Don, Hahn & Rosenberg – Hour 2: The Volpe Dilemma

Date: August 27, 2025
Hosts: Don La Greca, Alan Hahn, Peter Rosenberg
Podcast: ESPN New York

Episode Overview

This episode centers on the New York Yankees' Anthony Volpe and the growing dilemma over his prolonged struggles at the plate. The hosts debate whether the organization has mishandled Volpe, what accountability looks like for the Yankees, and contrast their approach with other New York teams. They also dive into the nature of competitive edge and leadership in sports, before launching into a lively ranking of New York’s greatest “one-hit wonder” athletes—a segment driven by listener calls and passionate debate.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Volpe Dilemma: Is It Time to Bench Him?

(Starts ~00:44)

• Ongoing Slump: Volpe is 1 for his last 39 at-bats, went 0 for 5 in a blow-out win where every other Yankee reached base.
• Attempts to Fix: Volpe’s two days off did not help. The crew argues the pressure and public scrutiny are exacerbating his struggles.
  • Quote: “Two days off is not fixing this. They’ve ruined him now.” – Alan Hahn (01:05)
• Who’s at fault? The hosts blame Yankees’ management (especially Brian Cashman) for not sending Volpe down when he was struggling earlier, comparing the situation to how the Mets handled Alvarez.
• Team vs Player Needs: Emphasis that the priority must be the team’s playoff push, not “fixing” Volpe in the lineup.
  • Quote: “The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few right now.” – Hahn (05:21)
• Solution: Bench Volpe, let him rehab out of the limelight, use him in pinch-hitting or as a defensive replacement only if needed.
  • Quote: “Let him disappear for a while in the background… just work on his swing. There could come a time in October when you're going to need him.” – Hahn (05:21)
• Contrast with Mets: Praising Mets' decision-making with struggling players ("Performance matters. We're at a point now where we've got to see performance.").
• Critique of Yankees’ Process: Frustration with Yankees' collaborative, analytics-driven roster decisions instead of decisive, performance-based moves.
  • Quote: “They’re going to look at the analytics… instead of just someone stepping up and going, ‘He’s not good enough. We have a better shortstop.’” – Hahn (18:15)

2. The Yankees’ Identity: “Soft?”

(Starts ~09:25)

• Offense Reliant on Homeruns: Yankees have games with huge home run totals, but rarely achieve similar success against good pitching or playoff-caliber teams.
  • Quote: “They’re beating up bad teams as they should, and they’re pounding bad pitching—which you never see in the postseason.” – Hahn (09:25)
• Lack of Edge: Hosts debate if this Yankees team has any “edge” or fight, especially against rivals like Boston.
  • Quote: “They’re soft. Is that crazy for me to say?” – Hahn (09:25)
  • Don: “I can’t argue with that. Where’s the fight? Where’s all the big… Can there be a little bit of fight?”
• Collective Mentality & Accountability:
  • Yankees are “soft collectively” because the environment is overly protective, stifling accountability.
  • Quote: “The way they are with this team almost creates a soft environment.” – Hahn (14:01)
• Contrast with Old School: Citing Parcells, Joe Torre, and Herb Brooks—sometimes public criticism and heat from leadership galvanizes a team. Is today’s environment too coddling?
  • Quote: “Sometimes it’s good to just get dirty… Criticize me, rip me, don’t always protect me.” – Hahn (14:01)

3. Leadership in the Clubhouse

(Starts ~17:17)

• Caller Tom (Brooklyn): Wants more visible leadership from Aaron Judge, says team lacks urgency and energy, especially in rivalry games.
  • Quote: “I need [Judge] to step up a little more… take more accountability being the captain of the Yankees.” – Tom (17:17)

4. Organizational Decision-Making & Accountability

(Starts ~18:15)

• Yankees’ Process: Management makes decisions “collaboratively,” relying heavily on analytics, rather than simply putting the best player on the field.
• Critique: Calls for bolder, performance-based decision-making, not “crapshoot” playoff hopes when the team’s payroll and ambition demand more consistency.
  • Quote: “That’s no way to build a baseball team, have a $300 million payroll and say 'hey, let’s see what happens.'” – Hahn (22:49)

5. The List: New York One-Hit Sports Wonders

(Starts ~27:12)

Criteria

• Player captivated New York, had a singular burst of greatness, then faded.
• “Not a great player with a few great moments;” focused on meteoric, fleeting runs.

Don’s Top Five

(Picks and debate run from 29:33 to 36:54)

1. Jeremy Lin ("Linsanity") – Unmatched international frenzy for a brief period.
   • Quote: “[Linsanity] felt worldwide, not just in New York, not just the NBA.” – Hahn (36:09)
2. Odell Beckham Jr. – The one-handed catch against Dallas, meteoric attention, but much drama and little sustained greatness in NY.
3. R.A. Dickey – Mets' knuckleballed his way to a Cy Young in 2012, then quickly faded.
4. Matt Harvey – “Harvey Day” era, All-Star start, World Series run, but career fizzled.
5. Shane Spencer – 1998 late-season power binge for the Yankees, but never again repeated.

• Debate & Honorable Mentions:
  • Callers suggest Tommy DeVito, Victor Cruz, Gary Sanchez, Jose Iglesias, Kevin Maas.
  • Arguments for and (mostly) against each, depending on how wide their impact was and whether their fade was dramatic enough.

6. Listener/Caller Engagement

(Scattered through 37:02 – 53:22)

• Odell Beckham Jr.: Listener questions if he belongs as a “one-hit wonder” due to sustained production, but hosts argue his peak was so far above what followed in NY.
• Victor Cruz: Universally beloved, but ending was positive, not the “flame-out” usually seen in one-hit wonders.
• David Tyree, Jose Iglesias, Kevin Maas: Names suggested and discussed, generally concluded either their peak wasn’t long enough, or not broad enough in city impact.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Volpe’s Struggles:
  • “He’s seeing ghosts now… swinging with his eyes closed. The hips are flying all over the place. They have ruined him right now.” – Hahn (01:49)
• On the Yankees’ Softness:
  • “No edge. Soft. That’s the part that bothers me. They just don’t seem to have an edge to them.” – Hahn (09:25)
• On Old School Coaching:
  • “Sometimes it’s good to just get dirty, be involved. You build up your immune system. You thicken your skin.” – Hahn (14:01)
• On Management Decisions:
  • “It’s all going to be analytical… instead of just someone stepping up and going, ‘he’s not good enough. We got a better shortstop.’” – Hahn (18:15)
• On Performance-Based Decisions:
  • “The only thing that matters is winning… Play your best lineup, not what the numbers tell you, what your eyes tell you.” – Hahn (20:58)
• On ‘One-Hit Wonders’:
  • “Jeremy Lin’s got to be number one… those two weeks felt worldwide.” – Hahn (36:09)
  • “Odell was a really good pull… now that we know that really was more of that meteoric rise and then we kept waiting… and it really never happened.” – Rosenberg (33:16)
• On What the Yankees Should Do with Volpe:
  • “My obligation… is to put the best team on the field… you can’t say that with a straight face if Anthony Volpe is your shortstop and he’s a 1 for 39.” – Hahn (19:59)

Key Timestamps

• Yankees/Volpe struggles, handling, and philosophy: 00:44 – 21:35
• Caller: Tom in Brooklyn, leadership & accountability: 17:17 – 18:15
• Caller: Dan in Saratoga, the “crapshoot” playoff argument: 21:35 – 22:52
• “The List”: One-hit sports wonders: 27:12 – 36:54
  • List construction and debate: 29:33 – 36:54
• Callers suggest alternative one-hit wonders (Odell, Cruz, Tyree, Iglesias, Maas, etc.): 37:02 – 53:22

Conclusion

This episode combines classic New York sports talk with big-picture questions about leadership and accountability in high-pressure environments. The Volpe discussion highlights both tactical and cultural problems within the Yankees, while “The List” segment brings nostalgia and levity, showing the hosts’ sports knowledge and connection to their listeners. The tone throughout is passionate, sometimes satirical, but always rooted in clear expectations for New York sports excellence.