Don, Hahn & Rosenberg — Hour 2: Strange Pulls and Let's Talk About It (Nov. 25, 2025)

Main Theme and Purpose

This episode blends the hosts’ distinct voices as they riff on current New York sports, dive deep into the Yankees’ perennial questions, reminisce about old-school baseball and mascots, and turn debates about sports management and legacy into entertaining group therapy. The second hour stands out for its fast, irreverent banter, listener participation, and a “Let’s Talk About It” segment that decimates one of the show’s beloved but polarizing audio drops. It wraps with sharp takes on the upcoming Football Hall of Fame class, especially the Eli Manning debate.

1. Yankees Debate: Cashman, Ownership, and Fan Frustrations

(Begins ~01:53)

• Caller “Big Will” from North Carolina gives a spirited critique, blaming GM Brian Cashman’s legacy and Hal Steinbrenner’s loyalty for the Yankees’ issues, arguing: “If he’s not willing to fire Brian Cashman, then maybe he should consider selling the team.” (02:02)
• Don, Alan, and Peter riff on what kind of club would hire Cashman if he were fired: Would teams with small payrolls want a GM used to top-three payrolls but not recent championships?
  • Peter Rosenberg: “Who’s hiring a guy who’s able to have a top-three payroll every year and never win?” (04:27)
• Fun, tongue-in-cheek hypothetical: a cross-sport, cross-city trade with Tomlin (Steelers coach) for Cashman (Yankees GM).
• Don La Greca summarizes: Yankees fans aren’t really upset about spending, but about how the money’s spent and the lack of honest change at the top.

Notable Quotes:

• Big Will: “The problem is blind fashion ... If he's not willing to fire Brian Cashman, then maybe he should consider selling the team.” (02:02)
• Don La Greca: “If Hal sold the team, the first thing the new owner would do is let Brian go.” (04:04)
• Peter Rosenberg: “Who's hiring a guy who's able to have a top three payroll every year and never win?” (04:27)

2. Strange Pulls: Pittsburgh Pirates Nostalgia and 90s Baseball

(~06:13 – 12:00)

• The trio launches into a nostalgic challenge, naming 90s Pirates players—Bonds, Bonilla, Van Slyke, Drabek—filling the room with a sense of old-school baseball camaraderie and nostalgia.
• Peter questions: “How do I hire Andy Van Slyke’s agent?” after seeing him in a supplement ad with Frank Thomas and Doug Flutie. Discussion on “strange pulls” from sports memory.
• Alan: "Stranger pulls, Pirates Edition…” (07:46)
• Don tells a personal story: RJ Reynolds once tossed him a ball during batting practice at Shea. (09:38)
• Alan: “What we could have used in this moment to help us: AI.” (10:02)
• Spirited banter about the randomness of sports memories, and the surprising careers of long-forgotten players.

3. Mascot Mayhem & Ballpark Memories

(~12:07 – 15:00)

• Peter shares two favorite childhood stories: getting booed at Fenway for intercepting a beachball, and witnessing his dad’s friend confront the Oriole Bird mascot, who was caught smoking. (12:18)
  • Don: “If I could put on my fraud Friday judge hat for a second, I side with the mascot.” (13:00)
  • Alan: “If you’re a mascot, you can’t be doing it in sight ... you gotta go to employees only.” (13:14)
• Warm, relatable reflections follow about growing up going to Orioles games, parking in the neighborhoods around Memorial Stadium, Cal Ripken and Eddie Murray chants, and the unique intimacy of 80s baseball.

4. Broadcaster Stories & 90s MLB Scraps

(~15:00 – 18:20)

• Don recalls early days covering games as a sports reporter, including near-miss encounters with Eddie Murray (warning: don't sit on his locker stool!) and almost being tackled by Phil Garner. (15:13)
  • Discussion about Eddie Murray’s Hall of Fame credentials, reputation, and being “in Cal Ripken’s shadow.”
  • Peter: “Is he that much worse a player than Cal Ripken, or is Cal the streak?” (18:08)
• Banter on true “old-timey baseball” with Alan rattling off Pirates legends: Pie Traynor, Bob Friend, Babe Adams. (18:56–19:28)
• Alan: “Did you know Pie Traynor?” Peter: “I prefer cake to pie.” (19:15–19:20)

5. Listener Calls: Yankees Philosophy and Fan Base Standards

(~20:28 – 22:30)

• Ernest in Brooklyn calls in, echoing earlier themes: the Yankees’ problem isn't just spending or Cashman, but bargain-hunting for injured players and over-complicating roster moves.
  • Ernest: “Sometimes he’s too smart ... you gotta hit for average, not just slug.” (21:17)
• Discussion shifts to the high standards Yankees fans hold—third-highest payroll, most successful New York franchise, yet the owner faces constant criticism. (22:01–22:31)

6. Show Format Debates and (Fake) Segment Scheduling

(~22:46 – 26:20)

• Humorous deliberation about the show’s “Fraud Friday” and “the list” segments, how to cram in every running gag before Thanksgiving, and which recurring features are overrated.
• Plenty of meta-joking about their own radio scripts and internal programming dramas.

7. Let’s Talk About It: The “Tully Time” Debate

(26:49 – 33:20)

• Peter reads a listener’s exasperated plea to retire Don’s long-winded “It’s Tully Time” drop. The hosts riff: should they shorten it, rotate new versions, or just kill it for good?
  • Listener email: “Long ass ‘It’s Tully Time’ … it’s become sound abuse to my ears … now I go out of my way to skip it.” (27:09)
• Alan, Peter, Don, and Jacob deliberate, sample new drops, and poll YouTube and Twitter. The majority want it sunsetted.
  • Peter: “Can we kill the long one? I agree. It’s going to die. It’s radio death.” (32:31)
  • Farewell ceremony as they play it out dramatically one last time. (32:46–32:55)
• Don promises a new “Tully Time” later in the show.

8. NHL and NBA Schedule Rants: Too Many Games, Cup Confusion

(~33:21 – 40:31)

• The hosts mock the glut of hockey games squeezed into one night pre-Thanksgiving (33:21), noting how hard it is for fans to catch games.
  • Don: “Can we find a little bit of a happy medium? ... There’s only so much I can do.” (34:24)
• Alan takes off on the NBA In-Season Cup, calling it “a failure” due to its confusing schedule and lack of player or fan engagement.
  • Alan: “Does anybody have any idea right now in pool play what’s going on? No. Because it’s hard to follow ...” (35:32)
  • Alan’s solution: NBA should halt regular season for two weeks of exclusive Cup play, culminating in a Final Four-style event that could even replace All-Star Weekend. (36:08–38:05)
• Fun group therapy segment about loving sports but hating how they’re scheduled.

9. Pro Football Hall of Fame: Who’s Getting In? Eli Manning’s Case

(42:31 – 53:43)

• Big segment debating which current and new semifinalists will get into the NFL Hall of Fame, especially focusing on Eli Manning.
  • Don: “Eli was a finalist last year but not a top four finalist … Can Eli get in as one of the four of the people we mentioned?” (44:42)
• Speculating on “first ballot” priorities: Drew Brees, Larry Fitzgerald, versus Eli, Rivers, Gore, Whitten, etc.
  • Alan: “Out of the new names … Who feels first ballot?” (46:20)
  • Peter: “Reggie Wayne, great player. I put Eli in ahead of him.” (47:45)
• Discussion of how seniors, coaches, and contributors fit into the max eight inductees, and which coaches are likely next (Bill Belichick, Tom Coughlin).
• Consensus twist: Eli may have to wait another year, timed for a potential induction with Coughlin and a Giants Hall of Fame game bump.
  • Don: “My bet would be Eli’s going to have to wait another year.” (51:51)
  • Alan: “If you’re scripting this … Giants play in the Hall of Fame game.” (51:59)
  • Peter: “We always get so serious about these things … But I mean, just rigging it … you know Eli’s going in, you know Coughlin’s going in. Set them both up for next year.” (52:21–52:28)
• Frank Gore as “compiler”: debate over what makes a Hall of Fame career.
  • Don: “Here’s the dirty little secret about Frank Gore: he’s a compiler.” (52:38)

10. Memorable Quotes & Moments

• Don on mascot unions: “If I could put on my fraud Friday judge hat for a second, I side with the mascot.” (13:00)
• Peter on the “Tully Time” drop: “Can we kill the long one? … It’s going to die. It’s radio death.” (32:31)
• Alan on NBA Cup: “Let’s just do away with it. Can we just stop?” (35:32)

Quick Reference — KEY TIMESTAMPS

• [02:02] – "Big Will" delivers Cashman/Steinbrenner critique
• [04:04] – Don: new owner would fire Cashman
• [06:27] – Pirates 90s roster nostalgia begins
• [12:18] – Peter’s Oriole Bird mascot story
• [15:13] – Don’s Eddie Murray/clubhouse stool story
• [21:17] – Ernest: Yankees philosophy caller
• [27:09] – Listener email: “Please stop Don’s ... Tully Time”
• [32:31] – The “radio death” of the long “Tully Time”
• [35:32] – Alan’s NBA Cup rant and solution
• [42:31] – Hall of Fame semi-finalists debate begins
• [44:42] – Eli as a finalist discussion
• [51:51] – Eli’s case for waiting for induction

Summary

This sharply-paced hour spotlights what makes Don, Hahn & Rosenberg a sports fan’s comfort listening: playful nostalgia, no-holds-barred local sports criticism, listener engagement, and self-aware humor. The energy never sags—from dissecting the Yankees’ cultural flaws, to celebrating the strangeness of 90s Pirates rosters, from beloved ballpark horror stories to the explosive “Tully Time” drop funeral, to a careful but comedic breakdown of the NFL Hall of Fame logjam. It’s a blend of laughs, rants, and genuine sports insight—classic drive-time radio with an extra shot of New York edge.