Hour 3: Dirt Basements & Honus Wagner

Summary

Podcast Summary: Don, Hahn & Rosenberg – Hour 3: Dirt Basements & Honus Wagner

Podcast Information:

• Title: Don, Hahn & Rosenberg
• Host/Authors: Don La Greca, Alan Hahn, Peter Rosenberg
• Episode: Hour 3: Dirt Basements & Honus Wagner
• Release Date: June 20, 2025
• Description: The first voice of ESPN New York and New Jersey legend Don La Greca, long-time sportswriter and New York Knicks broadcaster Alan Hahn, and highly opinionated Hip Hop veteran and WWE personality Peter Rosenberg discuss New York sports and beyond.

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MLB Update: Mets' Losing Streak and Yankees' Resurgence

The episode kicks off with a deep dive into the current state of Major League Baseball, focusing on the New York Mets' troubling six-game losing streak and the recent turnaround of the New York Yankees.

• Mets’ Struggles: The hosts discuss the Mets being tied with Philadelphia for first place in the division despite their consecutive losses. Don Hahn remarks, “Mets have lost six in a row” (00:19), highlighting concerns over their pitching and batting performance.

• Yankees’ Turnaround: Contrasting the Mets, the Yankees have snapped their six-game losing streak with a 7-3 victory over the Angels. Alan Hahn opines that “the Yankees are destined to be in pretty good shape to at least win this series” (00:34). However, he cautions that continued struggles could revert this positive trend.

Notable Quote:

Alan Hahn ([00:34]): "The Yankees have more of a margin for error. They're in a weaker league where the Mets have lost their margin for error."

Analysis of Mets' Pitching Issues

A significant portion of the discussion centers on the Mets' pitching woes, exacerbated by injuries and strategic decisions.

• Injuries Impacting Rotation: Peter Rosenberg points out that the Mets’ rotation has been crippled by injuries, with key pitchers like Montas, Manaya, Senga, and McGill sidelined (02:39). This has forced the team to rely on less experienced starters, undermining their competitive edge.

• Strategic Decisions: Mike delves into the Mets' reliance on their batting lineup over pitching depth, stating, “The Mets spent money on offense, not pitching” (07:20). He critiques the decision to not invest in high-end starters, thereby making the bullpen a critical point of vulnerability.

Notable Quote:

Peter Rosenberg ([05:28]): “It's not about the pitching. It's about the bats in your lineup.”

Discussion on Team Strategy and Injuries

The hosts explore the broader implications of the Mets' strategy and how it affects their performance.

• Bullpen Dependence: Alan Hahn emphasizes the Mets’ dependence on their bullpen, noting that “if you allow two or three runs and you lose the game, that can’t be tolerated” (07:06). This reliance has been detrimental, especially in high-stakes games against formidable teams like the Braves and Phillies.

• Future Prospects: The conversation shifts to the potential return of pitchers Montas and Manaya, anticipated to start against Atlanta in early July (07:20). The hosts express cautious optimism that the return of these pitchers could stabilize the rotation and improve the Mets' chances moving forward.

Notable Quote:

Mike ([42:23]): “The whole idea is to get into a rhythm, if you can, with Manaya, Montas, and Senga.”

NBA Finals Preview: Pacers vs. Thunder Game 7

Shifting gears, the discussion transitions to the NBA Finals, specifically the upcoming Game 7 between the Indiana Pacers and the Oklahoma City Thunder.

• Series Recap: The hosts reflect on the Pacers’ journey to Game 7, noting that the series has been less competitive compared to previous years but holds potential for a thrilling finale (23:42).

• Game 7 Predictions: Mike Puma predicts a decisive victory for the Thunder, citing their resilience and experience in high-pressure games: “I think this series is going to end in a very ho hum fashion. Thunder win by, you know, 15 or 20” (27:18). Peter Rosenberg offers a counterpoint, suggesting the Thunder might not be as dominant as previously thought, potentially leading to a comfortable win (27:25).

Notable Quote:

Mike Puma ([27:18]): “I think the series is going to end in a very ho hum fashion. Thunder win by, you know, 15 or 20.”

Listener Interaction and Banter: Safes, Basements, and Honus Wagner

In a lighter segment, the hosts engage in a humorous and nostalgic discussion about safes in old dirt basements and the legendary baseball figure Honus Wagner.

• Dirt Basement Stories: Peter Rosenberg shares a personal anecdote about discovering a chest in a dirt-basement house, sparking a playful conversation about the mysteries that such old safes might hold (12:03).

• Honus Wagner Jokes: The trio humorously conflates the names Honus, Harness, and Hornus Wagner, creating fictional backstories and roles (e.g., Honus as a bench coach and Hornus involved in creating the porn industry) (16:09). This segment is filled with witty exchanges and lighthearted banter, showcasing the hosts' chemistry.

Notable Quote:

Peter Rosenberg ([12:04]): “Well, I don't know if it was like the way that it was buried there and it was locked up, like whether it was just too expensive to excavate.”

Playoff Rankings and Sports Preferences

The conversation naturally flows into a debate about the best sports playoffs among the four major American sports, with the hosts sharing their personal rankings.

• Hockey Reigns Supreme: Mike Puma advocates for the NHL playoffs, highlighting their physicality and the compelling journey to the Stanley Cup (34:01).

• Hockey, Football, Baseball, Basketball: Peter Rosenberg and Alan Hahn discuss the intriguing aspects and flaws of each sport's playoff structure, ultimately ranking them in the order of Hockey, Football, Baseball, and Basketball (35:30).

• Exclusion of NCAA Tournament: The hosts tentatively exclude the NCAA Tournament from their rankings due to its distinct structure and unpredictable nature (36:10).

Notable Quote:

Mike Puma ([34:01]): “There's nothing like it. The NHL playoffs are so difficult, so hard, so physical… it's more compelling than anything else.”

Francisco Lindor’s Fashion Choices

Adding a dash of humor, the hosts comment on Francisco Lindor’s recent appearance in yoga pants, blending sports talk with personal amusement.

• Lindor’s Yoga Pants: Peter Rosenberg brings up Lindor showing up in his wife’s yoga pants, leading to jokes and playful teasing about player fashion and their off-field personas (37:55).

Notable Quote:

Alan Hahn ([39:30]): “Oh, he did. They're like jeans, but bell bottoms.”

Conclusion

The episode wraps up with the hosts reflecting on the ongoing sports seasons, player performances, and upcoming events. They maintain a balance between in-depth sports analysis and entertaining, relatable conversations, ensuring listeners are both informed and entertained.

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Timestamp Reference:

• [00:00] - [23:42]: Opening remarks, MLB updates, and Mets/Yankees analysis.
• [23:42] - [32:43]: NBA Finals preview and discussion.
• [32:43] - [45:05]: Listener interaction about safes and Honus Wagner.
• [45:05] - [49:00]: Playoff rankings and Francisco Lindor’s fashion.

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This episode of Don, Hahn & Rosenberg offers a comprehensive blend of sports analysis, personal anecdotes, and humorous banter, making it a must-listen for fans seeking both depth and entertainment in their sports podcasts.

Transcript

[Don Hahn]

This is the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That sounds like heaven to me.

[Don Hahn]

Listen live weekday afternoon starting at 3 on 8 80, ESPN, the ESPN New York app and your smart speakers.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Game time is brought to you by Televote or Irish Whiskey. Because when it's game time guys.

[Alan]

It'S Tolly time.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's Tully time. That's enough. Their series with the Phillies coverage immediately following us here on 880 at 6:35 and the Yankees welcome in the Orioles at 7:05 Tullamore Dew. The original triple distilled, triple blended and triple cask matured Irish whiskey. Be sure to draw try a Tullamore Dew or grab a Tullamore Dew during tonight's action. Glasses up to enjoying Tullamore Dew responsibly. So we're back to where we started as far as the Mets are concerned. Mets have lost six in a row. Lost a tough one yesterday, couldn't throw strikes, walking with bases loaded. Just a disturbing sixth consecutive loss. Now in a flat footed tie with Philly for first place in the division. Yankees got off the schneid. They ended their six game losing streak yesterday afternoon beating the Angels 7 3. So now they begin a series against the Orioles who do play the Yankees tough. But I would think the Yankees are destined to be in pretty good shape to at least win this series. If not game guys does not change the vibe of the Yankees as far as hitting is concerned. If they struggle again tonight, then we're back to square one. But the Yankees have more of a margin for error. They're in a weaker league where the Mets have lost their margin for error. They're in a tie with Philly, they're in a much more difficult National League and they haven't got off the schneide yet. And it's going to be Blade Tillman, that's who. Tidwell. Excuse me, that's gonna make.

[Mike]

I'd say who to that as well?

[Alan]

Rod Tidwell.

[Mike]

Rod?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah. Rod Tidwell. It's Blade. Go get him. Blade. Tidwell. And because they got an opener because of the injuries, McGill's out, Senga's out. Montas is not coming back until the Atlanta series which will be a four game set at Citi Field beginning next week. So they're kind of short and Zach Wheeler is going to go for Philly. So it doesn't bode well. They're going to be end this winning streak. So Alan, we started to show that the Mets got to start showing us something. Get back on, get on the horse. But you know it's going to be tough when you've got that kind of a pitching matchup and it is a hitters friendly park. But it's going to be a lot because even on your best day, it's going to be tough to win tonight's game.

[Mike]

This to me has nothing to do with pitching. This to me has to do with the bats in your lineup that you are. No, you know, they're going to rely on more than anything. The Mets spent money on offense, not pitching. They, they have made it clear what the formula is for them. And the formula for them is interchangeable parts at starting pitching, a deep enough bullpen and a closer. But they're not really giving you the high end starters. Like they're not getting guys like Zach Wheeler. Coincidentally they used to, but they don't have. That's not the direction anymore. And so I'm looking at it less at having to deal with Zach Wheeler versus an opener and the bullpen and more of Lindor and Soto and Alonzo and Nimmo, you know, all the cast of characters. This is literally why they are building this team this way. To make Zach Wheeler have to work to get him out of the game early enough to get to that bullpen. That's what you're looking for right now from the Mets and also a response out of a series that you know is frustrating. It has to be for a. It's a, it's the same story. It's the Braves. They're a thorn in your side where no matter where they are in the standings and you went down there and you got smacked around a little bit and you've now are walking into another house of horrors in Philadelphia. You know, the crowd's going to be into it, it's going to be all national tv. This is important because you're right now tied for first place in the division. It's only June, I'm being told. But I also like to say that there are points of a season of a long baseball season where there are a few of these moment of truths. And this series feels like one where we can just, we could take it out on its own, isolate it and say let's watch this and sit back and see what this Mets team is all about.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, well, the one thing I would counter with the, you know, that's the way they built this rotation is not 100% accurate. I mean they want good pitching. They're just not willing to spend, you know, a fortune in big time years. My mantas is a good pitcher. Maniah is a good pitcher. They're just not giving big monster contracts to pitchers the way the Yankees gave Cole his contract and even the Rodin contract. And I, and Peter and I are both in agreement with that because these guys always seem to get hurt. And to allocate those kind of funds seems ridiculous. But you did lose 2/5 of your rotation to start the year with Montas and Manaya out. And now Senga's on the IL and McGill's on the IL. So it's not so much how they design the rotation, it's that they got stuck. Injuries really burned them. And what really kills about what's happened over the six game losing streak up until today, where you have, you're forced to go with a starter and the Blackburn start, where you were forced to start him even though he wasn't stretched out and he gave up three runs in the first inning was because of the injuries. But otherwise you had Clay Holmes on the mound. He's been a great pitcher this year. Couldn't get through the fifth inning.

[Mike]

Yeah, his control he struggled with. He actually pitched terribly.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Six walks, including walking in what turned out to be the winning run.

[Alan]

Yeah, that's a problem.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And then you went to the bullpen.

[Mike]

And that blew up on you.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And then you go back to Friday's game, the bullpen melted down, ironically enough, while, you know, Holmes was out there. They go to the bullpen after Holmes gives them five and the bullpen melts down. They lose that game. And then you go back to the game, the first game of the series against the Braves where they had a 41 lead in the 8th inning, handing it to the bullpen. Many people were saying Garrett should be going to the All Star game based on how he's pitched so far this year. And he melted down and Alvarez melted down. So this isn't all about the pitching. It's not being able to situationally hit, not running the bases properly. Whether you want to blame the umpire or Soto for when he got doubled up the other day, boneheaded plays by both catchers, you know, to Ren's allowing a run to score because he's trying to scoop up the ball with his mask. Alvarez the day before thrown behind a runner and moving the game winning run from second to third. You end up losing the game on a sacrifice fly. They're not putting their best foot forward. So to your point, Allen. All right, maybe they don't have the greatest pitching matchup. This is not the day to boot the ball around this is not the day to leave runners in scoring position. This is not the day to have the brain farts in the field. They're going to have to play their best baseball if the pitching's not good enough. All right, you got. No, you have a kick coming, but don't lose the game tonight. If Tidwell ends up giving you a pretty solid outing and you allow two or three runs and you lose the game, three, two, because you're over seven with runners in scoring position and you commit two errors, that can't be tolerated.

[Mike]

That's your issue, obviously. And, you know, see what you get inning or two in that situation. But it's always going to be about the bats. It's Mike Puma for the Post is saying that the Mets are planning on what Montas will get his first start Tuesday against Atlanta.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Right.

[Mike]

So this side of the weekend, you'll see him. And then the tentative plan for Mania's return would be for the brewers series that first week of July, right before they play the Yankees. So, you know, you'll. You will get some of the starting pitch you were looking for. But they. It's not like they spent a lot of Mania either, right? Montos either. These are all just. These are pieces. These aren't. Are aces. That's. That's reality. And then Senga is the ace that you're missing. But I wouldn't be surprised because you tend to miss him. I mean, he, he does tend to miss time. You have to treat him delicately. And so I don't know. I have to be. I just. With the Mets, when I look at the Mets, I look at what am I getting out of a lineup that they spent a lot of money on. That's what I want to see. And so when you do face good pitching, that lineup should be tough enough to put pressure on good pitching. And that's what tonight has got to be about, is getting, getting. Putting a stop to the losing streak going into Philadelphia and letting the Phillies know we're not yielding first place in the division. It's June, but it matters. And this series feels like it's just got a little more juice to it because of what just happened in Atlanta.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, it's a monster series, for sure. They've already fallen out of first place and gotten it back again. That was because of the losing streak that the Phillies went on losing eight of nine. But you can't keep falling out of first place and just assuming you'll get it back again. And I'm telling you this, I'm not saying it's going to happen because you got Peterson going Sunday and I still think the Mets are a good team but if this goes sideways and they lose nine in a row, man that's hard to get up from. It really is.

[Alan]

What was their last nine in a row?

[Peter Rosenberg]

What's that?

[Alan]

So when was their last nine in a row?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Last nine game losing streak? That's a great question. It had to be fairly recent. Not in recent vintage, that's for sure. Teams usually don't go to the playoffs and they lose that many in a row or without having some major changes that end up happening when that but 2019 it said that was back in April of that year. So it's been a while now. Again I don't think you should be thinking that that's it's on the table just because it's the Phillies and you're on the road and you're not playing well and tonight doesn't look great but I would still be surprised if they got swept. I think this team is still very good and it's hard to say you're very good if you get swept in three consecutive series. But crazier things have happened and the Yankees start with the Orioles tonight look like they at least for a day right of the ship.

[Mike]

But yeah I'm curious to see right Don, like like let's see how they did something open up late in that game against the Angels yesterday afternoon and the offense, you know our guys getting back in rhythm. You saw, you know Judge doubled. He had a couple of home runs. Is, is the worm turning once again for the Yankees or was that just a one off because of you know, some bad bullpen work from, from Anaheim because that was a, that was a 4:3 game if I'm not mistaken until yeah it was later innings where they, they tacked on some and were able to take control.

[Peter Rosenberg]

They tacked on a run in the seventh before the reigns came. Yeah and then they put up two more runs in the eighth after the rain delay.

[Mike]

Yeah, so.

[Peter Rosenberg]

So it wasn't clean. They fell behind one nothing and two one early in the game. God, I don't know. Just a side note, Mike Trout doesn't feel like a thing anymore. He's still a good player but like you know, because he's just coming off an injury.

[Mike]

But you watch, you're like oh that's not great. Mike Trout still plays. Isn't that amazing A guy who was that good.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Is there a son and got. Michael always had this line about Alex Rodriguez in Texas.

[Alan]

I know what line you're saying. Mona Lisa in a garage.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah. Which I always thought was pretty insulting that, that, that obviously comes from a Yankee guy. Right. You know.

[Mike]

Well, I mean, it is Arlington, Texas. I mean, we're not talking about putting him on a premier team.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, but garage is strong and Alex being Mona Lisa strong too. There's a lot of strong things being thrown out there, let's be honest.

[Mike]

But Mona Lisa in a basement, is there furnished, a finished basement? Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Because if you got, you know those, those old timey houses where like you had a dirt floor for a basement?

[Mike]

Yeah, I had one of those.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Oh my God. How do you.

[Mike]

One of the first places I lived, third basement, third floor. Yeah.

[Alan]

All dirt, huh?

[Mike]

Oh, yeah. It was wild. The old house, obviously.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That is terrible.

[Mike]

It's different.

[Peter Rosenberg]

There was a house across the street from where my mom lives now, where I grew up. It was an old house. Because the house I grew up in, it's still there. It's got to be like 130 years old house and this house even older. So this house felt like it was like 200 years old. And there was an old couple that lived there and they had kids, but their kids were like long gone when I was young kid. And then they passed away, the house got sold and another couple moved in. And they mentioned that in the basement it was a dirt basement and half buried in the dirt basement was a chest.

[Mike]

Oh, okay.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But they never opened it. And I still never to this day found out. Like, I guess they didn't want to open it. They didn't think it was, you know, maybe they were scared to open it or I don't know. It was never taken because I think they passed away. So wouldn't you be curious to see.

[Mike]

Absolutely.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Who's in there? It could be Jimmy Hoffa for all we know.

[Mike]

It could be. There could be a lot going on in there. But. But like what'd you think if you opened it up was like the gateway to hell?

[Peter Rosenberg]

I don't know.

[Mike]

If you did that, the house would then suddenly be possessed. What are you afraid of?

[Peter Rosenberg]

I just don't know if it was like the way that it was buried there and it was locked up, like whether it was just like too expensive to excavate and.

[Mike]

Well, that might be it.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I don't know.

[Mike]

It's so buried. There was no way to get it out.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It was such a long time. I gotta ask my mom if there's any, any resolution to that.

[Mike]

I had a safe that in the house. It Was. I didn't have it. The house I bought in the. The concrete slab of the basement, the safe was cut into the slab, so it was under a rug. So you pull the rug back, and you saw the top of the safe that was buried in the slab. Now, there's no way to open it unless you had the combination, which it didn't. And to take it out would mean cutting through your. Your foundation, which you don't want to really do that either. So I did nothing. Did you think I should have brought, like, a locksmith in and just opened it?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, yeah, I'm sure a locksmith could have opened it up without the house falling down. That could have been like. Wasn't there a floor safe in casino?

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Like, what if it was like that?

[Mike]

Yeah, this was literally like that. Like a floor, I guess you'd call it a floor. I thought it looked like they cut into the foundation, dug out, put the safe in, and then closed it up around it so you couldn't get that thing out of there. So whatever they were putting in and it was under the rug. So you were literally hiding something. Like, you didn't want anybody to know where this safe was, because normally, like, a safe in the house is just somewhere. Because who's gonna. Like, safes are really heavy. You're not dragging it out of the house. Be trying to steal.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And this was your house.

[Alan]

That's the ho.

[Mike]

Yeah, my house.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Then Peter, doesn't he have to get a locksmith, open that thing?

[Mike]

You think the locksmith has to come and open this thing?

[Alan]

If you can't get it open, it's just.

[Mike]

It's.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, it's your house. And then you sold the house, and now I'm gonna.

[Mike]

I'm gonna spend money on a locksmith to open up something, and it's empty. Then what did I just do?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, then I can't take your Aldo Rivera.

[Mike]

That's what I mean. I don't want to be Heraldo river, but.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But maybe there's, like, tens of thousands of dollars in there.

[Mike]

I don't know. You think somebody that sold the house would leave tens of thousands of dollars in a safe?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Probably not, but they kind of know it's there.

[Mike]

What? Don't you think what I don't want to find is, like, you know, like a. Like a murder weapon. What is this?

[Alan]

Wait. Why wait, you know, like, you don't.

[Mike]

Want to come across something that then opens up this whole can of worms that. I'd rather not know.

[Alan]

That would be interesting.

[Mike]

Now they got to come. Now they got my curiosity. Now they got to do forensics. No, no, no, I'm not interested. Ignorance is bliss. But I can guarantee you that no one left tens of thousands of dollars in this save and just forgot. Right? I think we can feel pretty secure about that.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, but you always find these stories, right, of like somebody went behind a couch and found, like, a Harness Wagner rookie card or something. You never know.

[Mike]

Harness Wagner.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Hornus.

[Mike]

Hornus.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's still a stupid name.

[Alan]

No, listen, no matter how you cut it, it's not great, but Harness and Harness is interesting.

[Mike]

Well, that's the brothers that didn't make it in Major League Baseball.

[Alan]

So you're saying the three brothers were Honus, Harness and Hornus?

[Mike]

Harness was actually a horse. He. He rode horses.

[Peter Rosenberg]

He rode horses.

[Mike]

He raised horses.

[Alan]

And then there's. And then there's Hornets. His.

[Peter Rosenberg]

He was.

[Mike]

He was an actor.

[Alan]

He wrote a lot of things.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Hornets was. Sorry, that's not a name that you say that often. And I screwed up. I'm sorry. I apologize to all the baseball fans out there.

[Alan]

You know what he's doing? Don is now doing. Alan, what you do when you complain about the name drop. He's fighting it instead of saying, it's just great.

[Mike]

I'm learning. I'm learning to just laugh at myself with it. But that was the fact that you went from harness to harness. It did open up. I mean, come on, you got to admit, it did open up opportunities for Peter and I to create characters.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And he was. He was actually a bench.

[Alan]

It's not too soon.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, it's not too soon.

[Alan]

He can get.

[Peter Rosenberg]

He was actually an original bench coach of The Mets. The 62 Mets. And he looked like 106 in the yearbook.

[Mike]

Wait, Honus Wagner was a bench coach for the Mets?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Mike]

Holy. I thought Honus Wagner was long gone before.

[Joe]

No, that was Hornus.

[Mike]

Oh, Hornus was. Hornus was at Yonkers Raceway.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That's what leaning is.

[Alan]

No, that's Harness.

[Mike]

Oh. Harness was at.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It straight.

[Alan]

Hornus went by his performing name. His. Hornus helped create the porn industry.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Right? So one was a baseball player, one road ponies, and then the other one was a pony.

[Mike]

Early.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, early porn, like, is. Because you would. You wouldn't know what you were looking at with, like, late 1800s porn. You know, late teen 1800 porn is, like, modern day, like, Good House Today. Like, look at this woman in the bathing suit. You could see her ankles. How hot? Yeah, just like, look at what is the oldest.

[Mike]

Is there. Is there And I'm. I'm asking out of curiosity, is there, you know, like, this vintage everything, right? Everything. There's. There's the, you know, artifacts that are from millions of years ago. Is there some type of pornography from hundreds of years ago? And don't tell me it's, like, Sanskrit, because I can't imagine, you know, what the hell that is. Like, some type of carvings on a cave. Like, is there something realistic from 300 years ago that would. Would feel like. Like some of the original?

[Peter Rosenberg]

No. The movie Hard Bodies, 1984.

[Mike]

84. Yeah. That seems.

[Peter Rosenberg]

How far you want to go back?

[Mike]

I mean, I'm just curious. Like, you're.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Three years. They're burning people at the stake back then, you think?

[Mike]

Like, not in Salem, they're not. They're burning.

[Peter Rosenberg]

They're killing witches? You know what? I don't know. We never really knew exactly what the witches did to expose themselves, but maybe it was just that they were dabbling in early century porn and they were.

[Mike]

Burned to the stake, and there weren't some men that were like, you know, do we really need to kill them?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Oh, listen, you know, it's funny. They burned him at the stake, but they kept all the evidence.

[Alan]

I'll tell you what, this conversation, guys, makes me feel like I need better help.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You know what? It's not. You're not wrong.

[Mike]

We all need better help.

[Alan]

Yeah, well, good thing I have an ad by BetterHelp. It's okay to struggle. And real strength, it comes from opening up about what you're carrying and doing something about it so you can be at your best for yourself and for everyone in your life. June is men's Mental Health Awareness month, and men today can face immense pressure to perform, to provide, and to keep it all together. So it's no wonder that 6 million men in the US suffer from depression every year.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And.

[Alan]

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[Unknown]

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[Don Hahn]

Thanks for listening to the Don Han and Rosenberg Podcast.

[Alan]

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]

The ESPN New York Beach Bash is back Friday, June 27th at Bar A in Lake Como, New Jersey. Head down to the Jersey Shore and join the Michael K Show and us live starting at 1pm and an appearance from Dpietro, Rothenberg, Bart Carlin and more. We'll have plenty of giveaways for fans in attendance and music from Suit and Mai Tai and Overboard. You must be at least 21 years of age to enter. It's all brought to you by Yingling. Traditional Lager Legends stand the Test of Time, America's number one sportsbook. Go to FanDuel.com to download the app. Wild Fork Meat and Seafood Market and Deep Eddie vodka proudly distilled 10 times. Must be 21 please day drink responsibly. Telling you it's a good time. You know, I've been doing it since the beginning. It's great to see all of our fans out there. But you know, Peter mentioned it earlier. Get get some get some different people, man. Because it's, it's, it's a lot of fun. So if you got the day off, take the day off, hang out. It is such a good time. So we're gonna do everything we can to make it the time of your life. I'm looking forward to it. It looks like the weather's gonna be good. Might be a little warm, but so what?

[Mike]

It's the first one I'm doing for the afternoon show. Like I've done a couple of them as the midday show, you know, the, the opening act, so they say. But this is like the first time it'll be like, you know, the big show. So I'm pretty fired up for this.

[Peter Rosenberg]

So we didn't give it the time. I guess we should, but great job by the Pacers. They forced a Game 7 on Sunday in OKC. Has not been a great series by any stretch of the imagination, but we got a game 7. So can a series be okay and not great if it goes seven? I guess so.

[Alan]

Also, flip side, can it be redeemed and be great if it goes seven and seven is a monster?

[Peter Rosenberg]

I think so. When considering. Even though Allen wasn't overly impressed with the shot, the way game one ended, to have Game seven end in a similar fashion, I think can save how we remember what has been, I think a pretty pedestrian series as far as performances have been concerned and games have been concerned. But Peter, I think you're right. A classic Game seven, I think can really save the series.

[Alan]

Hey, listen, not to be cliche, but it is true. You know, you haven't. I don't think the average fan, unless you're a hardcore, sick NBA fan, the average fan has not been psyched for all of these games. But when you hear the words Game seven, I have a hunch, if you're a sports fan, you're turning on the.

[Mike]

TV for that game Sunday night too. So you'll get the audience right. And one thing you can almost be assure of is it's going to be a close game. Why? Because history tells you it's going to be a close game. The average point differential in NBA game seven, this will be the 20th, believe it or not, it has only been 20. And I think in the last 35 years it's only, it's only had five of them. So we haven't had a lot of these Game seven NBA Finals. But when you do, historically they are single digit final finishes and you know, average scores are like really low. So we're not. This, this is not expected to be a bad game. This could be a game that ends in a epic finish. And so the question is, of course, who do you trust? Because you're right, you had the big finish in game one where the Pacers stole one on a, on a game winning shot with three tenths of a second to go from Halliburton. And just like the Knicks lamented that Game 1 loss in Eastern Conference finals, if you're the Thunder, that that's what you're lamenting because you shouldn't have to play a game seven, but you did because you gave up a game like that on your home floor. So I think Sunday night could be a redeeming game for this finals. We have not had a signature moment yet in this finals. Unless you want to call the game one game winner a signature moment. It didn't feel like one, but I think the signature moment is going to have to come in this game and I imagine it'll come off of a big shot. But last night the dagger shot was at the end of the third quarter. When the hell have you ever had a dagger shot in a third quarter? Like once that shot went down, it was Ben Shepard's three. All right, that's it. Game's over. You've never had that. So this game seven at least it should promise to be a can't miss and it should promise to be a good finish. And the question is, who do you trust late in a game? The home team that played very immature and very young in game six on the road, but they're very good at home? Or a Pacer team that plays great on the road, that has one, a really good clutch player and has been a team that has been hard to kill throughout this entire playoffs that just has found a way every time. Can you really, can you really bet against Indiana even though the home team does win the majority of the time in these guys? I believe in the previous 19, 15 of the 19 were won by home, by the home team.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I'm going to say the Thunder in a route.

[Mike]

Thunder in a route.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And the reason I say that is because, you know, they did play a game seven against Denver.

[Mike]

Yep.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And you could have been nervous and say, well, Denver, you know, they've got championship timber and they were blown right.

[Mike]

Out of the building second quarter. Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And I can see the same thing happening here. They're home, they can sense it. The building's going to be crazy up for grabs, as some might say. And that's kind of how these home games have been with the exception of Game one for the Thunder, the fact that they've already, as good as they are and as dominant as they've been, this is not their first Game seven. If this was their first Game seven, maybe I would agree with you. But they just played a Game seven. It was against Denver that you would think that was a team good enough to take advantage and they were completely blown out. So I don't think this has been a classic series. And I think it's going to end in a very ho hum fashion. Thunder win by, you know, 15 or 20.

[Mike]

So what does it tell you then about Oklahoma City if, if that goes the way you say it's going to go, Don. And I tell you what, I can't deny that it could go that way because you're right. We've already seen them do it before. And Halliburton's really one misstep away from going back to the bench and having an ailing calf, right? He didn't look like he had any issues with it in Game six. But it doesn't mean one false move and that'll trigger it again. Because there was talk before this series about the Thunder being the next dynasty. In fact, I was falling for it too. This team is young. They're not going anywhere. They've got obviously the MVP of the league. You know, Jalen Williams is, is a guy that really feels like a terrific 1B and is also a young guy. You know, could this team just be that they have to be now the team to beat over the next couple of years? Could they become what the spurs became, that kind of quiet team, small market, but just so good and so deep and difficult to beat? Or has this series kind of showed you, I mean, you're down by 31 in game six of the NBA finals. Like, are they maybe not as good as we thought they were? And if they don't win this, this year or that, it doesn't mean they're ever going to be back again. Did they give you any kind of vibe whatsoever as that next IT team in the NBA? Because they were for a little while. But this Finals has told me a different story about them.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Or does it tell you that maybe the Pacers were better than people thought and maybe it should have been respected more? Because that was going to lead me to my next question. Is it fair for a Nick fan to say this could be us?

[Mike]

No, I don't, I don't. I just. I don't see it that way. I think the first thing's true. Indiana is better than you thought they were, or maybe you wanted to admit they were because they're, they. Everything about them matched up better with the Thunder than any other team, right? Depth, three point shooting. Don't, don't discount that. They were drilling threes last night. That's how they opened up the game. They, they hit four threes in the second quarter, went on that run and really opened it up. And every, every moment that the Thunder tried to make a push, there was always just a three that the Pacers hit. So I think their ability to shoot threes, their ability to switch defense, their depth, how good their bench has been, they don't have one star that all you got to do is shut him down and the whole thing falls apart. Their coach has been, I think, the MVP of this whole playoffs. I just think the Pacers matched up well against Oklahoma City with how they're built and how they play. I don't know if the Knicks would have matched up the same, especially where they were at that point in the playoffs and what we saw out of them.

[Alan]

Now, can you feel like if you get the right coach, there's a way to get closer, or are you not putting any of this on Tibbs? You see it surely as a talent situation?

[Mike]

No, I, I, I think there's a little of both. I think it's fair. The more now, the more distance we get from, from tips being fired and the more things we, we're learning about, about the team and about how they, Again, the usage of the bench and all the other things, the style of play, I, I do think it's a lot of everything. I don't think they had a deep enough team to take on a team like the Thunder and the Pacers do. And, and I don't think the Knicks shot the three as well. They turned the ball over too much. It fed into what, what the Thunder want. The Knicks played the Thunder twice this year. The first game I called with Mike Breen in Oklahoma City and the arena was insane. And the game was great. Last four minutes or so, the Thunder did what a home team does. They kind of pulled away, made the plays that mattered, but it was a relatively close game and a good one. The game at the Garden was a blowout. The Thunder came in and just smacked him around. So it's it, you know, which one was the true matchup, Right? Which one was the true measure? I don't know, but I just, I don't think the series would have been as competitive with the Knicks as it is with the with the Pacers. I just think the Pacers, the more we see them, the more we realize there's a lot about them that just matched up right against the Thunder.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Jj, North Carolina, you're on. Don Hanna, Rosenberg.

[Joe]

Hey guys, what's going on? I wanted to ask a pertinent question that I've been wanting to see how you guys would rank this. But before that I just wanted to say I probably won't be able to make it to the beach Bash this year with this. For this I just had a wrist surgery.

[Mike]

Wow.

[Joe]

Yeah, it's, it's been tough but you know, still getting better. Going to see the doctor soon, but we should be. All right. I should be there next year.

[Alan]

All right, we'll give you a pass this year.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yes.

[Joe]

I appreciate it. I just wanted to. I don't think you guys have ever, you know, we've talked about, you know, different playoffs and sports and, and how good each sports playoffs are but I just wanted to see your guys personal rankings of the. Obviously just the four major sports with everything that's going on. It was a great NHL final I think, I think, I think this NBA final, despite everyone not really caring that much. I think it's been a fun basketball series and it's just been really good basketball to watch. I've worked a couple of the games but wanted to see and you know, hockey dons obviously loves hockey but want to see your guys rankings for. What do you guys personally think is the best. The best as far as the top four of what the best sports are for playoffs.

[Mike]

Because you appreciate it guys.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, I appreciate it too, jj.

[Mike]

Thanks for having me talking about this this past year or.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, just overall like who has the best playoffs of the four main Stanley cup playoffs.

[Mike]

There's nothing like it. I feel nothing. It's so difficult, it's so hard. It's so physical. It's exhausting. I find it the most compelling road to a championship that you could have if you wanted to throw college basketball and March Madness, I'll give you that because that's, that's a thrill as well because again it's just, it's so immediate and so fast. But my opinion is is there's nothing like hockey playoffs. Especially when you get to the mountaintop and you raise that cup. There's just something about that journey that I just think is more compelling than anything else.

[Alan]

Yeah. All things equal, like you're into every sport and you've paid attention and you and you know, the players. It's, it's of the major sports. It's the NHL playoffs. I mean, I will say the NFL playoffs can be fantastic.

[Mike]

Oh, yeah. But they can usually isn't right.

[Alan]

But the first weekend usually stinks. If we're being. It's usually pretty bad.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah. Wild card weekend has not lived up to the billing, especially since they added that extra seed. Seems like there's teams that aren't very good. Not good first matchups. NBA usually don't see too many upsets in the first round because of their 1 through 8 format. That's the way it's supposed to be. I don't like the format in the NHL, but with two playing three in the division, you see like when you get a Colorado Dallas first round, I mean those two teams could very easily win the Stanley Cup. One of them is going to be out in the first round. So it adds a tremendous amount of intrigue. I like the baseball playoffs because now that they've went to a best of three wildcard, there is that sense of urgency. And we've seen wild card teams make runs to the World Series. I would basketball be last for me just because you don't see the upsets in the first round. So a lot of it just then you kind of build up. So I probably would have. I would probably rank it hockey, football, baseball, basketball and then hockey, football, baseball, basketball. And now where would you put the NCAA tournament in there?

[Alan]

I don't count it. I think it's a separate thing. The tournament's so different. Like, because when you're dialed in and when there are players that you know and you. There's nothing better. It's that first weekend. The first two weekend. They give you two weekends that are purely money and not two days, four days.

[Mike]

Yep.

[Alan]

For two weekends in a row. But then your pool shattered, your team's eliminated, you know, by the time you get to.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Right.

[Alan]

But you lead eight.

[Mike]

But you never check out though, Pete. Right. Because once if your brackets busted, you're already by the. You you're sweet 16. So you're already at the elite eight. Like, you're already there. And now it's like intrigue of okay, then you get to the final Four. Likes you're already there. Like you're not out after the field of 32. Right. You're not completely busted.

[Alan]

No, no, no, you are.

[Mike]

You're terrible at picking.

[Alan]

Well, no, I recently, I got to tell you, the last few years when I like I used to care so much and I put in all this research and I would always do pretty well over the Last several years, I've been busier. I can't do it. I'm like, you know what? What's the difference? Is there a real difference between my research or not? And I just pick blindly. I'm awful. It actually made a difference.

[Peter Rosenberg]

The research actually kept me think that.

[Alan]

That the dance.

[Mike]

It has to.

[Alan]

I'm shocked though.

[Mike]

I thought, like, who knows what logo you like better. You can't do that.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No.

[Alan]

People are always like, oh, my cat. You know, my girlfriend just picks the name she likes better. It doesn't work for me.

[Mike]

Yeah, yeah. The team colors.

[Don Hahn]

Thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.

[Alan]

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]

Mets trying to snap a six game losing streak. And saw a couple of things on Twitter. Fred Francisco Lindor showed up with his wife's yoga pants on.

[Mike]

What?

[Peter Rosenberg]

I don't know if you've seen it kind of looks like.

[Mike]

No, I just said that.

[Peter Rosenberg]

What's that?

[Mike]

That's what I said in the, in the group chat. That I just was making a joke, Don, because they. They certainly look like that.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Oh, I'm reading it. Yeah, I thought, because that's what it looked like.

[Mike]

That was me. Because when you look at these pants, John, I could tell you right now, I know you'd never put these on.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, I did. They're like jeans, but bell bottoms.

[Mike]

I didn't think they look like jeans.

[Peter Rosenberg]

They look like tie dyed.

[Mike]

But just.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I know, I'm happy because it just shows that, like they're not panicking, I guess that they still can have a sense of humor about everything that's going on. But when I read the timeline here that Anthony sent, I thought he was giving me. I thought it was a little bit more detail. He was wearing his wife's flame bottom yoga pants. But that was just your observation.

[Mike]

No, that was just me because I think my wife has a very similar pair of pants like this. All it says is it's the MLB app and it says that Lindor pulled up to Philly with one of his freshest fits yet.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Mike]

Raise your hand if you could give a damn about what players are wearing to get.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, I don't. You know, I don't care about that.

[Mike]

Why do we do this every sport? Now the guys are walking in the arena, it's like, check this outrageous outfit out. Isn't this great? Also, doesn't that look awesome? No, it doesn't.

[Alan]

Also, let me. Let Me tell you who I'm apparently not going to be going to for my fashion advice. The MLB social media account, because not feeling Francisco's pants. Got to tell you, not feeling them.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, it does tell me that maybe the mood isn't grim there.

[Mike]

All right. You think he's just goofing off?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah. Trying to keep it lighthearted a little bit. Hey, we're not. We're not panicking here, guys. We'll be okay. I don't know. Maybe I'm just grasping at straws. I don't know. But the one. One thing that for sure that should be taken seriously is the. The Sean Mania rehab stint where he retired 14 consecutive batters. That is not nothing.

[Mike]

That's good. But it's still. He's probably. It's still looking like early July, right?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, but I'm just saying he's looking good because there was a. There was an outing where we didn't look so good. So you're doing this for a reason. So it looks like he might be ready to go out there and be a part of this run. That's why I can't get overly panicky, because they are getting pitchers that were supposed to be 2 and 3 in their rotation. Right. It was supposed to be. Sanga was going to be your. Your ace, and then it was going to be Mania based on what he did last year. Montas, I guess, was going to be year three. And then it was going to be probably Peterson and Holmes, considering Holmes was getting stretched out from being a closer to now being a starter. And so now you got not. Not a rotation that reeks of, like, spending a ton of money, but a good enough rotation. You lose, you lose three fifths of that. Right now you're hoping to get two of it back, actually four, because McGill's out. He was a guy that kind of replaced. But Peterson's been able to stay healthy outside of the last couple of outings. Not giving you very much length. I think Clay Holmes experiment has worked out. You're able to add these two guys and Senga comes off the IL and back to 100%. You know, now we're in business. Just don't want to dig yourself too big of a hole. And that's why they're just trying to find a way to stay afloat here.

[Mike]

Going through all this, in reality, is the other side of the trade deadline. Really the most important part of the season, would you say right past July 31st. Right. So you want to. If you're going to add pieces at the deadline. And sometimes you're adding players that were on your roster but didn't get healthy till the other side of the deadline.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Right, right.

[Mike]

And that's kind of what you're looking for. July is the chance for Maniah and Montas, two guys that you thought were going to be with. With Senga at the very top of your rotation, you've gotten away with some things with Griffin, Canning and a few others. You know, Clay Holmes was somebody. I think they wanted to be a starter, but I didn't even want to be a number two or number three starter.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, no, no. I think he was going to be at least to start your fifth.

[Mike]

So the whole idea is to get into a rhythm, if you can, with Manaya, Montas, and. Well, I guess Senga is. Is. We don't know what's going to happen there.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No. Well, hopefully it's not too bad.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Let's go to Joe and Chappaqua. You're on Don, Han and Rosenberg.

[Joe]

Hey, guys, I gotta ask. What is Boone doing with these nicknames?

[Mike]

I mean, leave for Weaver. I mean, Boony. Yeah, Boony. But what is he gonna do if there's, like, a Gaylord Perry on the team?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Gay. Gay. No. Well, at least he didn't say weaving. He just said weave.

[Mike]

You call him gayster?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Listen, you know what? I don't even want to get on. I don't even want to get on Aaron about it. I mean, this goes back to Girardi, right? Alan Gerard used to do it.

[Mike]

He used to do it all the time. Yeah, that's a. It's a sports thing. Everybody has a sort of nickname, I guess. But it is kind of funny, though. He. He does. Like, everybody has one. Nobody ever is just, like, their straight name.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I know we're up against it, but I'm just curious. Adam on Long Island. You're on espn.

[Alan]

No, go for it.

[Adam]

Yeah. I had a couple of comments about what you were talking about before, about vintage porn and things locked in safes. I used to be in the estate auction business, and in the 1800s, the Japanese would do a lot of woodblock prints and things like that. It's not just, like, naked women and stuff like that, because everybody did that. No, there were actual sexual acts from, like, the early 1800s. Guys having very large.

[Mike]

Okay. Numbers. Totally understood. Wow.

[Adam]

And as far as things locked in safes, we used to do abandoned safe deposit box auctions, and there was a whole lot of stuff in there. And if you give me the address of the safe where you used to live. I will go there right now.

[Mike]

Adam, I don't feel. I don't feel very comfortable giving you an address.

[Alan]

Are you sure?

[Adam]

No, no, no. I mean, we used to do safe deposit box auctions. There was jewelry in there. We had one once that had three quarters of a million dollars of jewelry. It was an abandoned safe deposit box. Did the person go to jail? Did they die? And nobody in the family knew?

[Mike]

That's a safe deposit box? Yeah, that's a. That's a totally different story than, you know, a safe that's in the foundation of a house that was bought from somebody who lived there. It's probably. It was clearly their safe, and I'm sure they made sure it was empty before they left. They just didn't tell me it was there. I just found it on my own.

[Adam]

It's not for sure that it's not for sure because people would think the same thing about the safe deposit box. Everybody in the family should know that you have a safe deposit box, but many people don't know. People hide stuff all over the place.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It is possible something could have been in there, Al and it just gotten, you know, was. Was forgotten about or, you know, it would have been worth doing. I mean, how much does it cost to get a safe opened? It was your house. You weren't breaking into anything.

[Mike]

Yeah. Interesting.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You never know. You know. You know what's interesting as well, Ennis? And it's next Friday, Rosenberg on espn.

[Alan]

Oh, you know what, though? Before I even get to that, I want to talk to you guys about something that's called FanDuel. You familiar? I think you are. FanDuel is the best place to get on all the MLB action. From hits to total bases to home runs, they've got a lineup filled with all your favorite wagers. Or if pitching is more your thing, FanDuel has a deep bullpen of bets from strikeouts to shutout innings. Either way, don't get caught looking. Join today new customers get started with $200 in bonus bets if your first $5 bet wins. How about the Yankees tonight with Freed on the hill? Just visit FanDuel.com Peter to step up to the plate. That's FanDuel.com Peter for your chance to score $200 in bonus bets. Make every moment more with FanDuel. Official partner of Major League Baseball. 21 over and physically present. New York first online real money wager only. Five dollars. First deposit required. Bonus issues now. Withdrawable bonus bets that expire seven days after receipt. Restrictions apply. See [e-mail], robot with the gambling problem. Call 8778- OPEN. Yes 46737. What? Okay, 467-369.

[Don Hahn]

Thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.

[Mike]

I don't want to know how the sausage is made, but I just want to know it's good.

[Don Hahn]

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.