]

Because of the Big Richard stat yesterday.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Wait a minute, wait a minute.

[Alan Hahn]

The Big Richard, before we get crazy, because he said it too, about empty net goals. If you're a hockey fan, how many times does your team trying to get an empty netter doesn't get it gives up the tying goal like it make. It seems like it's such a layup that you get the insurance goal. A lot of times you don't. Alan, how many times you cover a hockey game? Nets empty, don't score. Miss it like three times. Derek King used to miss like 30 empty nets when he was an Islander.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And you know they're going to score.

[Alan Hahn]

Don't make it seem like they're handing Ovechkin a goal. No, no, but it is an interesting, easier.

[Michael K]

It is an interesting stat, though, that it's like, what do you say? It's like 40% of the goals are empty netters. It was interesting.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Did someone. Did someone go back and do that? Like, how many empty net goals like Gretzky scored? And great, I think, I believe Gordy.

[Alan Hahn]

Howe scored and Ovechka might have broke it, but I think Gretzky had the most empty netters.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You would think so.

[Michael K]

Yeah, probably.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I mean, if the net's empty, who are you putting on the ice? Let's be honest. But he's not busy.

[Alan Hahn]

Do you take foul. Do you take points away from foul shots? Well, if you. If Lebron didn't get fouled, he never would have broken the point record.

[Michael K]

Great point.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Also, you know what, that's the free throw thing is an interesting part of this.

[Alan Hahn]

At least there are people on the ice trying to stop you from scoring the empty net goal. Right. There might not be a goaltender, but their sticks, bodies you can miss. And it's an I.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You know, LeBron might have passed Kareem but you know, he took way more free throws.

[Alan Hahn]

He might.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Is that the argument? Right, Like.

[Alan Hahn]

Cause they didn't call fouls back in the day.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You know, the three point thing is something that's coming up now for a lot of players who are climbing the ladder. Well, they look how many more points they got because the three pointer is a bigger part of the game today. You know, that's. That's also like, we're never going to be able to get past this. Never. Now, there was something I saw on social media that later in the show we're going to have some fun with that. I showed you dunk.

[Alan Hahn]

Mm.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That. Did Anthony print it?

[Alan Hahn]

Oh, yeah. He. He printed it in color.

[Peter Rosenberg]

In color?

[Michael K]

Yeah.

[Alan Hahn]

I think they had to change three colors.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Is that how swanky these studios are? We have color printers that can survive printing a full color page without the other place.

[Alan Hahn]

We just wrote the names down. Now we get a color. Did you see this, Peter? No, no. He showed you. It was in color.

[Michael K]

Oh, yeah, yeah. There was that print out. I do.

[Alan Hahn]

I think you have it on your person. How beautiful that is. I think it cut it out of a magazine glossy.

[Michael K]

Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, now you know where or your raise is going. A really good printer to the cartridges. 800 now at 93776. Losing track of time as always. Henry from South Carolina. Henry, let's go to you first, Henry.

[Alan Hahn]

Oh, no.

[Michael K]

Take your time, Henry. Take a breath.

[Henry]

I tried so hard not to have the delay. You tried delay? I tried. It didn't work.

[Alan Hahn]

We'll fix this at some point this year.

[Henry]

It'll get. It'll get there. We all roll with the punches. Speaking of rolling with the punches, not to, not to detract from the Ovechkin thing. Empty net. Empty net. Goals count. Richard, it's fine. Try to try to just go right over it. I was like, richard, come on. Listen, man, I'm in. I'm in lockstep with you guys a lot of the time. Even with the Yankees. Even with the Yankee callers. As a listener of the old show and into now, I get your frustration. I try to represent a group of Yankee fans who are pragmatic and understanding as opposed to the. Let's say the Paul from Trenton's of the world.

[Michael K]

Right?

[Henry]

So I'm trying to. Trying to hold it together with the whole Cole thing. And of course this is. This is not what you want, obviously, but replying to stuff that was said yesterday, I think an hour, three or four. What? Where you lose me? Peter. Peter, specifically, kind of said, I think said. You can quote me if you want that the Yankee fans don't die hard. That's kind of where you lose me a little because I understand, I understand that yes, we are, we are the winningest franchise since the 30 team era and we are incredibly, we're incredibly blessed. There's no doubt about it. You can, you can go into spoiled if you want, that's just fine. But where I get, where I get a little ticked is when I hear that like not. There's no dying hard when it comes to us.

[Alan Hahn]

I mean, well, how old are you?

[Henry]

It puts, it puts us, it puts us in a tough standard.

[Michael K]

It does. How old are you?

[Henry]

I'm 35.

[Michael K]

So yeah, I would say at 35, while you may be a really big fan, to compare you to say a Cleveland Guardians fan, for example, is not a fair comparison when it comes to being a Donald.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Can I jump in again?

[Michael K]

Well, let your man. I mean, go ahead, do it. You guys team up however you want.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I just want to jump in because I agree and my feeling is, is that there's different levels to being a die hard. Because a standard that you have, you know, for, for anybody that says, well, making the playoffs, you know, you make the playoffs every year, but you die hard. That's, that's, you're. That, that not just making the playoffs, it's just a different standard. We expect that like you're supposed to do.

[Alan Hahn]

I know, but you're getting it.

[Peter Rosenberg]

So losing, okay, is that, that's your die hard, that's your frustration.

[Henry]

Well, here's the, here's it, here's the thing. And yes, we expect it. But what I mean, I don't understand is that don't, don't all teams to a, to a degree expect it? Don't all teams want it? I mean, the whole. Yeah, no, we haven't gone through years of being the Mets where it just was a sport, you know, or any other sport, let's say Giants fans right now slogging through this really terrible era. Have we been through that? Have I been through that? No, but I don't think that that takes away how much it hurts like game five. I'm hoping every day by playing.

[Alan Hahn]

To me, as somebody who has, listen, I've seen a lot more success with the Giants than I have the Mets. So I've kind of seen both sides of it. I can't really cry a river as a Giant fan compared to what the Jet fan have been through. Yeah, you're a die hard, but you'd have to admit there are degrees because your team has never embarrassed you to the point where you legitimately could think about giving up on them and moving on to somebody else. Now, a diehard would never do that. Die Hard sticks with it. But the Yankees have never tested you to the point where you'd ever think of giving up on them your entire life. You're 35 years old. They've never finished under.500, so they've never tested you to the point where you've had to hold your nose, you've had to be embarrassed to wear the interlocking NY to have people make fun of you because you're a Yankee fan. Every other team in this market has gone through that point and some of the weaker people have said, you know what, I'm going to check out, I'm going to root for somebody else. I can't take it anymore. The ones that don't are the Die Hards. They could, but they didn't become Cowboy fans. They didn't become Laker fans. A Yankee fan has never been tested to that point. So that's why we question how Die Hard you are. Because they've never put you to the brink. Yeah, of course it hurts to lose. It hurts to lose in the World Series. It hurts. It's to lose a blow, a three nothing series lead, of course. But they've never tested you to the point where you've ever, ever thought about turning your back on them. And that's why your Die Hard ability, if you will, has never really been tested.

[Michael K]

I'm with you in lockstep. I just want to say Don nailed that. I have nothing else to add.

[Alan Hahn]

We're so done with New Year.

[Michael K]

New you.

[Alan Hahn]

This year it's more you on Bumble. More of you shamelessly sending playlists, especially that one filled with show tunes. More of you finding Geminis because you.

[Michael K]

Know you always like them.

[Alan Hahn]

More of you dating with intention because you know what you want and you know what?

[Michael K]

We love that for you.

[Alan Hahn]

Someone else will too.

[Michael K]

Be more you this year and find them on Bumble.

[Don Hahn]

Your data is like gold to hackers. They're selling your passwords, bank details and private messages. McAfee helps stop them. Secure VPN keeps your online activity private. AI powered text scam detector spots phishing attempts instantly. And with award winning antivirus, you get top tier hacker protection. Plus you'll get up to $2 million in identity theft coverage. All for just $39.99 for your first year. Visit McAfee.com, cancel anytime terms apply. I was never really a runner. The way I see running is a gift, especially when you have stage four cancer. I'm Ann. I'm running the Boston Marathon, presented by bank of America. I run for Dana Farber Cancer Institute to give people like me a chance to thrive in life, even with cancer.

[Michael K]

Join bank of America in helping Anne's cause. Give if you can@b of a.comSupportAnn what would you like the power to do? References to charitable organizations is not endorsement.

[Don Hahn]

By bank of America Corporation.

[Michael K]

Copyright 2025.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.

[Michael K]

I didn't listen to anything you just said.

[Peter Rosenberg]

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

[Alan Hahn]

Even if you're not a Michael Jackson fan. And I'm not.

[Michael K]

What do you mean you're not? You always say that. What do you. What do you mean, not a fan? What does that mean, though? Because that means it sound to say you're not a Michael fan to me. Just hear me out. When you say I'm not a Michael Jackson fan, it. To me, it almost feels like you're anti. You're just saying you don't sit and play albums, not that you hate the music.

[Alan Hahn]

No, I would say I. I hate Michael Jackson if I wasn't like. If I was disgusted by him. I was like, I'm not a fan. I don't own any of his material.

[Michael K]

You don't own There was never a Thriller.

[Alan Hahn]

I like the song Thriller.

[Michael K]

The album was never in your house, though.

[Alan Hahn]

No, it was not.

[Michael K]

That is.

[Alan Hahn]

But the album before might be the. Off the Wall would be the album that I would have.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Oh, I agree.

[Michael K]

Okay.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Sure, that's fine.

[Michael K]

But I never had one. But you like Human nature. Yes, but.

[Alan Hahn]

But when I say I'm not a fan, I wouldn't go see him.

[Michael K]

You wouldn't go see if someone offered you tickets. Listen, you're saying. You're saying the words, Don, I'm just going. They said, hey, I got tickets to the suite. Michael's at MSG. Which, by the way, it happened, right, in 2001.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Michael K]

Michael's going to be at MSG. Pete Doherty says, don, I got room for you. Don't you want to. You go, I'm good.

[Alan Hahn]

But you're not a fan of the Eagles.

[Michael K]

Totally. I'm just.

[Alan Hahn]

But like, would you go see them at the Garden?

[Michael K]

The Eagles?

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah.

[Michael K]

Probably not.

[Alan Hahn]

The Hell Freezes over tour from a bunch of years?

[Michael K]

Probably not.

[Alan Hahn]

So I'm not jumping.

[Michael K]

But I think performance wise, we're talking about a different experience. You don't know.

[Alan Hahn]

You think the Eagles. I've seen the moon dance.

[Michael K]

The moon Dance?

[Alan Hahn]

What the hell is that? He's a tremendous.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Wait, wait, wait. Van Morrison?

[Alan Hahn]

He's Moonwalk. Whatever. I'm not a fan.

[Michael K]

Why am I being beat up when.

[Alan Hahn]

I've told you I'm not a fan? I don't hate the man. I know he's exceptionally talented. Not a fan.

[Michael K]

I just. It's just interesting.

[Alan Hahn]

I'm not walking around protesting his music. No good. I'm not like PMRC trying to ban it.

[Michael K]

Right. But it's not for you.

[Alan Hahn]

I wasn't burning any albums or jerseys or T shirts or anything like that. I just. I'm not a fan.

[Michael K]

But you'd pass on the concert.

[Alan Hahn]

I'd pass.

[Michael K]

That's unbelievable. Is it really, Alan? I personally think it's unbelievable.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Like I said, I'll stick to this music tastes are never wrong. They're your own.

[Michael K]

No, no. But they can be shocking.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, this one. This one's a little shocking.

[Michael K]

It's a little.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But again, I'm not gonna.

[Michael K]

No, I'm not. I don't want to berate him. I'm no berate.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It is. It is all about your. There's no beret.

[Alan Hahn]

But I think you take exception to the vernacular I use that I'm not a fan. And I think I described. I'm not a fan because I think.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It was moon dance that got.

[Michael K]

No, no, moon dance really took. Now it's like a river dance.

[Alan Hahn]

Not a big fan of Van Morrison.

[Michael K]

Well, yeah, Van Morrison.

[Alan Hahn]

I mean, you know, take or leave him. Is that better?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Van Morrison, Take him or leave him. Yeah, it's one of the greats.

[Alan Hahn]

I'm not that generation. I agree.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But I think wide range of ability, too.

[Michael K]

But I don't. What's the Van Morrison song I know besides Brown Eyed Girl?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, there's several. This is another one.

[Michael K]

I said ones. I know, I know. Moon Dance.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You would know it if you heard it. Yeah, it's like a jazzy kind of song. Yeah.

[Michael K]

Okay. It's a great song, that one.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That's all. Get you in the mood. Like to. Like to take. Like to buy.

[Michael K]

You know, it's the way. Okay.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah, but that's music.

[Michael K]

That's music, Susan.

[Alan Hahn]

But if I was to say to you. Oh, damn, well, what? That. I don't even know how you can even like that. Michael Jackson. Are you nuts?

[Michael K]

No, that would be. No, I didn't say.

[Alan Hahn]

I Just said, not a fan.

[Michael K]

You're right. You're not a fan. It's just, it's just less common to hear with him because he's, you know, he was so ubiquitous for a period of time. Right. It was just every.

[Alan Hahn]

Which could be irritating.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Which could be irritating.

[Michael K]

True. That's true. I was too young for it to be irritated.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You could, that, that was, that was definitely probably like irrational ubiquity.

[Alan Hahn]

But I'm, I'm familiar with Bubbles. I'm familiar with Blanket.

[Michael K]

You're familiar with the work of Bubbles and Blanket, apparently.

[Alan Hahn]

Young, bland and.

[Michael K]

Yeah, sure. Well, let's not go too far.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah, well, see, there's. That.

[Peter Rosenberg]

There's some things that we just, we just listen to music we don't, we don't like. We don't need to know about your life. Yeah. Carl Banks is in the hallway here at our new studio.

[Michael K]

No, no, in our waiting area. We have a place that people waiting. Oh, yeah, there's chairs. And you know, he jokingly said he was just messing around, but he goes, do you guys have cold brew? And I said, yes, we actually do. We do. But he said, I'm good.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Funny you should ask. So he's going to sit down with us, talk some Giants, talk some. By the way, the jacket he's wearing, this splendid old school starter, St. John's jacket.

[Michael K]

Oh, really beautiful.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's all part of a big, Big east collection that he's putting together. So lots to get into with him. But the road to the big game is now open through March 30th at the Pele Museum in midtown Manhattan. You can come see the Vince Lombardi trophy from the New York Gian. You know, maybe the one that Carl Banks raised back in 1986. All 58 championship rings, Super bowl, three tickets signed by Joe Namath, artifacts from Eli Manning, Phil Sims and Tom Brady, unforgettable commercials, photo opportunities, and a celebration of the black heroes of football's biggest game. Find the contest tile in the ESP New York app for your chance to win tickets. Fans of all ages are welcome and free for Paley members and kids under 12. Visit paleymuseum.org for tickets and information. Thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast. I don't want to know how the sausage is made, man. 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.

[Alan Hahn]

All right, let me ask you something. Ever feel like you're juggling at all, work, family responsibilities, and still trying to keep your eye on the ball. Yeah, you're in ander and National University gets the hustle. That's why they have flexible online classes and support services for folks who are balancing jobs and kids and everything in between. If you're ready to take the next step, National University can help you level up your education and score your goals. Check them out at nu Edu to learn more.