Hour 3: Changing Extra Innings & Christmas

Summary

Podcast Summary: Don, Hahn & Rosenberg – Hour 3: Changing Extra Innings & Christmas

Release Date: July 16, 2025

In the third hour of the "Don, Hahn & Rosenberg" podcast, hosts Don Hahn, Alan Hahn, and Peter Rosenberg delve into significant changes in Major League Baseball's All-Star Game, exploring the introduction of a "swing off" during extra innings and its broader implications for the sport. They also touch upon scheduling challenges surrounding major holidays and the potential impact on players and fans alike.

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1. MLB All-Star Game Swing Off

Introduction of the Swing Off

Don and Peter initiate the discussion by addressing the recent changes to the MLB All-Star Game, specifically the implementation of a "swing off" to decide tied games after traditional extra innings. This new approach aims to expedite the conclusion of the exhibition match, making it more engaging for fans.

Player Participation Concerns

A significant portion of the conversation centers around the absence of two of baseball's biggest stars—Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani—during the conclusion of the All-Star Game. The hosts express disappointment over these players leaving the game before its official end, questioning the decision's impact on the sport's image.

• Don Hahn [06:21]: "Are you okay with the idea that both of them... were not there on the field or in the dugout watching the end of that game?"

• Peter Rosenberg [06:54]: "This ends up being what we're talking about instead of what was a really fun moment."

Historical Context and Comparisons

Peter draws parallels to a similar situation in 2008 when Alex Rodriguez exited an All-Star Game early, leading to significant backlash. He contrasts this with Derek Jeter’s reputation, suggesting that fan bias plays a role in how such actions are perceived.

• Peter Rosenberg [11:31]: "Maybe they will. Now. Remember Alex Rodriguez got killed in 2008 because... So it was easy to pick on him."

Implications for the Future

The hosts speculate on potential labor disputes within the WNBA, drawing connections between player awareness, league profitability, and the increasing visibility of women's basketball. Don highlights the significant media rights deal and league expansion plans, suggesting that the players' growing influence could lead to collective bargaining challenges.

• Don Hahn [02:54]: "A new $2.2 billion media rights deal... The league's going to expand to 18 teams by 2030."

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2. Handling Extra Innings in Baseball

Current Challenges

Don and Peter discuss the complexities of managing extra innings in regular-season games, emphasizing the strain on pitchers and the disruption of game flow.

Proposed Solutions

Several ideas are floated to address prolonged games:

• 1-1 Count Start: Introducing a rule where at the start of extra innings, batters begin with a one-ball, one-strike count to expedite plate appearances.

  • Alan [14:55]: "Maybe they should start with a one in one count."

• Point System: Implementing a point-based system where teams earn points for runs, allowing games to conclude once a team reaches a predetermined point threshold.

  • Peter Rosenberg [15:09]: "After nine, we'll play two innings and just have a tie. We'll award a point and have a point system."

• Tiebreakers Based on Swing Off Wins: Utilizing the outcomes of swing offs as tiebreakers in league standings to provide additional context to team performances.

  • Peter Rosenberg [44:45]: "Next two wins in parentheses... you could put a number that signifies how many of those wins came in extra time."

Fan and Caller Feedback

Listeners express mixed feelings about the proposed changes. While some appreciate the efforts to make games more concise, others worry about preserving the traditional aspects of baseball.

• Caller [14:42]: "I like the swing off thing. That was great, especially since it was All Star game and, you know, it's entertaining."

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3. Scheduling Around Major Holidays

Impact on Players and Fans

The hosts examine how scheduling games around holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas affects players' personal lives and fan engagement. They highlight the NFL's dominance during the holiday season as a challenge for other sports leagues.

• Peter Rosenberg [32:03]: "But NBA, you lose a lot of holiday season. How do they do Christmas, especially now that the NFL has commandeered it."

Potential Adjustments

Ideas are discussed to better accommodate holidays without sacrificing game schedules:

• Adjusting Game Times: Proposing later game start times to allow players and fans to partake in holiday activities.

  • Don Hahn [30:07]: Discusses the logistics of traveling and attending games during the holiday period.

• Alternative Holiday Celebrations: Playfully suggesting the NFL alter traditional holiday narratives to prioritize football games.

  • Peter Rosenberg [32:25]: "They're going to change everything... the whole world's going to be like, that's a good idea because it's football."

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4. Listener Call-Ins and Perspectives

All-Star Game Experiences

Listeners share their memories and opinions on past All-Star Games, reminiscing about iconic moments and critiquing recent changes.

• Caller [19:23]: "I was more than a little disappointed when I saw him on the Mount... people had a hard time figuring out if someone was a human or a bird."

Suggestions for Improvement

Participants offer constructive feedback and creative suggestions to enhance the All-Star Game experience, emphasizing the need for preserving the sport's integrity while embracing innovation.

• Caller [44:04]: "As a casual baseball fan, I think the swing off would absolutely grab my attention."

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5. Supporting Important Causes

Jimmy V Day and Cancer Research

In a heartfelt segment, Don Hahn spotlights Jimmy V Day, emphasizing the importance of supporting cancer research. He shares the inspirational legacy of Jim Valvano's 1993 speech and encourages listeners to contribute to the cause.

• Don Hahn [42:17]: "Today is Jimmy V Day... 100% of the donations go to cancer research."

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6. Light-Hearted Music Discussion

Towards the episode's end, the hosts engage in a brief, playful exchange about classic rock music, specifically AC/DC, showcasing their diverse interests beyond sports.

• Peter Rosenberg [40:17]: "One of my favorite AC DC songs with Bon Scott as lead singer. You a fan?"

• Don Hahn [41:28]: "There are some songs I like and some songs I'm like, yeah, I'm good."

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Conclusion

The hour concludes with Don, Hahn, and Rosenberg reflecting on the day's discussions, highlighting the balance between tradition and innovation in sports. They reiterate the importance of listener engagement and invite continued dialogue on upcoming episodes.

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Notable Quotes:

• Don Hahn [06:21]: "Are you okay with the idea that both of them... were not there on the field or in the dugout watching the end of that game?"

• Peter Rosenberg [32:03]: "But NBA, you lose a lot of holiday season. How do they do Christmas, especially now that the NFL has commandeered it."

• Don Hahn [42:17]: "Today is Jimmy V Day... 100% of the donations go to cancer research."

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This episode offers a comprehensive exploration of evolving practices in baseball's All-Star Game, the delicate interplay between player commitments and fan expectations, and the broader implications of sport scheduling around significant cultural events. Through insightful dialogue and listener interaction, Don, Hahn, and Rosenberg provide a multifaceted perspective on the dynamic landscape of American sports.

Transcript

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[Peter Rosenberg]

Game time is brought to you by tellabardoo Irish Whiskey. Because when it's game time, it's early time. It's folly time. We got tons going on tonight. The Liberty are going to be playing host to the Beaver at 7:30. I heard Caitlin Clark got hurt again, a groin injury. So I don't know. Does that make her availability for the NB WNBA All Star Game in jeopardy? I don't know.

[Don Hahn]

No.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I don't know.

[Don Hahn]

Well, she could be there. I mean she was. She got the most votes. She's one of the captains. It's her team versus and it's right. It is in Indiana. So she's definitely going to be there.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And well, she's questionable for tonight's game. So. And when is the All Star Game?

[Don Hahn]

So this weekend. Saturday. Right? Saturday. I think the, the Friday night is the, is the All Star. You know, the extra stuff.

[Peter Rosenberg]

They're feeling it right. Right now. Wnba. They're hot.

[Don Hahn]

Feeling it. Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

The game should be tonight, right?

[Don Hahn]

I mean, well, you, you would, you know, smarter thing to do would be to put it in the middle of.

[Peter Rosenberg]

The week tonight or tomorrow where there's nothing else going on. But I guess they're feeling it and they want it on the weekend. No.

[Don Hahn]

Well, that's again, ahead of time. They plan it that way as well. But I'll tell you what you want to watch is the potential for a work stoppage.

[Peter Rosenberg]

In the wnba.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah, there's a cba, the CBA discussions going on and I have seen some indications of. Because the players know, like, like you said, they're feeling it like they're. It's hot right now.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's hot. But.

[Don Hahn]

And the players are starting to take notice that, okay, our product is, is now starting to move its way up as far as in the awareness of the American public and networks that are starting to invest in it.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yes.

[Don Hahn]

And so they're going to. They're having a meeting, which generally does happen, for a new collective bargaining agreement during the All Star break, which is what you do because you get a lot of the players together and they're going to sit down face to face and they're looking for a lot of things, including, of course, increasing the salaries and the revenue sharing and everything else. And they're expecting that things are going to get. I think the word they used was spicy.

[Peter Rosenberg]

All right, well, just be careful because it is on the uptick.

[Don Hahn]

So there's a new $2.2 billion media rights deal that starts next season. The league's going to expand to 18 teams by 2030. And each of the three new teams are expected to pay an expansion fee, which is modest when you consider the four majors, but not modest for this league. $250 million expansion fee. That's a lot of money.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, it's a lot.

[Don Hahn]

For a league like that that is starting again. That league was propped by the NBA for many years and a lot of its NBA teams that were sort of like the. I don't say sister team, but brother team, whatever you want to call it. And more and more that league is now starting to, hey, we, we got this on our own. Which is really where the NBA wanted it to go. That David Stern, this is what he envisioned in the late 90s when they started talking about putting this league together. So it's finally gotten there. And Caitlin Clark has a lot to do. Whether you like it or not. She does. Her popularity, her fame, but also the women's college basketball has had something to do with it. Again, I'm trying not to go on a tangent. I'm sorry, Dom, but I just wanted to let you know that it is something to watch now going forward. That can you imagine if right now, in the midst of being as hot as they've ever been, that at some point they have a work stuff?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Look what happened in the NHL in 95. They come off the Rangers winning the Stanley cup and it's as hot as it's ever been. You have a lockout. Yeah. And it took a decade, you know, for the sport to get the traction again.

[Don Hahn]

We won't see it. I don't think we'd see it till next, next season. But we'll see. We'll see what happens.

[Peter Rosenberg]

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[Don Hahn]

And the managers picked on Monday, had to pick their, the players they would want to use and then I think three alternates in case those players were not available. And so that's why anybody asking, like, where was Ohtani, where was Judge? What is Boone thinking not having Judge out there? They, they, apparently when they were done playing, they were cleared, which means go ahead, go into clubhouse, shower. You don't have to hang out in the dugout and watch the rest of the game. I mean, it was four hours, but those guys were excused. So once they, once they did that, you saw again the starting pitchers. Tarek Scuba came back out. He, he was dressed in his, you know, street clothes, like he was done. He had showered, cleaned up, and I got to watch it. So those guys were already off the clock.

[Peter Rosenberg]

They had already punched out and that and that. And I think that's the thing we're talking about, you know, trying to get a jump out of the city, beat the traffic, get to your destination so you can enjoy Wednesday and Thursday off before you got to report back. For the Yankees in Atlanta on Friday, for the Mets at home against the Reds.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah. And the Yankees are going to be there in Atlanta. What I want to know is, are people okay with the fact that a guy like Aaron Judge and Ohtani, too, these are the two, would you say the two faces of the league? Yes.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Right.

[Don Hahn]

Like, if you're talking about baseball, yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That'S why the World Series, those guys.

[Don Hahn]

Are the biggest stars in the game.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Not even close. Absolutely.

[Don Hahn]

Is it okay, Are you okay with the idea that both of them, for what we know, either left the building or were not available? Like whether they had, you know, we're in the back or already went to a suit, whatever it was that they were doing. Are you okay with that? That that the two biggest faces of the sport were not there on the field or in the dugout watching the end of that game, being there to the end.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But here's what's interesting. This is what separates baseball from other sports. You can't substitute back in. In baseball, can't do it right. So their arguments gonna be, yeah, I want to be able to get out of Dodge, beat the traffic. I want to be able to enjoy my break before the grind starts up again on Friday. But you're gonna take me out of the game. Ohtani and Judge are starters in the All Star Game. Starters do not play the entire game. Not anymore. So you're gonna take me out. I'm done. So under those circumstances, yeah, I've got the option to hang out in the dugout, watch my team unwind. But some guys are going to go back to the clubhouse. They're going to get in there, get out of their uniform because the game is an exhibition after all, and shut themselves down like, all right, I'm done. I'm not playing. It's over. And then when the game's over, I leave. Now you're asking me to rejigger it up back again to go back into the game after I hadn't played for, you know, maybe two hours. I'd have to time it out. But when judging Ohtani left and we. When the swing off began, and you want me to go out there and now swing to try to win the team a game after I haven't played for a couple of hours, you want Cal Raleigh to go run back into the clubhouse, put his uniform back in, and then jump in and take meaningful swings?

[Don Hahn]

You know what I want. So I don't want. If you're. If you're telling me every other sport stay in uniform, well, that. Now I know in this sport, when the pitcher's done, he takes a shower like he's done, like he does. But some, you know, you hang out till the ending's over. I know this is a different sport than everything else, and I get it, but I'm not asking you to come back in the game. I'm just asking you to be present.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And you're right, because ultimately that's the answer. Because what I'm doing is I'm role playing what their answer is.

[Don Hahn]

I get it.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, I know, but what I would say is, listen, you agreed, your players association agreed to having this swing off. And you know, there's the possibility at 6. Nothing. You didn't think it was possible, but it's baseball. There's no clock except for the pitch clock. Teams can come back and it's 6, 4 going to the ninth inning. It's becoming a realistic possibility. They can get a couple of runs here. We're having a swing off. So, guys, don't get undressed. Don't wind yourself down. Sit on the bench, because it's possible that we're going to use you. Now, their argument is they came up with this list before the game. So what Judge and Ohtani are telling you is, well, I didn't want any part of this. I didn't want to do it. So you okay with that? That they didn't care about the result, they didn't want to participate in this. That the coolest thing that's happened to baseball in a long time and is the talking point of last night's All Star Game, the two biggest names in the sport wanted no part of it.

[Don Hahn]

And they weren't even there.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And because they wanted no part of it, gave them the ability to leave. That's a bad look. And I don't want to get on those guys.

[Don Hahn]

Right.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I want to get on baseball for giving them the opportunity in the first place. But it's a bad look. And we go back to 2008. For those of you don't remember that All Star Game ended at, like, close to 2 o' clock in the morning when extra innings. It was the last All Star Game at Yankee Stadium in 2008. And I remember being on the air after this. Michael brought it up earlier today. In extra innings, they would show the dugout and who's on the railing rooting for the American League? Derek Jeter, the captain. And then you find out after, in the sixth inning, Alex Rodriguez left the building and he got eviscerated for it.

[Don Hahn]

But we're letting Judge skate because he's Judge and he's a good guy. But if he's going to talk about how he follows Jeter, and he did that, remember, with McAfee, that's what he said. He modeled a lot of things after Jeter because Derek Jeter did everything right. And Aaron Judge says everything right and does everything right. But this is one of those moments that you do have to kind of say, if he left the stadium before the game was over, are we okay with that? Like, is that. Is that representative of a guy who's the face of the.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And I don't.

[Don Hahn]

Because, you know, if LeBron does that.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I know if he said a rod.

[Don Hahn]

Did it, if anybody else had pulled something like that, I think he would get a lot more criticism. But Ohtani and Judge should have been front and center all the way to the end of the game. They should be, because this is their sport. They are the faces that's there. Like, that's their responsibility. I get it. You want to start your little, you want to start your break fast. But why are you, why, why, why do you have that privilege over other players who had to stay there to the end? And I don't think players will call them out.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No.

[Don Hahn]

So I think this is more about what fans want. This is this fan showcase. This is the, this is your convention. This is the MLB convention. Is the All Star weekend just like it is for every sport. And that's the only thing I'm asking is, is it right?

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, it's fans tell me it's fine.

[Don Hahn]

They'Re fine with it, then I'm done.

[Peter Rosenberg]

We're going to take your calls. 1-800-919-3776 I'm hesitant to even do it just because I do think the biases are too strong. Judge is such a good guy and Yankee fans love him. They're not going to kill, they're not going to kill Judge. Maybe they will. Now. Remember Alex Rodriguez got killed in 2008 because remember that was before he won the World Series in oh nine. Fans weren't in love with him. So it was easy to pick on him. Believe me, if Jeter had done that, they'd be like, oh, he's Derek Jeter. He doesn't have any responsibility to anybody, you know. So I think bias does get in the way of it. I saw them take advantage of an opportunity that quite honestly should never been afforded them. Hey, you were negotiated this. There's the possibility there's going to be a swing off. It'll look bad to have a swing off with the two best, most well known players in the sport not participating in it. We already had a Home run Derby that didn't, that you didn't participate in this year and we're okay with that. And now we had this great viral moment. You didn't, you didn't participate in that either.

[Don Hahn]

You know, again, not participate if, if you, because you're, it's true. It's not like, like once you're done playing and that, that was almost like three hours later. Think about it too, when he comes out of the game versus the end of the game because that was a long event. I totally understand. Like, I'm tied up now. I'd have to get loose again. Like it's, it's. I agree. But just to not be on the top step and rooting it on and being like that, that's something I think for again, if I'm Rob Manfred, I know David Stern would be hot about.

[Peter Rosenberg]

This and not that it matters, but take a look at how destroyed Roberts and Boone were because people didn't know that those guys weren't around. So, like, well, what is this list? How are these guys? How is Raleigh not in this? How is Ohtani not in this? How is Judge not in this? And then eventually the information started to trickle down that the guys didn't want to be on the list. The guys aren't even here. You know, all I know is it gets. It gets negotiated in. That's where Manfred's going to say, okay, we're putting this in and you guys aren't going anywhere. If you want to go, then we're going to take it out and we're just going to end the game in a tie or we're going to play a couple of extra innings and get out. But if we're doing this, then we're doing it the right way because it was a great moment for Major League Baseball overall. Last night was tremendous with how they honored the Hank Aaron. I thought the game was entertaining and the swing off worked. It attracted people. Schwaber was tremendous. In was a fun game. It was an entertaining game. When there was nothing else going on, I thought baseball put its best foot forward. But just like baseball, they find a way to put their best foot forward and then shoot it at the same time. Because this ends up being what we're talking about instead of what was a really fun moment. 1-800-919-3776. Back to the busy phones. Let's go to Pete Cedar Grove, you're on. Don Hanna, Rosenberg. Hey, guys. How you guys doing today? Good, man.

[C]

So for the extra innings, I mean, I like the swing off thing. That was great, especially since it was All Star game and, you know, it's entertaining. But for the regular season, everybody hates.

[Peter Rosenberg]

The automatic runner on second.

[C]

I'm thinking maybe, you know, to not tax the pitchers so much and to put the batters right into a swinging mode, maybe they should start with a one in one count.

[Peter Rosenberg]

What's your thoughts on that? I don't know if it moves the needle. They want these games to end quicker. And I don't know if a 1:1 count is going to do enough of that. Would people as off putting as the man for man is. And by the way, I give Michael K credit. He's the only one that used this. I believe he invented it. And as a, as a fan of Blinded by the Light by Manford Man, I think it's a tremendous thing that Michael did. The Manford man is a perfect way to describe it is really the runner. The ghost runner.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah, it's very funny.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But since that was so jarring, what if they went to a point system? Alan. And you know what? After nine, we'll play two winnings or three and we'll play to the 12th and we'll just have a tie. We'll award a point and have a point system. Would people freak out? And if they would, would they freak out any more than awarding a runner at second base in which we don't know how to give that guy a run scored, how we attribute to it to the earned run average, which we don't because it's actually a statistical anomaly that we're just putting somebody at second base. Like, would they freak out any more than they are now?

[Don Hahn]

Yeah, well, that's the other part of it is you're still winning a game with the fact that there's somebody on second, but there's no record of how that player got there. So a runner scores, but that runner. That's why it's ghost runner. That runner, there's no record of how he got on base other than there he is. And so that's the part of it where you could. Again, you're just going back to every time you try to. To push the idea of, well, this is no longer traditional baseball. That's already out the door by putting a runner on second with no record of how he got there. Sport is all about statistics. But you can't have. How do you. Like. There's no way to quantify how a run scored when there's no record of how the runner got in scoring position. So that's already out the window. But that's why I think there's got to be some other way of using it as a way to protect the game from these rare occasions. Like, honestly, how often are we getting past the 12th inning?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Not with the ghost runner. Very. I can't think of too many times.

[Don Hahn]

I could text somebody and get that answered pretty quickly, which I might do during the break because I'm really curious about this. How often last season, because they were only halfway through this season. How often have games gone beyond the 12th inning? And then you could say, so, all right, so if there's, I don't know, 20, 30 times in a season for everyone that you have to go to a this where you just helm run derby to win, Is it that big of a deal?

[Peter Rosenberg]

I'm actually coming around to the idea. I think the focus more has to be how do we Reward the loser.

[Don Hahn]

That's the hardest part.

[Peter Rosenberg]

They deserve something. They shouldn't lose an entire game on a skills competition like that. In hockey. You don't. You still get a point. All right, so you could complain about the skills competition. You still walk out of the building with something. What. Without a point system, what can we give the loser to make it palpable, to go through it in the first place? Because that's no way to lose a game. Allen. There's no. It's. It's fine to lose an exhibition, but it's no way to lose one of your 162 games.

[Don Hahn]

Can't go. Especially if it costs you a playoff spot.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And other than awarding points, there's no other way. Unless you. Unless. Unless it just benefits you in a.

[Don Hahn]

Tiebreaker or we just do nothing. And you know, you have like the usual, well, they already did the ghost runner. So you just live with that, knowing that very rarely you get past 12 inning anyway. So it's. It's. You don't need this.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And it would happen. It just so rarely, it doesn't matter. But it's fun. It's. It's fun competition for sure. Let's go to Blanderson. Hooper, you're on ESPN New York. What's up, Bland?

[C]

Done. Done.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yes.

[C]

Wanted to talk to you, you guys, a little bit about. About the All Star Game. I know, I know. Yesterday you were talking about this Bill Mazarovsky guy and you know, you're talking about Mark Fidrich. Fidrich was 49 years ago. They called him the Bird. In those days, nobody really knew anything about him because of the TV situation. There were some people who actually thought he was an actual bird.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Right?

[C]

Like people were going to the stadium thinking that they were going to see Big Bird had on the mound, fluffy yellow feathers, the whole deal. I have to tell you, I was more than a little disappointed when I saw him on the Mount. Same thing with Barry Bird. The reason back then, not sure why people had a hard time figuring out if someone was a human or a bird. I think it was Nolan.

[Don Hahn]

You know, Richard, even when Rory Sparrow got into the league, they were like, okay, we know this is not a bird anymore.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Like, we've already given up on Otis Bird song.

[Don Hahn]

Otis Bur.

[C]

We knew by then that very thing in 1978. Or it was 79. No, wait, it was 78. No, no, no, it was. It was sometime in the 70s or the 80s. There was a number there. I don't know. Before I move on from the All Star Game, Alan I know you said the last thing you wanted to do was hear about Cal Riley's but anymore. But I got to tell you, the fact that the game was Atlanta is perfect. Okay. Because he has the perfect.

[Don Hahn]

Don't do it.

[C]

And another thing I think at the end. But that was more of whacking the ball than swinging anyway. No segue. Just right into NFL.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You should just.

[C]

To me, it's all about possibility.

[Don Hahn]

Georgia Pete should have dropped the mic. That was the. That was it. Georgia Peach. Was it.

[C]

I'd watch Lamar Jackson in a stack of pancakes if I could. I bet he's a voracious eater. And FYI, he's from Pompano, Florida, which by the way is the same birthplace as Jake the Snake Roberts. So you could pass that along to Peter. And last one, see Whalen completely out of left field about the NBA. Zach Eady and Sean Bradley. And you know what? Throw Mark Eaton names too, because he was them before they were them. Best looking in the three. All the best sellers.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Great Job and Richard's on Hold.

[Don Hahn]

So the Georgia Peach one, that was. That was it. I was waiting for that. Or you know, I thought he was from Brazil. Like I knew something. There was going to be something along those lines or. Don, your list should have been top five biggest butts in sports.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Wow. That would have been. Probably a lot of offensive linemen would have made that list.

[Don Hahn]

How about in baseball? Oh, what do you got? What do you got?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Just off the top of my head. Come on, come on. You know, a couple Lamar. Legends.

[Don Hahn]

They're legends.

[Peter Rosenberg]

There's Cecil Fielder.

[Don Hahn]

I mean Kirby Puckett.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Kirby Puckett, Yeah, right. Tony Gwynlist.

[Don Hahn]

Tony Gwynn. Are you kidding me?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Don Hahn]

My goodness. Like you can land a plane.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Be careful. He's no longer with us. I'm just saying Kirby. Which is sad and not to sound like Richard, but it's ironic that Blanderson brought up Big Bird because when Fidrich was ended up on the COVID of Sports Illustrated, he was with Big Bird.

[Don Hahn]

Well, of course he was.

[Peter Rosenberg]

So that made sense.

[Don Hahn]

But yeah, the fall off for fidgets though, was unbelievable. I guess he had arm trouble. Is that what it was? After the first year, this guy was going to just dominate baseball, but he had arm trouble, which. Did we ever find out what that was? Was it ucl? Could you imagine?

[Peter Rosenberg]

I don't remember what it was yet.

[Don Hahn]

We didn't know about it yet.

[Peter Rosenberg]

He died. Didn't like.

[Don Hahn]

How can you get Tommy John before Tommy John?

[Peter Rosenberg]

And he's no longer with us either.

[Don Hahn]

No, he passed away young.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah. Was it. Was I like a. Wasn't he fixing his truck and it fell off? Something strange happened. It was very, very unusual circumstances how he passed away, but just a crazy, crazy life. Very easily could have made a movie about him. 1-800-919-3776. More your phone calls coming up. We got ENN coming up at the top of the hour as well.

[Don Hahn]

Oh, my God.

[Peter Rosenberg]

What's the matter?

[Don Hahn]

I guess the call the found him under the truck.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, something he was fixing, changing the oil, something. It rolled off. Yeah, just his.

[Don Hahn]

His clothes became entangled with the spinning power takeoff shaft on the truck and he was. He suffocated.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Oh, dear God.

[Don Hahn]

That's terrible. Well, why did you make me Google this?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Listen, you're your own man.

[Don Hahn]

No.

[Peter Rosenberg]

All right.

[Don Hahn]

No, you didn't have to tell me that. It was some kind of, you know, the curiosity that I have as a former journalist. I needed to know.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Now you know.

[Don Hahn]

I don't want to know this.

[Peter Rosenberg]

This is an ad by BetterHelp. Workplace stress is now one of the top causes of declining ment Health, with 61% of the global workforce experiencing higher than normal levels of stress. To battle stress, most of us can't wave goodbye to work. But we can start small with a focus on wellness. With over 30,000 therapists, BetterHelp is the world's largest online therapy platform, having served over 5 million people globally. And it works with an App store rating of 4.9 out of 5 based on over 1.7 million client reviews. It's convenient, too. You can join a session with a therapist at the click of a button, helping you fit therapy into your busy life. Plus switch therapists at any time. As largest online therapy provider in the world, BetterHelp can provide access to mental health professionals with a diverse variety of expertise. Unwind from work with better help, our listeners get 10% off their first [e-mail] timeout. That's betterhelp.com timeout. You've seen the headlines, heard the debates.

[C]

Some say the three point ball has.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Created a monotonous rhythm to the game. Has the three pointer ruined basketball? And how did we get here? The rise of the three point shot can be partially traced to an eccentric Kansas genius named Martin Manley, whose story didn't turn out quite the way he imagined.

[Don Hahn]

I decided I wanted to have one of the most organized goodbyes in history, and I think I will be successful.

[Peter Rosenberg]

30 for 30 podcast presents a brand new original series, Chasing basketball heaven. Available July 22nd wherever you get your podcasts.

[Don Hahn]

Thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I didn't listen to anything you just said.

[Don Hahn]

Catch the show on demand whenever you want. Just subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Interested to know from the callers if you want to indulge us. Like, what are you going to do the next couple of days? If you feel like a die hard baseball fan where the Yankees and the Mets are just part of your daily life, where you fit in, what you do around watching. Yes. S and Y or wherever the Mets or Yankees are. What are you doing the next couple of days When? Nothing. Join the family, Watching some movies. You know, Blair Witch standing in the corner for 48 hours shaking, like, what are you doing? I need to know, like, what are you gonna do, Alan? I mean, the wife's home after a long time, so.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah, very clear.

[Peter Rosenberg]

What you gonna do?

[Don Hahn]

Yeah, no, yesterday you made it very clear. Yeah, well, I mean, look, this is what happens when you're apart that long. You're gonna learn to even back out on the road. You're gonna be on some long road trip.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You're gonna write all the numbers down for the Capitals.

[Don Hahn]

You're gonna come home from one of those long road trips to the West Coast.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Don Hahn]

And it's, you know, you're gonna see a different side, nice lives. It's not used to you being away that long. You'll see.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I think she'll settle in fine. I don't know.

[Don Hahn]

I don't know.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, got it. Got. I got a road trip right out of the box because you.

[Don Hahn]

Oh, yeah. So you looked at the schedule. How we, how are we looking here?

[Peter Rosenberg]

You know how it worked? Well, there are home openers on the 16th, so I'm like, all right, well, the season starts the six, so got a feeling there's a bit of a road trip here. But they've got in Carolina, Tuesday the 9th in Tampa, Saturday the 11th in Columbus, Monday the 13th. They're not coming home. Like, if there was a few days off in between, they might come home and then go back. But that's going to be.

[Don Hahn]

No, you're flying out of Tampa after the game, going right to Columbus, the off day in Columbus. Because who doesn't love that, by the way, though? And club is a great town. But is. Do you. Can you tell me if. If that's a Friday or Saturday?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Which one?

[Don Hahn]

11Th.

[Peter Rosenberg]

The 11th is a Saturday.

[Don Hahn]

The 11th. Oh, so it's a Sunday in Columbus.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, Sunday. So, you know, I was going to.

[Don Hahn]

Say Like Ohio State, you know, do something like that.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I love Columbus.

[Don Hahn]

That's not even an option.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But. That's not an option. But.

[Don Hahn]

All right, so you watch them, you watch some NFL and then you got the game that night.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I'm wondering.

[Don Hahn]

And then you're home and you get, you get two days home and then you get your home opener. Now it's October, so your home openers against the defending Stanley cup champions. That nice.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You get a nice road trip before the home stand before go to Toronto the following Tuesday.

[Don Hahn]

Oh, wow. You bet you. Wait, wait. You play the two teams in the Stanley Cup Final back to back?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Back to back.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah, that's Panthers, then Oilers two days later.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Pretty cool. Now I wonder because again, not knowing how it would work, but if I'm a player, I'd be like, you know what? You know what, Skip? How about. Skip, they don't say that in hockey.

[Don Hahn]

No, they don't.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's. But I love it.

[Don Hahn]

But thanks, Skip.

[Peter Rosenberg]

How about. How about we stay over in Tampa and like leave midday Sunday, that's an.

[Don Hahn]

Option, by the way.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And then go to Columbus, like. Cause you got to get in the day before, but nothing's wrong with maybe get a later afternoon flight out of Tampa on Sunday. You don't have to worry about weather issues. And then get into Columbus kind of like Sunday night.

[Don Hahn]

That's not terrible.

[Peter Rosenberg]

So at least you get the off day in Tampa rather than the off day in Columbus. I don't know, we'll see.

[Don Hahn]

But either way, that, that, that's a Saturday night. Game's at 7, so you're done. 9:30.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And the other thing, I'm excited.

[Don Hahn]

Saturday night, Ybor City. I don't know if I want my, I don't want too early in the season for the boys.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You know, I might need them in Columbus.

[Don Hahn]

Just I need him in Columbus.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Things to do. And the other thing I'm excited about too is and I love, you know, the west coast trip. It's. Colorado is in the west coast trip. So it's Colorado, San Jose, Louisiana, Anaheim. With LA and Anaheim being Saturday and Sunday getting. That's end of October, early November. So to get that trip out of the way early, Big is pretty.

[Don Hahn]

And that's not terrible. And you're also. Think about it, that game, local time in Anaheim is 5:00pm It's 8:00pm Eastern.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Right.

[Don Hahn]

So 5:00pm you're fly home after the game. That, that's, that's, that's not terrible. And then you get three days off, what, four days off in Between. Three days off in between. So you're good. That's not bad. Not bad at all. You get that out of the way. Holidays. Where are you holidays? Let me see.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, they play Thanksgiving.

[Don Hahn]

They play Thanksgiving this year.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Nobody plays on Thanksgiving. But they got a 4 o' clock game in Buffalo on Friday. So that probably means leave Thursday night.

[Don Hahn]

See, that sucks.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I don't. I don't mind that Black Friday.

[Don Hahn]

Well, because. No. Well, you're. You're leaving Thursday. Yes. You're not the Thanksgiving, you're not home.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Unless we leave later. I don't know if they'll leave in the middle of the afternoon.

[Don Hahn]

They're not doing that.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, they might have like a team dinner and then leave at night. And then you're in Buffalo way.

[Don Hahn]

No way.

[Peter Rosenberg]

So. And then holidays.

[Don Hahn]

Wait, you're playing. I know it's a short flight, but it's an afternoon game in Buffalo. There's no chance you're leaving late?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, not late late, but you could probably maybe leave at 4 or 5 and not. Not leave at night. We'll see. Listen, that's Thanksgiving. It would stink.

[Don Hahn]

All right. And obviously NHL doesn't play around Christmas.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, the last, the last game of the holiday before the holiday break, the 23rd, they're at UBS.

[Don Hahn]

Oh, but new Year's Eve, not home.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And then they're home. Then the other big thing is they're home after the break starts. So I don't have, you know, to go like on that Friday.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Leave like home against Washington.

[Don Hahn]

But, but, but you're in a back to. Back on the road. Toronto on the 30th and then back to, Boy, Columbus. And you, Columbus, New Year's Eve. Is there anything better now? Do they fly home? Because again, seven o' clock start. Could you get home by midnight if you flew right after the game? How far is that flight to Columbus, to Newark?

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's like less than an hour or.

[Don Hahn]

You guys teeter bar. What do you guys do?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Newark. All right, so game wheels up at 11. It'll be tight. Yeah, most likely. I'll be in the car at midnight.

[Don Hahn]

Tell Nancy just keep it warm. You'll get there. You'll get there when you get there, but at least you'll be home.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's not terrible, but listen, there's worse things. I. Listen, the great thing about hockey is, is that they give you the time off usually during the holidays. Like, I never understood, like, poor Mike. Like Michael, like, nobody's gonna feel bad for him, but like all the baseball people, you know, you're working Memorial Day, you're working the Fourth of July. You're working Labor Day. You know, it's, it's, it's tough.

[Don Hahn]

What do you mean? NBA Christmas Day every year. Listen, Thanksgiving, the night before Black Friday. That's happening, right? Football, you're on Thanksgiving.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But NBA, you lose a lot of holiday season. I don't know how they do Christmas, especially now that the NFL has commandeered it. They should really, should rethink that whole thing.

[Don Hahn]

Really?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Don Hahn]

NBA's own Christmas forever.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah. And now it's been taken away. The NFL's decided to play. Everything shuts down. They're even thinking of canceling Christmas. Football games are being played. Let's celebrate Christmas on the. We'll just. We'll just make up another day that Christ died. Football's playing. Listen, these people control the weather, for God's sakes. It was 70 degrees in the super bowl. Was in New York, and then it like snowed the day before and the day after.

[Don Hahn]

That is true.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You know what? If there's any play. If there's anybody on this planet that can cancel Christmas, it's Roger Goodell. They're going to. They're going to redo the whole Member, the whole animation, the day, the year without a Santa Claus. They're going to do a whole new claymation thing. The man that killed Christmas. And it's be Roger Goodell that we're going to move. We've got to have a big press conference. We're moving Christmas to the 26th. We're still going to have Christmas Eve, the 24th.

[Don Hahn]

You can't.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Then we're going to play football.

[Don Hahn]

Playing football on Christmas.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And then we're going to. We're going to re. We're going to redo the Bible. And then the Bible moving forward is going to have like the NFL shield on it. And they're going to just retell all the stories. Right? Noah's Ark was actually where they. They play the Viking games. They're going to do what? They're going to change everything. You know, and the whole world's going to be like, that's a good idea because it's football. You know, who's going to be on board with it?

[Don Hahn]

You know what?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Let's.

[Don Hahn]

Let's get. We got to get Dallas. We're going to get Dallas Eagles. We'll get Cowboys. Eagles in Nazareth.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That's right. Oh, yeah. That's what we're going to do.

[Don Hahn]

Dallas has the star.

[Peter Rosenberg]

There you go. There's. Dallas has the Star Green.

[Don Hahn]

Green Bay and the Lions going to be in Bethlehem. Jesus born in Jerry World.

[Peter Rosenberg]

The football. The football will do. Yeah. They'll change it all because it's football. I'm not doing it. I'm not on board. I'm just saying that if the NFL did that, tell me people wouldn't be like, this is a good idea.

[Don Hahn]

Oh, my God. So I'm going to have to say an extra prayer Sunday morning.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You better. We all should.

[Don Hahn]

What I'm doing here, like, it's just. This is against everything. We also suggested Jesus died on Christmas. He was born on Christmas.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I was in. I was in the zone.

[Don Hahn]

I liked what you did there.

[Peter Rosenberg]

He died. He was born on Christmas. But no, they. You know what time differences. It was actually the 26th. Like, people went like. Like the Beatles. Alan knows they celebrate, like, two days of Beatles birthdays. Right. Because. Oh, well, George was born on this day. But really, in England, it was the day before. So let's celebrate both days.

[Don Hahn]

Both days.

[Peter Rosenberg]

We'll just do that. The time was different in Jerusalem.

[Don Hahn]

So who would be the new three wise men? I mean, Goodell's one, right?

[Peter Rosenberg]

It would be Goodell, Jerry Jones, and the ghost of Al Davis.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah, that's actually pretty good.

[Peter Rosenberg]

How about that?

[Don Hahn]

Gold, frankincense and myrrh.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Oh, I. Listen, I just. I'm gonna apologize. It's not gold.

[Don Hahn]

It's yellow.

[Peter Rosenberg]

None of it is real.

[Don Hahn]

No matter what the Chargers tell you. It's not gold.

[Peter Rosenberg]

None of this is real. I still believe in God. We're just having some fun. Just showing you.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

The power of the NFL. And don't put it past him, because I'm telling you, I lived through that. It was like 2 degrees when the Rangers played the Islanders at Yankee Stadium. And then all of a sudden, it's 70 and sunny during the super bowl. And then, like, the snow the day after. I swear to God.

[Don Hahn]

No, it's true. It's true. And then the Lord said, let there be football.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Right? And when you said Lord, you were talking about Roger Goodell. 1-800-919-3776. Let's go to Steve in New Fairfield. You're on ESPN, New York.

[C]

Hey, what's up, boys?

[Peter Rosenberg]

How are you?

[C]

Good. I'll definitely play the role of the old man. Get off my lawn right here. I'm a Yankee fan. I'm a Georgia fan, but they got to take some heat. They're the two big faces of baseball. Yeah. You say they want to get a head start on their little break. I got to move heaven and earth to take a stupid week at the Jersey shore. You get three and a half, four months off making monster money. You can't be with the team for the rest of the game. Okay. You say maybe you can't do the swing off at the end, but what you were saying, Don, I mean, you got to be there to the end. That's a joke.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, especially since they negotiated it. Right? Like I. Like, aren't they forward enough thinking to say, we've negotiated this into the contract. The Players association has agreed to this. So what's it going to look like when it happens? Are you guys going to do it or not?

[C]

And I have to check myself because I'm always doing this. I got three kids, and they're huge in the sports, and I'm always finding myself saying, this was better. That grand. This was better. So I got to check myself a bit. Little lot. But last night, I mean, just like. And everything has to be. I know I'm going on a tangent here, but we got to get gimmicky and we got to solve. What do we do if it goes. I know it was a bad look with Tori and the extra inning and we ran out of players, but. Okay, how about after nine, we play one more inning and. To end in a tie. Whatever. It's a tie. It's an exhibition.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Can I ask you.

[C]

I'm good. If you don't even play the stick.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Steve. They talk about that. That embarrassment of a tie in Milwaukee and how it looked for Bud Selick in his hometown. And. And they went. They went completely overboard. And now attached the home field advantage. Was it really that embarrassing? I never saw a tie in the All Star Game before. I got to see something I wasn't expecting. I didn't think it was that big of a deal. Was it that big of an embarrassment?

[Don Hahn]

You know what?

[C]

It was to, in a little extent only because I feel like. I mean, at that time, the game maybe met a little more then in terms of just, you know, we were.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Still not that far removed.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah. Like Steve. I'm with Steve. It's like you. You felt like it was unfulfilling, like, oh, that's it. Like, this is what we're doing.

[Peter Rosenberg]

We ran out of pictures. It's an exhibition. You don't want to get anybody hurt.

[Don Hahn]

And they just have. Have a position player. You do it in a real.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I just. You know what? I honestly think. I think people didn't like Bud Selig, so they made it look like it was more of an embarrassment than it was to make him look bad because they didn't like him in the first place.

[Don Hahn]

Okay.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You know, and they were looking for an excuse to have more meaning for it, because that was around the time where, like I said, you know, Torry Hunter got lifted up by Barry Bonds of the outfield. These guys aren't taking it serious enough. We're just coming off a tie. Bud Selig's a clown. I'm telling you, there's always some motivation behind things that are beyond the reality or the parameters of what you're told. But you're sitting there in the meetings four years ago negotiating, how about we have a swing off in the All Star Game? Nobody thought to ask, well, will any of the players participate in it? What will the superstars do? Are they going to leave? Traditionally, these guys that start, they're usually on the tarmac by the seventh inning. Are they going to stick around? Because if not, maybe we don't do this.

[Don Hahn]

If that's true. See, to me, that's. That's a bigger deal to discuss, in my opinion, than, you know, being available to participate. I don't love the idea of the two faces of the sport not being there to the end of the game. I don't think that's a good look. This is your. This is everything for your sport. You should be on the field when everybody's shaking hands and the game's over. Like, I think the faces of the sport should discuss it, in my opinion, should be there after the game. I know you've done a ton of media. I know you spent all that time with Pat McAfee, and it was wonderful. But it doesn't mean that when it's over that you just are there for whatever might have happened because you guys matter the most in this sport. And for you guys to have the ability to leave makes it look like you're more important than everybody else. I just don't like the way it looks.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's a bad look on a day where they had a great look. But.

[Don Hahn]

And then again, Jeter would. It's always, what would Derek do?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Derek would not leave. Like I said in 2008, He's. He's there. Top railing of the. Of the dugout.

[Don Hahn]

Watching judge should be there, too. If he's. If he's modeling himself after Derek Jeter, then he should have been there. Thanks for listening to the Don Han and Rosenberg podcast.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I didn't listen to anything you just said.

[Don Hahn]

Catch the show on demand whenever you want. Just subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts.

[Peter Rosenberg]

One of my favorite AC DC songs with Bon Scott as lead singer. You a fan?

[Don Hahn]

I am, yeah. I.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You know the song.

[Don Hahn]

No.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You're not a. You don't like heavy music, do you?

[Don Hahn]

I'm very selective when it comes to.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Metal and I still don't think ACDC is metal. It's hard rock. But it does get thrown into the metal category.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah, I know, like, I know enough of AC dc. But I'm again, it's like for me, like that's, there's, there's some that I'm very, I am, I'm very select, you know, I'm eclectic. So I'm not like, I'm not a Die Hard in any anything. I'm more or less like, I, you know, it's a buffet for me and there's certain things I like and certain things I don't when it comes to music. And that's, I can't, you know, I'm not going to tell you you're wrong.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, that's music. It's all taste.

[Don Hahn]

But I guarantee you there's always something of anything that I'll say I like that and that's, that's how I am. So AC dc, There are some songs I like and some songs I'm like, yeah, I'm good.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But you might not know whole the thing, the Bond Scott, Brian Johnson thing. Are you familiar with that?

[Don Hahn]

Not, not, not as much as, as you obviously.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Bon Scott was the original lead singer.

[Don Hahn]

Yep.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And died the death a lot of rock and rollers do choking on their own vomit.

[Don Hahn]

Oh, wow.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And then Brian Johnson came in and different voice and Back in Black was the first album for them and they really took off from there.

[Don Hahn]

See, I only know that's the only voice I know.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Right.

[Don Hahn]

Back in Black was a lot of introduction.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But you know, highway to Hell.

[Don Hahn]

Of course. Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But you may not have ever because you're a casual. Didn't really think like the difference between Bon Scott. That's a different singer, you know.

[Don Hahn]

No, I had no, I, I honestly I had no idea.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But Touch Too Much is one of my favorites. Okay, 1-800-now-1937.

[Don Hahn]

Can I mention one thing before we get.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I need you to desperately.

[Don Hahn]

Well, I know I, I. In all seriousness today. Today is Jimmy V Day.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yes.

[Don Hahn]

Now the SBS are tonight, of course, and we all know Jim Valvano's iconic speech that really, you know, started what has been an incredible movement that ESPN has been behind for God, how many years now, long ago. Is that 20 years, whatever it is, 30 gotta be. But it's an important thing that we do at ESPN that we promote a lot. Because look, it's cancer research. 100% of the donations go to cancer research. So it's not something that anybody's making money off of. And they have done a lot of great things from this. So, you know, it has been promoted a lot. It is something that we have talked about many times on the network, the days that I spent on the network. And it's a, it's a really big deal. So v.org and is very easy to get to. And if you can donate, I would strongly suggest to do it and be part of it. Because everyone knows someone. If it's not direct hit that almost every family does deal with at one time or another, but everyone knows someone and that's all you need to think about. And I just think the most important thing to add is. I'll say it one more time again, v.org donate but it's the fact that 100% of every dollar goes directly to the research and how much they have been able to accomplish with this money is astounding. So I just wanted to mention it today.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, it's very important, for sure. And we appreciate that. That speech was back in 1993, so it's 32 years. It's pretty incredible stuff.

[Don Hahn]

Don't, don't ever give up.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No. Let's go to Raphael in Long Beach. You're on espn, Long Branch. Excuse me. You're on ESPN New York.

[C]

What's up, Long Branch? Hey, how are you guys? Good, man, good. So, yeah, regarding, you know, first of all, as a casual baseball fan, I think the swing off would absolutely grab my attention. I did tune in late, but as far as rewarding the loser, you got to do similar to hockey, just track the loss. Now, for the baseball purists, maybe you don't want to add it in the actual record, but unlike the MLB own page, just have a stat, you know, extra inning factors into a tiebreaker.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah, I like that idea. See, See rap that, that's, that's what I was thinking is the one way you could do it is that the, the, the loss is like. Don mentioned this already though. It's Roe, right?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Don Hahn]

And for a team, if you have, you know, four, who knows how many we'd even get to, right? But let's just say you have four of these swing off losses and you're tied for a spot or even just tied to get into a wild card with Another team and they have, you know, two. You, you beat them. You beat them by losing. Is that weird?

[Peter Rosenberg]

No. And that could be the first tiebreaker. So if, if a team. Just because the math is easy. Right. Mets and Phillies both finish the National League east with records of 162. Right. But two of Phillies wins came in the swing off. One for the Mets. Well, then the Mets would get the tiebreaker because it would devalue two of the Phillies 100 wins because they came in the swing off. And all you have to do in the standings is next two wins in parentheses, you could put a number and that number would signify how many of those wins came in extra time.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

So that you could factor it in. So then you'll be, well, how come the Mets and the Phillies both have the same record, but the Mets are in first place and the Phillies are in second? Well, they're that. See, See that two. That's next to their win total.

[Don Hahn]

Right.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And it's not that crazy. Right.

[Don Hahn]

And it's not going to happen that often.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That's why I said two.

[Don Hahn]

All we're saying here from, from 3 o' clock to now, and the calls are telling us that people do want to talk about it. All we're saying is that we can't just dismiss it. It should at least be discussed because. But it doesn't mean it has to be implemented.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Right? Exactly.

[Don Hahn]

But it's worth talking.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But it's definitely worth talking about. For sure.

[Don Hahn]

Thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast. I don't want to know how the sausage is made, man. I just want to know. It's good. Hear more of Don Allen and Peter weekday afternoon starting at 3 on 8 80, ESPN, the ESPN New York app, and your smart speakers.