Don, Hahn & Rosenberg Podcast

ESPN New York | Hour 2: Lindsey Berra & Thursday Rewrite

Date: August 28, 2025

Overview

This episode features a lively conversation with Lindsey Berra—granddaughter of baseball legend Yogi Berra—about a record-breaking event to celebrate Yogi's 100th birthday. The hosts also cover big baseball news (including a Mets injury update and a top pitching prospect call-up), and dive deep into how Tiger Woods changed the game of golf in the Thursday Rewrite segment. The episode wraps with thoughts on the Giants' and Jets' roster questions heading into the NFL season.

Key Segments & Insights

1. Lindsey Berra Interview: Honoring Yogi Berra’s 100th Birthday

[01:00 - 16:07]

Event Details: Guinness World Record "Big Catch"

• Lindsey Berra joins the show to promote a record-breaking "largest game of catch" event at Yogi Berra Stadium/Museum (Montclair State, September 21).
  • Goal: 2,500 people on the field; current record ~1,900.
  • All ages/abilities welcome: "If you stink, we want you anyway."
    (Lindsey Berra, 03:24)
  • Anyone without a mitt will be supplied one.
  • Baseball Hall of Fame plaque on loan from Cooperstown for the day.
  • Food trucks, music, giveaways.
  • Sign up: yogisbigcatch.org
    Contact: yogiberra100mail.com / 973-655-2378.

Personal Memories & Family Ties

• Lindsey reminisces about playing club hockey at UNC with the hosts' wives, emphasizing New Jersey/NY sports connections.
• Theme of intergenerational connection: Hosts and Lindsey reflect on the power of playing catch with parents and children.
  • "The way the world quickly narrows to the space between the two of you, and you are just there with that person you’re playing catch with."
    (Lindsey Berra quoting Alyssa Ronick, 05:04)
  • Don and Alan share emotional stories of playing catch with their own kids for the first time:
    "On the front lawn, had a catch, and it was like, I got emotional... I remember doing it with my dad."
    (Don Hahn, 12:00)

Yogi Berra’s Legacy and Myth-Making

• Balancing "Yogi-isms" (famous sayings) against his baseball genius:
  • Lindsey: "The Yogi-isms are super endearing... But I do also think that that personality overshadowed his playing career... If you really look at the numbers, you could really argue that Granddad is the greatest catcher to ever play this game." (07:21)
  • "I think they'll never be broken." (On Yogi's records, 07:50)
  • Enduring affection for Yogi as both a player and character.

Evolution of Baseball & Catching

• Commentary on modern catching style changes (“knee down” stance; more emphasis on framing) and the sport's rule changes.
  • "Baseball is the only thing since the paperclip that hasn't changed. That has gone right out the window. The paperclip is winning." (Lindsey Berra, 09:42)
• Lindsey wonders what Yogi would think of today's game.
  • Paraphrasing Yogi: "If they're bigger, stronger, faster and more skilled, why do we keep having to change the rules?" (09:42-10:46)

Lindsey’s Hockey Connection

• Lindsey reveals her grandfather’s connection with the New Jersey Devils inspired her own hockey journey.
  • "It was because of Grandpa Yogi, his connection to the Devils, that I actually started playing hockey." (15:42)
  • Stories of high school games with Devils players and Lou Lamoriello watching from the stands.

Closing Out the Segment

• Everyone reiterates the openness and community of the event across generations, abilities, and even team allegiances.
• Lots of affectionate banter and gratitude:
  • "See, we're all connected in some way." (Alan Rosenberg, 14:24)
  • “Bring your kids, Alan, if you can.” (Lindsey Berra, 14:34)

2. Mets Injury & Prospect News

[16:30 - 21:36]

Francisco Alvarez Update

• Manager Carlos Mendoza:
  • Alvarez has a small fracture in his pinky. Out a few days until swelling reduces—"a little setback compared to the original plan, but not the worst-case scenario." (17:43)

Pitching Prospect: Jonah Tong Call-Up

• Conversation about new Mets pitching prospect, Jonah Tong, being called up for his Major League debut.
  • Mendoza’s advice: "Be yourself, man...you’re a big leaguer, enjoy it." (18:20)
  • Tong’s own words: "I was looking at a slider...then [manager] said, you’re going to be pitching us to Marlins in Seafield Friday. I was like, pardon?" (19:34)
  • Confidence bolstered by seeing McLean’s early success.
  • Pitching peer Nolan McClain lauds Tong’s electric fastball and skill development: “Yeah, that kid’s special...I haven’t seen a fastball like that before...he’s developed three more pitches since then.” (21:22)
• Both hosts discuss the unique pressures and mindset of coming up behind a successful teammate.

3. Thursday Rewrite: Tiger Woods Changes Golf Forever

[25:39 - 42:11]

The "What If" Scenario: Tiger Missing Out on 1994 US Amateur

• Hahn’s Rewrite imagines a world where Tiger Woods doesn’t win the 1994 U.S. Amateur, delaying/stunting his legendary rise.
  • "If all that doesn’t happen...where is golf today?" (29:16)

Discussion of Tiger's Impact

• Golf as Old Man’s Game Pre-Tiger:

  • "Golf was an old man’s game." (31:56)
  • "Tiger changed golf. That’s not a take, we all acknowledge." (32:19)
  • Tiger made it "more physical, younger, more athletic." (31:56 – 32:20)

• Mainstream Appeal & Influence:

  • Woods brought massive TV audiences, drew younger fans, athletes from other sports, and people of color.
  • "He was Michael Jordan, Muhammad Ali, like he was up there at that length." (38:09)

• Long-Term Effects and Residual Popularity:

  • Debate on whether golf’s mass popularity outlived Tiger’s dominance—the hosts agree it has reverted to pre-Tiger levels for casual fans, even if overall participation is up.
  • “It feels like, to me, it’s where it was before Tiger.” (29:29)
  • "All you need is to drag [fans] in...then they become addicted." (38:31)
  • Adamant that Tiger inspired athletes across backgrounds to pick up a club.
  • "Just shows you, one moment in time...from that point forward, the sport just would not be the same." (36:34)

• On Rivals, Storylines, and Records:

  • Lack of rivals might have made men’s golf harder to follow post-Tiger.
  • "He set such a standard nobody else can live to...does it make it less fun because he set such a standard?" (34:37)

• On Race and Representation:

  • "Not only was it an old man sport, it was a white old man sport." (39:57)
  • Quoting Hank Aaron, Alan Rosenberg: "I watch hockey, I don’t get into it. I don’t see myself in it."
  • Tiger’s presence made golf accessible for more people.

4. Giants & Jets – NFL Preseason Roster Discussions

[42:24 - 49:02]

Giants: The Jackson Dart Debate & O-Line

• Giants LT Andrew Thomas’ recovery from Lisfranc injury (foot).
  • Thomas: "I want to be back but I don’t feel comfortable to perform...it doesn’t make sense for me to be out there." (43:28)
• Host argument: Don’t rush rookie QB Jackson Dart into starting if Thomas isn’t protecting his blind side.
  • "If I don’t have Andrew Thomas, then I don’t think it makes perfect sense [to start Dart]." (45:43)

Jets: Question Marks at Wide Receiver & Tight End

• GM Darren Mugi: "I like the room as a whole...pieces that complement each other." (46:18)
• Hosts are not convinced:
  • "Garrett [Wilson] is a star, but the rest of it...they need to upgrade." (47:02)
  • Depth is lacking; expect the team to lean heavily on the run game and hope to find promise in QB Justin Fields.
• Tight end room still a weakness.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Lindsey Berra on Yogi’s Impact:
  "Everybody has a Yogi story... The way he was able to connect with people was just amazing." (04:56)
• Alan Rosenberg reflecting on Baseball’s Tradition:
  "There’s something special about just the thought of having a catch." (12:00)
• Lindsey Berra on the Power of the Game:
  "The baseball noises just kind of make me feel good about the world." (13:22)
• On Tiger Woods’ Cultural Shift:
  "Tiger changed golf. That’s a statement, not an understatement." (32:19, Don Hahn)
  "He was Michael Jordan, Muhammad Ali—he was up there at that length." (38:09, Alan Rosenberg)
• Golf’s Changing Demographics:
  "Golf was an old man’s game...it opened up to a whole other generation." (40:43, Don Hahn)

Key Timestamps

• [01:54] – Lindsey Berra joins; event intro and nostalgia
• [03:12] – Details of Yogi’s Big Catch world record event
• [07:21] – Debate: Yogi’s image vs. playing legacy
• [09:38] – Modern baseball changes & Yogi’s take on rules
• [12:00] – Emotional impact of ‘having a catch’
• [15:42] – Yogi’s connection to the Devils & Lindsey’s hockey roots
• [17:43] – Mets injury update: Alvarez
• [19:34] – Prospect call-up: Jonah Tong’s reaction
• [25:39] – Thursday Rewrite: Tiger Woods’ hypothetical ‘what if’
• [29:29] – Is golf back to pre-Tiger popularity?
• [31:56 / 32:19] – How Tiger changed golf’s age, style, and culture
• [39:57] – On golf’s exclusivity before Tiger Woods
• [43:26] – Giants: Andrew Thomas injury update; rookie QB debate
• [46:18] – Jets GM on WR and TE positions

Summary

This episode delivers a heartfelt exploration of Yogi Berra’s lasting impact—not just on baseball, but on American families—through Lindsey Berra’s engaging stories and the upcoming "Big Catch" world record event. The discussion skillfully transitions to the present sports landscape, covering pressing MLB news and the challenges facing NYC’s football franchises, before launching into a nuanced, legacy-focused "Thursday Rewrite" on how Tiger Woods irrevocably changed golf for athletes and viewers alike.

Whether you’re here for the family stories, the inside-baseball talk, or the big-picture sports history, this episode offers an insightful blend of affection, humor, and expertise, capturing the tone and texture of New York’s sports scene with genuine warmth.