Don, Hahn & Rosenberg – Hour 2: Bonds’ Yankee Story & That Guy Thursday

Date: March 26, 2026

Overview

This episode leans into an iconic New York sports “what if”: Barry Bonds nearly becoming a Yankee in the early 1990s. The crew of Don La Greca, Alan Hahn, and Peter Rosenberg dissects Bonds’ recent revelation about his near-signing, examines its credibility, and explores its potential impact on the Yankees’ dynasty. The hour wraps with their signature “That Guy Thursday,” featuring rants about relatable New York pet peeves and etiquette.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

Barry Bonds’ “Almost a Yankee” Story

Barry Bonds recounts a high-stakes Yankees offer during a broadcast interview:

• The Yankees, represented by the late George Steinbrenner, allegedly called Bonds and offered to make him the highest-paid player with the catch that he sign by 2pm that day. Bonds says he refused the ultimatum, went to lunch, and ended up signing with the Giants instead.
  (00:50 – 02:13)

  "George isn't here anymore, so I can tell the truth, right?... They told me, Barry, we're going to give you...the highest paid player at that time, but you have to sign...by 2 o'clock this afternoon. And I said, excuse me. And I just hung the phone up."
  – Barry Bonds, via Alan Hahn (01:31)

Assessing the Story's Credibility

• Skepticism abounds:
  • Don: "I'm 7.5 BS, John." (02:21)
  • Alan: "I'm like 9, 9, 10." (02:27)
• They speculate Steinbrenner’s supposed ultimatum sounds more dramatic than reality. Alan suggests the Yankees simply didn’t offer enough, and Bonds chose San Francisco’s higher offer—less dramatic, more plausible.
• George’s behavior:
  • Don: "Where exactly did George have the standing in order to do that in ... the off season of '92, right when the Yankees were not winning..." (02:48)
• Possible reason for ultimatum:
  • Alan: "George would probably like, I want to know by two, because I don't want you now using this...for leverage. I got other guys I want to sign." (03:55)
• Natural story evolution: They acknowledge stories get exaggerated and dramatized over time ("...you then have your own editorial version..." – Rosenberg, 06:49).

Bonds’ 1992 Free Agency in Context

• The Yankees were not contenders yet, still recovering from losing seasons.
  • Alan: "They had just come off a malaise... where they were a losing team, second place team behind a great Blue Jays team." (07:53)
  • Don: "In '92 they were 76 and 86, they were 10 games under .500." (09:02)
• The team’s direction was just turning, led by Showalter and new additions like Jimmy Key and Paul O’Neill; Mattingly was still on the roster.

What If Bonds Did Become a Yankee?

• Counterfactual scenario: Would the Yankees’ 90s dynasty have materialized?
  • Alan: "You can make that argument... because then the '96 and all doesn't happen." (08:38)
  • Don: "...maybe the dynasty never happens because of this." (08:49)
  • Don: "If 1993, you've got Barry Bonds in left field instead of Deion James, you can't tell me that you're not all fired up now." (09:49)
• Ripple effects: What else might have changed? (They reference the metaphor of “pulling the thread”—10:21.)

How Would New York Fans Handle Bonds’ PED Controversies?

• Don raises the issue of how SF fans idolized Bonds, whereas in New York the relationship may be bumpier.
  • Don: "I wonder how the Yankee fans would have dealt with that controversy... would they have supported him?... Or would they have did what the San Francisco Giants fans didn't, just pretend it never happened." (13:05)
  • Alan: "You would. You know how New York fans are. Stand in front of all bullets. That's how we are... Unless you're losing." (13:28)
• Comparison to how NY fans handle other controversial stars, e.g., Andy Pettitte vs. A-Rod.

Clarifying Historical Timeline

• Steinbrenner’s suspension meant he technically wasn’t running the team during Bonds’ negotiations.
  • Alan: "Steinbrenner wasn't reinstated... until March of '93... December of '92, he technically wasn't." (20:00)
  • Adds weight to the notion Bonds’ remembered phone call might not be entirely factually accurate.

Bonds’ Personality and Potential Clubhouse Fit

• Listener Nate (via Twitter): As a self-professed diehard Bonds fan, he doubts Bonds would have meshed well with the Yankees’ culture.
  • Paraphrase of Nate: "Their team was based on selflessness and teamwork," and Bonds might’ve disrupted that. (21:11)
• Alan/Hahn: Bonds was reportedly "prickly," sometimes had a lounge chair and TV set up away from teammates.
  • “So, I don't know, it's an interesting debate. Interesting debate." (27:28)

Counterpoint – The Yankees’ Code

• Don: Even reclamation projects like Strawberrry and Gooden fell into line with the Yankees’ structure; suggests Bonds could have conformed too.
  • "I think if he ended up on the Yankees, I think he would have conformed the way I think every other star... just didn't with the Yankees because I don't think George would allow it." (28:42)
• Alan: But early 90s Yankees didn’t have their later dynasty’s strong locker room to “police” egos yet (29:01).

Alternate History: Bonds, Juice, and the Hall of Fame

• B. Dilly (listener): Offers the "what if" that Bonds' superstardom in NY might have meant he never took PEDs, goes to Hall of Fame naturally
  • Alan: "That's the happy juice. Now you're happy." (29:40)
  • Don: "Maybe if he's winning championships and hitting 35 home runs in the Bronx... maybe he's like, oh, this is great." (30:21)
• Don: "It could have gone the other way." (30:25)

That Guy Thursday | New York Living Rants

(32:17 onward)

• Each host rants about certain types of “that guy”—the everyday NYC nuisances.

Alan’s Rants

• Road construction worker who blocks a lane but just stands around:
  • "Don't be that guy... Don't be caught standing when a lane is closed for construction and there's no construction happening." (33:08)
• Parking etiquette: If you must take a break, don’t stand in plain sight as traffic piles up.

Rosenberg’s Rants

• Street Parking Faux Pas:

  • Recounts street parking struggle in NYC, encountering someone “squatting” in a coveted spot but refusing to move to a hydrant when politely asked. The car’s hazard lights were on, symbolizing (in NY) “I can do anything.”
  • "If you are just going to sit in your car, you sit by the hydrant. That's how this thing goes. You don't take a Monday Thursday spot on a Tuesday." (37:41)

• Parking Hazard Lights:

  • All agree hazard lights are abused:
    • Alan: "When you put those on, you can get away with murder in this city." (38:52)
    • Don: (joking) "A man's throat was slashed. I saw the guy who did it." Rosenberg: "Technically, it's legal though. His hazards were on." (39:09)

• Drive-through etiquette:

  • Don: “I don't know what these people are. Morons or they... They don't know how to drive. They'll leave, like, a full car gap between themselves and the car in front of them." (41:57)

• General politeness:

  • Rosenberg: "I'm just really polite... Someone comes up and says, hey, are you leaving? I'll go, no, sorry..." (43:37)
  • Laments the decline of basic consideration post-COVID.

Don’s Rants

• Delivery trucks taking up parking:
  • "Are they paying for that spot? ... If they paid... Have an orgy in the spot, you pay for it." (41:12)
• Realizes companies factor tickets from delivery trucks into their budgets.

New Sports Technology: ABS Challenges in Baseball

• Discusses the near lack of coverage for baseball’s historic first “ABS challenge” (automated balls and strikes system).
  • Rosenberg: “It's crazy that a bigger deal like that they didn't make a bigger deal about it... this is the beginning of a massive change in the sport.” (15:23)
  • Alan/Don: Why not automate all pitch calls if the technology is available? The delay and embarrassment of challenges could be avoided. (17:03)

Tom Brady and Ownership/Player Rules

• Alan brings up Tom Brady mentioning he tried to explore a comeback but “they don’t like that idea very much” (due to ownership with the Raiders).
  • Alan: "He would have had to give up ownership of the Raiders to play because that's, that's a salary cap circumvention kind of thing." (47:50)
  • Don: Discusses the complexity and theoretical “coolness” of a player/owner. Wonders about rule nuances, implications for cap circumvention, and whether rules could ever flex for a once-in-a-generation scenario. (49:07–52:28)

Notable Quotes & Moments with Timestamps

• Barry Bonds’ Yankee ultimatum story:

  "I said, excuse me. And I just hung the phone up." (01:31) — Bonds via Hahn

• Hosts react to Bonds’ claims:

  "I'm 7.5 BS, John." – Don (02:21)
  "I'm like 9, 9, 10." – Alan (02:27)

• On New York fandom sticking by their winners:

  "You know how New York fans are. Stand in front of all bullets. That's how we are." – Alan (13:28)

• On alternate sports history:

  "You never know what's...like. The other end of the thread is right when you pull something, you never know." – Alan (10:21)

• Parking etiquette philosophy:

  "If you are just going to sit in your car, you sit by the hydrant." – Rosenberg (37:41)
  "When you put those [hazard lights] on, you can get away with murder in this city." – Alan (38:52)
  "Their ounce of convenience is more important than your survival." – Don (43:05)

Structurally Important Timestamps

• Intro & weather/sports check-in: 00:44 – 01:19
• Barry Bonds Yankee story, authenticity debate: 01:19 – 18:00
• Automated balls & strikes (ABS) challenge in MLB: 14:16 – 18:04
• NY parking and 'That Guy Thursday': 32:17 – 44:25
• Tom Brady owner/player rule discussion: 47:49 – 53:42

Tone & Style

Conversational, debate-heavy, and full of humor, local references, and New York attitude. The hosts freely blend sports analysis with relatable everyday complaints (“That Guy Thursday”), often poking fun both at themselves and idiosyncratic city life.

Summary Takeaways

• The chances of Bonds as a Yankee remain a legendary "what if," but the crew mostly agrees the story’s drama is overblown—reality was likely a routine negotiation.
• The impact on the Yankees’ late 90s run is unknowable, but they suggest the team culture may have been fundamentally altered.
• The "That Guy Thursday" segment is a cathartic airing of New Yorker frustrations, making the show both a sports debate and a slice of urban life.
• The crew stays true to their NY roots, balancing nostalgia, skepticism, and humor throughout.