Don, Hahn & Rosenberg – Hour 2: Yankees & Talk About It

Date: October 7, 2025
Hosts: Don La Greca, Alan Hahn, Peter Rosenberg
Podcast Theme: A quintessential New York sports hour blending baseball and hockey breakdowns, calls from passionate fans, and a big-picture look at why “super teams” may be good for sports.

Main Theme and Purpose

This episode dives deep into the Yankees’ postseason struggles, opening night for the Rangers, and broader shifts in sports—from team-building philosophy to the meaning of greatness in the modern era. Through caller debates, personal reflections, and some classic NY banter, the trio explore whether current approaches—especially the Yankees’ “home run or bust” philosophy—can deliver under October pressure. The second half widens out to consider why sports might be suffering from too much “parity” and not enough dynasties.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Yankees Playoff Hopes and Lineup Flaws

• Broadcast Scheduling Drama (01:14–03:35):
  Debates over potential conflicts in local broadcast schedules, given the Yankees, Rangers, and other matchups overlapping.

• Must-Win Mentality vs. Lineup Construction (10:28–16:37):
  A passionate caller (Vinnie from Staten Island) blasts the Yankees’ “free swingers” and reliance on home runs, calling for more “table setters” and traditional small-ball. The hosts dissect the merits and pitfalls, noting that while homers rule, the lack of adaptability is costly.

  “GM Carlos Stanton is a human strikeout... You cannot win four series with free swingers like that. You need table setters.”
  — Vinnie (10:36)

  • Hosts push back:

    • Yes, contact hitting and athleticism work—see Toronto—but the Yankees point to last year’s deep playoff run as proof their approach “can work” (11:57).
    • But the real issue is, when the homers dry up (as this year), their approach looks hopeless:

      “But here’s why the argument’s not good this year. They’re not even hitting home runs now, so nothing’s working.”
      — Alan Hahn (14:01)

  • Analytics vs. Feel:

    • Don: “But what I’d like to see is the happy medium...the ground ball to second with a runner at second moving them over...can work just as well as the solo home run.” (13:09)
    • Alan: “It feels like this style, when it’s not clicking, you look really bad.” (14:27)

2. Rangers Opening Night, Booth Changes, and NHL Traditions

• Rangers’ 100th Anniversary Game Ceremonies (02:10–04:48):
  Don and Alan reminisce about opening nights and prior milestone ceremonies at MSG.

  “If they’re dropping the puck at 8:08, all’s good. Let everybody that’s going to the game tonight, just be aware. 8:08, that’s all you gotta worry about.” — Don (03:15)

• Broadcast Booth Shakeup (05:24–07:26):
  New Rangers radio crew; Don celebrates Dave Starman as a savvy hire:

  “This guy is a savant when it comes to hockey... He knows every player, he’s worked every angle.” — Don (06:10)

3. Knicks Season Anticipation & NBA Parity

• Knicks as a True Contender? (08:30–09:58):
  Alan calls this the “most anticipated season” of his career covering the Knicks and stresses the significance of a strong start in chasing the 1-seed. Don notes, “Nobody had Cleveland as a 1-seed last year…”

• Drama in the NBA: Giannis Watch and Load Management (09:58–10:17):
  Alan foreshadows “the layer of drama is… Giannis,” hinting at superstars’ off-court sway.

4. Baseball’s “Corny” Celebrations

• Are Dugout Props Absurd or Fun? (21:15–24:44):
  Conversation detours to MLB’s latest dugout prop craze (e.g., Mariners’ trident, Blue Jays’ home run jacket).

  • Both hosts mock-dangerous and corny props:

    “Can you imagine a scenario...they’re celebrating in the dugout and the trident just catches someone right in the eye?” — Alan (21:50) “Of every baseball injury you’ve ever heard—eye gouged by a trident!” — Don (22:45)

  • They conclude sometimes “corny is fun,” but recognize it can feel forced.

5. Sidney Crosby: Greatness Wasted?

• Should Superstars Stay on Non-contenders? (28:12–33:02):
  Don laments the possible ending of Crosby’s career on a struggling Penguins team:

  “Sidney Crosby should be playing in big games, not having his season end in April every year towards the end of his career.” — Don (30:18)

  • Alan: Crosby’s loyalty is admirable, but “if it ever came to that point, I would discuss it... but I don’t feel like I’m there.” (31:10)

  • Both recall Crosby’s draft history, ties to Mario Lemieux, and speculate—where would he best serve the league? (32:33–33:49)

    • Alan: “The best place for him, for the sport... Gretzky to the Kings. Messier to the Rangers. That sizzle.” (33:02)

6. Have We Taken “Parity” Too Far?

• Parody of Parity in Modern Sports (34:29–40:54):
  Alan’s “Talk About It Tuesday” take: parity has watered down leagues, draining the sizzle of super teams and clear villains.

  “I miss having super teams and teams you hate... it just matters. The NBA became what it became because they had stars in the biggest markets.” — Alan (39:04)

  • Don agrees:

    “Parody…I think what you’re saying is, my sport is very average and that’s never good.” (40:13)

  • They lament the current NFL, with “no gold standard” teams, and echo that sports thrive on lore built by dynasties and stars in major markets.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On analytics and hitting philosophy:
  “There’s really incredible extremes with this type...because when you strike out, nothing good could happen. It’s the same as shooting a lot of threes.” — Alan (14:27)
• On Sidney Crosby’s loyalty:
  “He probably feels an obligation to be there. But this kind of player that still has a lot left should be playing games beyond the regular season.” — Don (29:39)
• On the frustration of parity:
  “Parity…I think what you’re saying is, my sport is very average and that’s never good.” — Don (40:13) “I miss having super teams and teams you hate and teams you gun for.” — Alan (38:16)
• On dugout celebrations:
  “Can you imagine if the Pirates had a saber, or a hook for a hand? And it catches someone right in the pitching elbow?” — Alan (24:24)

Important Timestamps

• 01:14–03:40 – Local sports broadcast juggling (Rangers/Yankees game logistics).
• 10:28–16:37 – Vinnie from Staten Island on Yankees “free swingers” and the hosts’ philosophy debate.
• 21:23–24:44 – MLB’s “corny” dugout celebrations and possible injuries.
• 28:12–33:49 – Sidney Crosby’s legacy and “should superstars leave struggling franchises?”
• 34:29–40:54 – “Talk About It Tuesday:” Are we suffering from too much parity in sports?
• 42:46–46:45 – Caller Connor in Scarsdale: Yankees’ uphill battle vs. the Blue Jays’ hot streak.

Tone & Style

The episode is unmistakably NY: direct, funny, a little cynical, but deeply passionate about sports. Banter is laced with personal experiences and wry analogies—baseball bats to “torpedoes,” musings about mascot mishaps, and fond 80s music memories—making the sports analysis both accessible and entertaining.

For Listeners Who Missed the Show

Expect incisive, if sometimes nostalgic, breakdowns of Yankees and Rangers news, candid takes on the changing landscape of all major sports leagues, and a reminder that in sports—just like in New York—sometimes you need both the drama of dynasties and the chaos of upstarts to keep the passion alive.