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- [00:01]
A
Talk about stepping up.
- [00:02]
B
Bang, bang.
- [00:04]
A
It's time to level up your game. Introducing the all new ESPN app. All of ESPN all in one place. Your home for the most live sports and the best championship moments.
- [00:15]
B
The electricity is palpable.
- [00:17]
A
Step up your game. With no annual contract required. It's the ultimate fan experience. Level up. For More on the ESPN app or at stream.espn.com sign up now.
- [00:31]
B
This is the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.
- [00:35]
A
That sounds like heaven to me.
- [00:36]
B
Listen live weekday afternoon starting at 3 on 8 80, ESPN, the ESPN New York app and your smart speakers.
- [00:44]
A
Game time is brought to you by Tullibore Dew Irish Whiskey. Because when it's game time.
- [00:51]
B
It'S Tony time.
- [00:52]
A
It's Tolly time. Rangers open up their season against the Penguins coverage right here after dan grass on 880 at 7:30. Yankees look to keep their season alive against the Blue Jays in Game 3. That game can be heard on 1050 following Mariners, Tigers and then on 880 following Ranger coverage. And they're still in a rain delay in Detroit. Tigers and the Mariners. That's the only series where we've seen a split that series even a game apiece as they shift the scene to Detroit. So everybody else is up 2.
- [01:22]
B
Oh, if the other game does begin on FS1, where would the Yankee game be moved to?
- [01:29]
A
That's a good question because the game's going to start at 8 and the weather here is gorgeous. Right. So I. They're going to have to have a. Now the question is, who's there?
- [01:38]
B
Like alternative table, but other than FS1.
- [01:42]
A
Do they move Tigers, Mariners to the alternative?
- [01:47]
B
Well, who starts first? That's the thing. If, if it's still raining and it's 808 and the Yankees are going to throw, what is it? Eight, not 808 is the ranger.
- [01:57]
A
No, 808. It's the same deal for Yankees.
- [02:01]
B
Yeah.
- [02:02]
A
Now I gotta find out where that game is going to be because I don't know what the alternative there Is there an FS1, 2, FS2? I don't know. They must, they must have something.
- [02:12]
B
I'm looking to see if there's any indication of it here because now clearly, because we're at five, that game could still.
- [02:19]
A
Well, they got started yet and you know, I think the game's got a chance to go more than three hours. So it's a legit question you ask. But they haven't even put up like this because I'm watching it on FS1 here, not like all the games gonna start a certain time. They haven't even put that up yet. But although every time they show the stands I don't see any rain. So I don't know what's going on. And believe it or not, we've got some afternoon hockey as the Panthers and the Blackhawks are about to get underway on espn. So we got a lot going on Tullamore Dew, the original triple distilled, triple blended and triple cast matured Iris Whiskey. Be sure to grab a Tullamore Dew or the new Tullimore Due honey during today's action. Glasses up to enjoying Tullamore Due responsibly. So I think there's enough to feel good about the Yankees chances. Bieber getting the chance to pitch. It's only the sixth time, I think the seventh time he'll start. He was four and two with an Ironman average over three and a half since coming back from Tommy John and they, they went out and acquired him at the deadline and he's a veteran and he's going to go up against Rodin who won 18 games this year and was terrific in an elimination game last week against the Red Sox. So the venue changes, the venue flips. So the Yankees just survive in advance. Man, get to tomorrow any way humanly possible. Now, in case you're just joining us and people get out of work at 5 o', clock, the lineup has not changed. So Grisham, despite all the strikeouts and a.125 batting average, is leading off with Judge second, Bellinger third playing left field. Rice is going to clean up play first. So no Goldschmidt, even though righties do have good numbers against Bieber. Stanton, he struggled as well. Just 222 in the postseason with just two RBIs. Grisham, McMahon, Volpe and Wells right now in the lineup, their best offensive player has been Bellinger with a home run and four RBIs. Now Judge has the.571 batting average in the postseason and the.444 batting average in the series. But he's only got the the one overall RBI in the postseason. Also committed an error in the game, but it didn't matter. The game ended up being a blowout anyway. But that's what you're looking at.
- [04:25]
B
So you got some of Boone yet? Did we get Boone pre or is that from the other. That from yesterday?
- [04:30]
A
That's from yesterday.
- [04:31]
B
This is only a few minutes ago, so it's still pretty fresh. Just from Brian Hogue.
- [04:35]
A
Go ahead.
- [04:36]
B
Boone on keeping the same lineup he Said I just believe in this group a lot. This is our lineup that had a chance to do the most damage while also having my right handed guys on the bench that are real threats for their lefty specialists too.
- [04:53]
A
Right. So Goldschmidt there.
- [04:55]
B
So he, he's keeping him in the holster on keeping Ben Rice in over Goldschmidt despite Shane Bieber's splits, as you said, against the righties. And he said Boone brought up the threat of Benny. Okay, yeah, yeah. He's banking on Rice to have a quote, a real chance to really wreck the game.
- [05:21]
A
All right, well, let's see it. Is it wreckable?
- [05:24]
B
I love this guy.
- [05:25]
A
Or are you not getting the pitching?
- [05:26]
B
He's. He really is. You would love to play for this. This guy. Like how would you not, Mr. Optimism.
- [05:33]
A
But this is, this is the overall philosophy.
- [05:35]
B
I always say this about you when I talk about like shows and I saw it's the threat of Don.
- [05:39]
A
Oh, that's nice of you.
- [05:40]
B
You never know. If I push the right button, suddenly he just detonates.
- [05:46]
A
You do use me in that capacity sometimes of, you know, you know, dance for me.
- [05:51]
B
I try to facilitate your grace. No, but I am John.
- [05:54]
A
I try to do for you.
- [05:55]
B
I am John Stockton. I just. There it is. Yeah, slam it down alone.
- [06:00]
A
It's fat ass. Really good. Entertaining, but. But, but. Never won, unfortunately. But still really good.
- [06:06]
B
I mean. Yeah, you're right.
- [06:09]
A
You could have went.
- [06:12]
B
You don't like Stockton.
- [06:14]
A
No, listen, Stockton, the greatest six men.
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B
In the history of the game.
- [06:16]
A
Absolutely, absolutely.
- [06:18]
B
Do you remember who used to pass the ball to Michael Jordan?
- [06:21]
A
Well, depending on the.
- [06:22]
B
Of course you don't.
- [06:23]
A
Sometimes it was Paxton. Right. Then there was Kerr.
- [06:28]
B
Jake wants me to use magic. And Kareem could have been magic. Kareem could have kept in New York. Ewan and Starks. I am more like Magic. Like all the, like the, the young buck all excited and Don's like the captain. Don's like Kareem, like looking at me like, kid, give me a break, all right? Been here before.
- [06:47]
A
I would never be.
- [06:48]
B
Dial it down. You're a little too enthusiastic.
- [06:51]
A
I might do that to Peter, but I would never do that to you.
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B
He's letting you know the offense runs through him.
- [06:57]
A
Pass him the ball, get it down post.
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B
Yeah. Skyhook. Tried and true. Works every time.
- [07:02]
A
So there's the explanation on the lineup.
- [07:05]
B
All right. Does that do you buy?
- [07:06]
A
Listen, I don't. That sounds like the standard. You know, I believe in my guys.
- [07:13]
B
Is what he said.
- [07:14]
A
I guess Grisham won three in the.
- [07:16]
B
Series, three for 20.
- [07:17]
A
Killed him in game one against the Red Sox because he didn't go with his traditional lineup. He got all caught up in the analytics. Right. This is their lineup with it, minus Goldschmidt.
- [07:26]
B
This is your team.
- [07:27]
A
But you get Goldschmidt coming off the bench, and if there's a key moment, one, one tie, they got a lefty. And then you get Goldschmidt hits a home run. It all worked out. But survive in advance. Mike in Connecticut thinks he's got the recipe for success. What do you got, buddy? Hi, Mike.
- [07:42]
C
Thanks for taking my call.
- [07:43]
A
Always.
- [07:46]
C
So I think the goal for today, and I missed the beginning of the show, so I don't know if you guys touched on this, but you got to get three clean innings out of Rodin early. If Rodin can shut them down for at least the first few innings and give the Yankees a chance to get through that lineup once and put something up on the board, I think you're going to see a very different team. I think if the Yankees go down early, before they score, I think they might be in trouble. But I think if they can score first, I think you're going to see some. Some life in that team because they've been punched in the mouth pretty early in both of these first two games. Yeah, I will say. Go ahead.
- [08:22]
A
I was going to say kind of along those lines. What we did talk about earlier, Mike, and let your finish. Your point is you'd love to just be able to have Rodin to Williams to Bednar.
- [08:33]
B
That.
- [08:33]
A
That's. You don't want to have to find. You know, you don't want to see Weaver, you don't want to see Cruz. Like, you don't want to have an inning where it's somebody other than those three. So whether it's taxing Rodon a little more or asking Williams and Bednar to do more than they expect you'd like, I think the recipe is that those are the only three guys that pick.
- [08:56]
B
It's amazing because with Rodin, like, you really do need to get him through.
- [09:02]
A
Six, then maybe you can mix and match Williams.
- [09:06]
B
And again, we asked this earlier. We don't. Just for the. For the new audience. I just don't think you. You cannot be quick hook in this one, even if he's. Because, look, Carlos Rodan, there's two things that you'll deal with with him. Sometimes early, he's a little off. First inning, he'll be dripping in sweat. You know, 18 pitches and you got to just live through it. Then he settles in and then he gets to a rhythm. And then usually, like later on, then all of a sudden it starts. The wheels fall off with him.
- [09:39]
A
Right.
- [09:39]
B
I just think there's got to be a number, a deficit that you can live with and keep him in because he's still better than going to. I mean, Weaver's got to be off the table. Can't be available tonight, no way. But Cruz, anybody else that you could think of before Devin Williams, I would rather have Rodon fighting it than bring somebody in and not know what am I getting out of this guy. The box of chocolates coming out of the bullpen these days?
- [10:10]
A
What else you got, Mike?
- [10:13]
C
Well, yeah, I was. I was gonna say that, like, you, as much as they can't go down early, you also, like you guys are saying, have to ride them because who else do you go, right? Like, all the long guys have been bad.
- [10:24]
B
So give me a number. How many. Let me ask you this. How many run deficit are you willing to accept and say, no, he's staying in.
- [10:35]
C
I.3.43. I don't. I don't see how. What. The way this offense has looked, how they come back from three early.
- [10:46]
B
But. But again, if it's. If it's eight, you have no chance, right?
- [10:51]
C
Yeah.
- [10:52]
A
Well, it depends, I guess. Three with a couple of runners on where like, all of a sudden you can't afford to have.
- [10:58]
B
Just get out of the inning, right? Figure it out.
- [10:59]
A
Because I can't have what happened the other night, right? Where five nothing becomes nine nothing, and now it's over. Right. You can't have three nothing become six nothing, three nothing become five nothing. This, this is an offense in Yankee Stadium that should be dangerous. They could be every bit as dangerous as the Blue Jays. They've got good offensive players. They've got Judge, they've got belling. Right. They've got offense in baseball. So then they hit the most home runs in baseball.
- [11:26]
B
Yeah.
- [11:26]
A
So I don't want to say there should be no deficit, but I think you got a little leash to where. Listen, if they're going to hit awful, they're not winning. But to ask a team with 12 outs to go in a game to come back from three nothing down or four one down, that's not asking a lot to do. All right.
- [11:43]
B
Phillies almost did it last night.
- [11:45]
A
Blue Jays have a good bullpen. Not the nasty boys, okay? You can get to them. And it's about time they do. And then once you do and once it starts to flow Then you could start seeing a way of getting beyond just trying to extend it by a game.
- [11:58]
B
And Shane Bieber in his seven starts during the regular season, coming back from Tommy John. So coming back from Tommy John, you would think a lot of times with Tommy John, guys, you're probably not going to get a lot of length out of them right in the beginning.
- [12:10]
A
Right.
- [12:10]
B
But he's, he's been between, you know, 80 to 98 pitches in all of his outings. So it's not like they have to worry about him or baby him. You know, there's no, there's no concern about, well, he's just coming back from an injury. There's, you know, they're going to, if he's feeling it, they're going to let him go because they don't want to go to their bullpen. We know this. So that's the other part of it. Can they get to Bieber early, get on him, put pressure on him and make Schneider now make a decision of whether or not he wants to keep going with Shane Bieber? Because, you know, that's a big part of this, too, is what are the Yankees. What can the Yankees do to flip the game and now take advantage of it by getting to their bullpen?
- [12:55]
A
Ryan? That's going to be the key. Dan in Saratoga, you're on ESPN New York. What's up, Dan?
- [13:01]
C
Hey, what's going on, guys? How you doing?
- [13:03]
A
Good.
- [13:04]
C
Hey, I have a Yankees comment. I have an important question to ask you guys. If I can I le Yankees, basically. I think this is how it's going to go. I'm a Yankees fan, but I think we're going to lose tonight. And if judge goes one for three or over four, I think it's going to get super duper loud for him this offseason, no matter how many hits he has so far. But I just, I don't see it. I don't see the. I just don't see it, man. I think we're getting outplayed.
- [13:31]
B
So much pessimism.
- [13:33]
C
I know just how I feel.
- [13:37]
B
Every caller today, there's been a lot of pessimism.
- [13:40]
A
I can't. Well, you got outscored 23 or 9.
- [13:45]
B
Doesn't that feel like, so ridiculous, though, being, like, giving up 23 runs when you're watching it is painful and frustrating. But then when you look back at the box scores and you see the numbers like, each in the innings and you look at, you're like that, that's, that's ridiculous. Like, this isn't going to this is not typical. They don't. I know they've had their number this year. They don't own them like this.
- [14:07]
A
Let me. Let's be honest, okay?
- [14:09]
B
They scored 10 runs. If they scored 10 runs tonight, Don, like, like, I don't even know.
- [14:16]
A
They could. Listen, the script flipped.
- [14:19]
B
I've got to tell you what I would do tomorrow on the air, but I can't even think of something.
- [14:24]
A
All right, well, because then you got to go through it again tomorrow because it does have the field off. You can win tonight. They got an open tomorrow.
- [14:30]
B
No, I'm saying if the Blue jays score another 10 runs.
- [14:32]
A
Another 10 runs, then tonight, double digits.
- [14:36]
B
In each game, right?
- [14:40]
A
How do you just say, oh, well, listen, we didn't have coal and we're just going to run it back. That would be tough to do. But the pessimism. I understand you're supposed to have hope, right? Supposed to be a fan. You're supposed to believe. But honestly, what do you want these fans to grab onto? Because it's not just this series. It was all year with the Blue Jays. They couldn't beat the Blue Jays. Now, they did beat them at home, but overall they won the season series. They had the same record. The Blue Jays had home field. Why? Because they had the tiebreaker. They won the season series. They won eight of nine games in Toronto. You're going to have to go back to Toronto for a game five. So even if you believe they can take care of business at Yankee Stadium, you still got to win Game 5 in Toronto, a place you can't win. Crucible. This team, you know, almost didn't get past Boston. The Yankee fans have been negative a lot this year. They've seen this. You saw it, Alan, in August when the team was struggling, not being able to hit, kicking the ball around like so I think a lot of Yankee fans are like, well, this is kind of how this team has been in the postseason forever. We've seen them struggle against the Blue Jays all year. And now you want me to just blindly believe that they're going to win three in a row in advance? I can understand a Yankee fan being negative now. That's why I don't even think about that. If I'm a Yankee fan, I'm just thinking, can I win tonight? And the answer is, yes, you can win tonight. And if you do that, well, then tomorrow they've got an opener and you've got some momentum. And Schlitler was fantastic last week and now maybe a force a game five. And even Though you never win in Toronto, they're going to feel it. This Toronto team that has never won anything in 30 some odd years, right, since Joe Carter's home run, you don't think that they're going to be soiling themselves having to go back to Toronto for a game five, thinking, oh my God, we're going to do it again. So don't think about games four and five. Just win tonight and it is doable to do that. And then we'll assess where we stand tomorrow. That's where the positivity. But if you're going to get clogged up in your mind of winning this series after you just got out, scored 23 to 9, it seems like fantasy. So don't think about that. Think about what's doable, and that's tonight. Because game four and five right now is a fantasy. It doesn't exist. It's a myth. Unless you win tonight. And winning tonight is not nearly the impossibility that winning three in a row is. So come on, man, focus on that. Survive in advance, right? That's all it is. I don't know.
- [17:08]
B
I can't believe. Like I said, the pessimism really is surprising.
- [17:12]
A
It's crazy with the fan base, right.
- [17:14]
B
Look, the Rodin thing is one thing, but you know, the caller brought up something earlier that, you know, I had the, the numbers down here as we talk about Judge and what you expect him to do and how he's like a star catalyst for the Blue Jays has been who, Vlad Guerrero?
- [17:33]
A
Yeah, big time.
- [17:33]
B
And now again, there was all the negative stuff between Guerrero and his feelings towards the Yankee organization from years ago when they were supposed to sign his dad and then they ended up reversing course. By the way, George Steinbrenner was very much involved in that because he was a big Gary Sheffield guy and he decided to go that direction. So the Guerreros felt put off. And so Vlad Jr. Has always had felt a certain way about the Yankees. He's starting off this series so far 6 for 9 with two home runs, including that unbelievable grand slam, like he knew the pitch was coming, right. And then six RBI total. Right. So he's already on a heater. But his, his career numbers against Rodin. He's very good, hitting.588, 10 of 17. He's got a home run. He also has three doubles, five RBIs, four walks, 21 plate appearances. That's all he's done. Now, I'm not good at math, but I've got 17 at bats, 10 hits four walks. So 14 out of 21 plate appearances, he's on base.
- [18:42]
A
Wow.
- [18:43]
B
Is that good?
- [18:44]
A
That's very good.
- [18:45]
B
It's insane.
- [18:45]
A
That's insane.
- [18:46]
B
So needless to say. Needless to say, when Radon's pitching, he kind of has a pretty good feel for him, right?
- [18:54]
A
Yes.
- [18:55]
B
Something to watch tonight. Does he have his kind of fu. Moment to the Yankees tonight in the Bronx?
- [19:03]
A
Well, he's got a chance. And that's all you're asking for is a chance. Now, thanks to Andrew Marchand. He did the work. Tigers, Mariners. If it runs into Yankees, Blue Jays, Tigers, Mariners will shift to FS2.
- [19:17]
B
Wow.
- [19:17]
A
And the Yankees will begin on FS1. So no matter what happens, no matter when Tigers, Mariners begins, so there is an FS2, they will start on FS1. And then Tigers, Mariners will shift FS2, which makes sense because that's. The bigger audience is going to be the Yankees.
- [19:33]
B
Now, you don't think Cal Raleigh, the expected mvp, is a big draw and.
- [19:38]
A
Detroit's a pretty big market, but it's still the Yankees.
- [19:40]
B
Listen, if this.
- [19:42]
A
There's a reason why this game was 408 and the Yankees Blue Jays were 808, they wanted on FS1.
- [19:48]
B
At the risk of echoing you about the Chiefs being 03, is there a place where baseball does not want to see the Yankees get swept Here? You saw the numbers from the wild card, right? The TV numbers?
- [20:04]
A
Yeah.
- [20:05]
B
Seven million people watch.
- [20:07]
A
Yankees, Red Sox.
- [20:08]
B
Yeah.
- [20:09]
A
No, they want. Of course they want the Yankees and they want the Dodgers in, too.
- [20:12]
B
If you remove the Yankees from the. From the equation and the Phillies are already facing like they might be out, what are we doing?
- [20:20]
A
Well, let me ask you, just so.
- [20:21]
B
I don't get Blue Jays, Mariners again, Tigers got, bless them, games. Don't I know that the Dodgers are still going to be able to carry the day? And maybe that's what you, you know, you. You lean on. But you got to get more than three out of the New York market in the aoa.
- [20:37]
A
This is why I was being performative with the chief stuff. All right, who goes to the playoff? What? Two teams in baseball go to the playoffs every year over the last, like, 20 years.
- [20:48]
B
Well, the Yankees do.
- [20:49]
A
Yankees and Dodgers.
- [20:50]
B
Yeah. Well, The Dodgers less. 10. Less. All right.
- [20:52]
A
But in that, since 15 years, the ownership change, this was the first time the Yankees played the Dodgers, yet they go to the playoffs every time.
- [20:59]
B
Yeah.
- [21:00]
A
Two years ago, we were, I would say, sentenced to a Ranger Diamondback World Series.
- [21:08]
B
Yes.
- [21:09]
A
So if they could. Jimmy, switch this, we Wouldn't have to live through a Diamondback Ranger World Series.
- [21:16]
B
That they're going to force.
- [21:17]
A
They want the Yankees to advance, but they won't do anything about it.
- [21:20]
B
No, no, that's not what I'm saying. I'm not saying that. Do anything about it. What I'm saying is, is that again, as we always like to joke about, you know, we always say this about at the NBA, we say an Olympic tower. Like when you're like, the league itself is like not even a league. It's more of. I think it would be Fox, Kobe. This series can't be over already because when you said to me, Tigers, Mariners, I'm like, oh, my God.
- [21:48]
A
And they got the possibility. Listen, they want all.
- [21:52]
B
With everything starting up now. Come on.
- [21:55]
A
Well, who's. But more than that, More than that, I think they want all their series to go five, and then when they go to the best of seven, go seven. Because even though there isn't a lot of love for Mariners, Tigers, if all of a sudden there's a game five in that series, people are going to be interested because it is the elimination game. That's what makes these things fun.
- [22:12]
B
This needs to be a dramatic series. This needs to be a series that the Yankees do come back in. Whatever happens in game five is game five. Right. But it just needs to be because baseball needs this to be a good series. Phillies Dodgers should have had some emotion in it, too. And last night the Phillies gave it away like they had a chance.
- [22:31]
A
But those games were both good.
- [22:32]
B
They were good games.
- [22:32]
A
So you want more of that, you.
- [22:34]
B
Got to get more sizzle out of it. But this series can't end in a whimper where they lose 10 to 1 again, like, my God, like what. It would almost be a rumor that the Yankees were in the. In the alds.
- [22:46]
A
That would be quick.
- [22:47]
B
You got to get something out of this for the sport needs this to have some drama. The Blue Jays have an underlying hatred for the Yankees. You can see it in all their faces. There's something more here that needs to be tapped into. The Yankees can't just disappear like a ghost without any type of confrontation. It's better for the sport. Gotta see it.
- [23:11]
A
Yeah. Because right now just want to look at the schedule for tomorrow.
- [23:17]
B
Tomorrow games?
- [23:18]
A
Yeah, tomorrow's games.
- [23:20]
B
You got the.
- [23:21]
A
So tomorrow you're. You've got four games.
- [23:24]
B
Yeah, well, the Yankees will play if.
- [23:28]
A
The Yankees have to win. Get to that.
- [23:30]
B
Four, Phillies, Dodgers.
- [23:31]
A
Right.
- [23:31]
B
Game three.
- [23:33]
A
So. But there's the potential that tomorrow, like if the. If the Dodgers win and the brewers win, then there'll be no baseball tomorrow.
- [23:42]
B
No, no, no. The Phillies don't play today.
- [23:45]
A
No, I'm saying tomorrow.
- [23:47]
B
Tomorrow there's four games.
- [23:48]
A
Yeah, we don't. There may not be a Yankee game.
- [23:51]
B
Oh, right.
- [23:51]
A
But I'm saying there's four games.
- [23:53]
B
Okay, but those.
- [23:55]
A
Chicago.
- [23:56]
B
Yep.
- [23:57]
A
The Yankees won't play. Won't play on the ninth. So you're going to be looking at the possibility of Thursday not having any baseball.
- [24:04]
B
No games on Thursday.
- [24:05]
A
I mean, they don't want that. They don't want empty nights in the playoffs.
- [24:08]
B
Not yet.
- [24:09]
A
And then there's going to be Thursday Night Football, if anybody cares to see the Giants get destroyed by Philadelphia. And then if the Yankees are gone, all they could be left with is Detroit and Seattle for Friday, you know, so one game in two days, that's not what you're looking for.
- [24:24]
B
Thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.
- [24:27]
A
I didn't listen to anything you just said.
- [24:29]
B
Catch the show on demand whenever you want. Just subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts.
- [24:37]
A
All right, Aaron Boone has spoken. We gave you some of the words on why he went with the same lineup. You can hear it right from the horse's mouth here. Speaking before the big Game 3 at the stadium, Yankees needing to win to force a game for tomorrow, Boone on facing elimination.
- [24:53]
D
You know, I trust in these guys and their preparation and readiness and confidence that they're going to walk out there regardless of result. You know, we're walking out there tonight expecting to win a game and expecting to be successful. And that's as far as our focus is, though right now, it's just keeping it small. Go out there, win pitches, win innings, and hopefully force it to tomorrow.
- [25:15]
A
That's all you can do. In Austin, Wells catching, batting ninth. The mindset of the team facing elimination.
- [25:20]
E
Same as it was last week, we got to win today. And the real only focus is going out there at 8 o' clock and doing what we can to, you know, get Bieber off the mound as quickly as we can and put up a lot of runs so that, you know, Carlos can go out there and do what he does best.
- [25:33]
A
All right, how about the advantages of playing Yankee Stadium? Austin playing here?
- [25:37]
E
I think, you know, it's one of the hardest places to play as an opponent. So you got the fans, the aura of the stadium working against you. So for us, you know, we have all the confidence that we can, can win every game, but especially when we're here, you know, we got the Fans behind us and, you know, the energy that they bring and the energy that we have being at home, I definitely feel like it helps us and it's helped us, you know, throughout the year as well.
- [25:57]
A
So Wednesday and Thursday, Alan, they were in this exact same spot.
- [26:03]
B
Yep.
- [26:03]
A
At home against elimination.
- [26:05]
B
A far more flawed team, though, so.
- [26:08]
A
True. What I'm just saying is, is that in the third. The third time in what, five days, they are going to be facing elimination in their own building and they're two and.
- [26:17]
C
Oh.
- [26:18]
A
So they can't say they're not used to this. All right. This feeling is the same as it was last Wednesday and Thursday. Yeah, you're right. The opponent's different and they could have very easily won game one against Boston. And they were blowout losses in Toronto. So, yeah, it's a different set of circumstances, but they are going to face elimination for the third time in less than a week, so they should be used to it. All right. They've kind of gone through it here.
- [26:43]
B
Yeah, yeah, it's. Again, you just expect to get their best. They look terrible in Toronto. They've. They've had these moments during the season where they've looked really bad. They've had meetings and talked about it and gotten the. Gotten themselves right. All the things that. This is definitely that cliche time, but all that matters is just get out there and do it now.
- [27:04]
A
The other difference between the two series is that you're not going to see the Blue Jays play this game as a must win the way the Red Sox did in game two of their series. Even though they'll be at a disadvantage tomorrow, similar to the Red Sox and having an opener, they've got a much wider opportunity to win than Boston did. Boston knew if they didn't win game two, they were probably cooked and Cora was right, so he managed it that way and the Yankees were able to take advantage of it. That won't be the case here. Blue Jays lose. I'm not saying they're all right with it. They don't want to leave the door open for them, but they're not going to feel that same sense of urgency that Boston felt. They treated that game, too, as if they were facing elimination because they knew the disadvantages of now facing elimination the next night. Here, the Blue Jays have to lose three in a row, so it'll be managed a little bit different.
- [27:57]
B
I just think you got to see something out of the offense. This has got to be a five run, you know, type of game for this team. Yeah, like you got they got to put some numbers on the board. Well, the caller said like, you know, almost strike early, get the crowd going, something like that. But it is, it definitely feels like while Carlos Rodon is going to feel pressure because of where he, you know, first of all, an offense that he's trying to slow down. But I also think the Yankee offense has to come to life because they weren't up until late in game two. They weren't good offensively and that can take off like the other team can hit the ball and stay hot. But if you also are scoring runs, you got to be able to keep pace. Now, again, I don't see them getting to 10. That's an insane pace that they were on. I mean, come on, 23 runs in two games is ridiculous. And they did 18 of those runs, as we said, in a seven inning stretch between games one and two. I cannot see that continuing. But the Yankee bats. The story to me should be about that tonight.
- [29:05]
A
And this is interesting, Boone on the personality of the 2025 team compared to Yankees of 2024.
- [29:12]
D
Man, I thought last, last year's group came together well, you know, you always go into spring training, look, it's not everything, right? You can have years where there's some angst and everyone's not clicking or simpatico with each other and that's okay too. I mean, you prefer the other way where guys are super close. I feel like this group has built a real bond with one another. I think I felt that way about last year's club too. These guys trust each other a lot. They lean on each other a lot. They communicate really well with one another, like especially in game stuff that they share with one another, are constantly talking through, no matter what's going on. They do a really good job of that. And you know what? Going into every season in spring training, it's always kind of my sappy dream that you want to, you want to be on a team where you want it for the guy next to you more than you want it for yourself. And I feel like this team has achieved that with what they've done together and how they've grown together as a team throughout the year. So hopefully that serves us well, you know, in the game tonight.
- [30:15]
A
Yeah. Because I'm sure they are thinking how bad Judge much feel that he's an all time great without a championship, how great Stanton is no ring, right. So there's certain guys in there. They probably feel like, hey, you think.
- [30:28]
B
Players are thinking that right now?
- [30:30]
A
I. You know what?
- [30:31]
B
I don't think finally players think how many rings Stanton has.
- [30:33]
A
I don't think they worry about themselves.
- [30:36]
B
I don't got to do my job or I'm not going to be here.
- [30:39]
A
Yes.
- [30:40]
B
Volpe things that they wanted me out of here, they want me out of here, right? Grisham. I want to get paid. Bellinger I want to get paid. Right. I got to. I got to keep. I got to keep making sure that I'm bringing it so that when I get to December I got teams that are going to be throwing big money at me. I want to get paid. Look at the lineup. Rice. I want to prove that I belong here. They don't take me out of the lineup.
- [31:06]
A
I'm sure they know that Giancarlo Stanton is getting to the end and doesn't have a ring. You but remember Stan called that meeting in August when they were struggling. So I'm sure he probably said to the hey, listen, I'm on my way out here. I can't run. I can't play the field anymore. I got two years left on my contract. I want to win. Now are they thinking let's get a ring for Judge who's got seven years left on his contract.
- [31:30]
B
Movie script that doesn't happen.
- [31:32]
A
No, but listen, you're thinking about yourself. But you're. I think they care about each other.
- [31:36]
B
I don't want each other to do well. I. That always exists with a team, especially a team that's together. Hit one out or the foul ball.
- [31:44]
A
Well, no, because what they're doing is they're showing they've now tapped out FS1 and they're showing game two. And I thought the game was underway. And then I realized, wait a minute.
- [31:53]
B
That I see the reflection and I thought, well, first I got thrown up.
- [31:55]
A
Because I'm like, well now all of a sudden the sun's out. No, see, so it's not.
- [31:59]
B
They're showing a replay.
- [32:01]
A
The latest update is this is from Aaron Levine. I want to appreciate Kofi that is sending all the information. And this is from the sports director at the Fox affiliate in Seattle saying the entirety of the Mariners Tigers game will be on FS2, MLB Network and the Fox One app. So it looks like they're out of the business of this game. Just gonna start it on FS2.
- [32:25]
B
So this is now the pre game show for an 8 o'. Clock. As far as we.
- [32:29]
A
Yeah, as far as we care at this point is that the Yankees are still going to be 808 first pitch on FS1. So what happens? They may not even play. I don't even know. The game's been delayed for an hour and a half already to start. They're going to want to get this in, but at the same time, I mean, if you can't play, you can't play.
- [32:47]
B
Yeah.
- [32:47]
A
And when Poppy was playing weatherman up there, it looked like it was going to be raining for a while. 109,193. 77 6. Let's go to Javier and Queens. You're on ESPN New York. What's up, Javi?
- [33:01]
C
What's going on, guys? Thanks for taking the call.
- [33:03]
A
No problem.
- [33:04]
C
Listen, great show today. I want to talk a little Yank to another question for Allen about the Knicks. I'm going to the stadium tonight and I disagree with you, Don. I think I do want to see Weaver pitch tonight because I want the Yankees to take a humongous lead in this game and let. Let Weaver come in and sweep up, you know, that's why I want to see. I think if they're going to win three in a row, they have to. It. It's gonna be hard to go three in a row and use their bullpen arms, like heavy. So I think a blowout would be great tonight and I'll take it. I'm going to the stadium. That's what I'm hoping for. And then my question to Alan is with the Giannis talk, which is kind of just talk right now. But Alan, I've been talking for a long time. I've been talking about Giannis coming to New York for like the last two to three years. What would it actually take to get Giannis to the Knicks? Like, I think it's a big combo of the players don't have a lot of draft capital. So, like, what would it actually take for the Knicks to potentially get Giannis?
- [34:03]
B
Well, question it is. It is. First and foremost, we have been talking about this. The last time I talked about it on the air here was June. Yeah, it was right when I.
- [34:14]
A
Pretty much right when the season, when.
- [34:16]
B
I said that this is not. It's not. It's still on the table, the honest stuff and that it's not going away. And then you see Shams's report today that said that the teams actually talked in August. It was brief. The Knicks didn't. Well, the Bucks told the Knicks we don't want to trade him, but they're entertaining this for Giannis. And so the Knicks, what are you going to do? You're going to show all your cards? No. So. Well, no, you tell us what you'd want and we'll let you know if it's good enough. And so the Bucks were like, well, the Knicks weren't serious. And the Knicks were like, well, the Bucks aren't serious. So nothing came of it as it would if. When you know a team doesn't want to trade the guy and doesn't have to, what would it take? First of all would take Giannis having leverage because what the Bucks want would involve multiple teams because you'd have to get a lot of other things involved. You'd have to give them some salary relief. It would be a very complicated deal, like all deals are with players of his caliber in his prime. To name names right now would not make sense because I can't name names of players from team three. Like at least you need a third team. At least a third team. What I would watch this season is a team that has a high priced player that also would, might start becoming on the move. And then you now you start having the parameters of something that could, that could go down. Look at the KD deal. Like there's, there's several deals that happened that involved three and four teams and picks coming from all different directions. This type of deal would be that. But as the story said, which backs up what I said, it's the only place he wants to go, which is the Knicks. He made that clear. The report now makes it clear. And so any other talk of him going to Miami or going to San Antonio out the window. This is the only place he wants to be and we've known this.
- [36:23]
A
But does he want to be here if the Knicks have to gut their.
- [36:27]
B
Roster to go, which is why again, you don't entertain this type of, See, I mean we can do it a little bit later on if you want, but it's like there's, there's so much more to this than just sit down at a table and write down names on a piece of paper and see if the Bucs want these players. Because a lot of people in Milwaukee, their response has always been the Bucs don't want any of those players. And you might be right, but it doesn't mean there's some players that would work along with again bringing in a third team and maybe even a fourth team to then create a bigger deal, more massive deal that helps facilitate it without turning the Knicks into what happened, you know, when Carmelo Anthony was traded, when other things happened where you no longer are championship contender. The key quote that Giannis had on media day was that all he wants to do is compete for a championship, not be out in the first round. He wants to every year know that we can play for a championship. So he wants to go to a team that has that ability. Thanks for listening to the Don Han and Rosenberg podcast.
- [37:34]
A
I didn't listen to anything you just said.
- [37:36]
B
Catch this show on demand whenever you want. Just subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts.
- [37:44]
A
So not really that big of a surprise. Buster only tweeted this out, and Alan had a conversation with him earlier today. Where did you run into him that you were talking to him? You just. You just call him up? Yeah, I don't have that kind of relationship with him.
- [37:59]
B
He's one of my favorite people.
- [38:01]
A
No, he's a great guy. Just. I don't have that relationship. I'm envious.
- [38:06]
B
Well, he's also really good at getting back to you right away. He's one of those guys that you just can rely on. So I enjoy talking with him. He's super smart, and he is. He knows a lot about my. One of my favorite teams.
- [38:22]
A
He knows a lot about everything.
- [38:23]
B
No, that's true.
- [38:23]
A
Which is pretty cool. So I'm trying to read it.
- [38:26]
B
I got it.
- [38:27]
A
Oh, you got it. So, yeah, read what he said.
- [38:28]
B
So he tweeted this. He tweeted. In George Steinbrenner's time as owner of the Yankees, he fostered the Steinbrenner doctrine. If you don't win the World Series, your season is a complete failure. Generations of Yankees fans believe that. One who apparently does not subscribe to the Steinbrenner doctrine, Hal Steinbrenner, current owner of the team. He has a more nuanced view of success. And that, of course, you know, that. That the tweet itself, it's like, it feels like trolling because, you know, the calls like that we were getting, and everybody was bringing up George, and it was a conversation that Bust and I were having about this because I said, like, It's. It's basically 80% of the call. I said to him that that's 80% of the calls we get about the Yankees. And he says that, you know, like, that's been the issue is that people get caught up in that emotion, but they don't really know the history of George Steinbrenner, because what we remember. And this is now what I was saying to Buster, I think a lot of Yankees fans, myself included, we have this sort of memory of George as the lovable curmudgeon, the grandfather that would fly off the handle and we all just laugh because, you know, he was harmless at that point. Right. The team was already established. But what you liked was every now and then when it was time for somebody to get scolded, he'd do it. And you like that, right? But it didn't hurt, it didn't harm anything, you know, because the same guy that was saying what he said, Fat pussy Toad about Hideki Orabu was also in tears when the team would win a championship. Cry, right?
- [40:26]
A
Yes.
- [40:28]
B
So it was almost like he became a character, not a real person. So we don't remember the guy that was kind of running the team into the ground. You know what he is? If you're a Cowboys fan, you recognize it. It's Jerry Jones.
- [40:41]
A
No, it is.
- [40:42]
B
Jerry Jones is a be all, end all. Jerry Jones knows so much about football. I'm going to make decisions with the roster. Simon was doing the same thing. If he was doing that today. People call him crazy, but that's what they call Jerry Jones. And Jerry Jones had that thing with Jimmy Johnson. And how have things gone since then? Not good, Bob, but they make money hand over fist. The building's filled. They're the biggest brand in the sport. Right. Business wise, he's been a genius. But when he says things, when he does what he does, when he does the. The Michael Parsons trade, all the things fans get fed up and get angry at him. That's the real George Steinbrenner experience. Trading young players because he has no patience, signing guys he has no right, giving contracts to, makes no sense. But that's what he was doing until they sent him away to baseball jail and stick. Michael was able to kind of get things back on track. So by the time he came back, there was nothing for him to destroy.
- [41:39]
A
Right.
- [41:40]
B
And so then the best of him showed with the Clemens stuff and willing to write a check, whatever it took to get certain people and players. And that's when it all looked good. So our memory, a lot of us are all in the same generation, Yankee fans. And every time we fall back on the. George wouldn't have accepted this. You're thinking of the character George Steinbrenner that we all fell in love with in the late 90s because the team was winning like crazy and he was more of the harmless curmudgeonly grandfather that was easy to love and not really worry about him getting in the way and ruining things. We don't remember the guy that for the better part of the 80s was driving the franchise into the ground and driving good people away. From the organization.
- [42:30]
A
And I think what happened, again, I'm just guessing, but Hal's a little bit older than me, so he remembers that era and he probably maybe was a little embarrassed by it. Remember his dad got banned from baseball? Yeah, I brought this up many times. Watch the end of Ken Burns Baseball, which came out in 1994. At the end of Ken Burns Baseball. It's the picture of George Steinbrenner. He's like arms are wrapped around like the stadium, like they superimposed the stadium. And he's talking about how single handedly George Steinbrenner ruined the Yankee franchise. Ruin the Yankee brand. That was a reality. And then because he was suspended from baseball, baseball people got involved, started with Watson and then eventually Cashman and it got corrected. So they're trying to take the success of that and then attach it to the wild man that George was. But the wild man did a lot more good than a lot more bad than good. And I think Hal just made, hey, I'm not going to be that kind of guy. First of all, just because that's your dad doesn't mean you're exactly like your dad. He probably said, I'm not going to be that way. I'm not going to be that way.
- [43:34]
B
He doesn't have to be. You said something when we were talking about this before the show that I thought was really remarkable because I never thought of it. Because again, I'll also say that the character of George steinbrenner from the 70s, the one that took the team, the franchise out of the doldrums, spent money, right? And got Yankee Stadium into the modern era too. Remember they had to put money in the building and then they started winning championships. Now he then of course got drunk on all the fame and popularity and he went crazy firing and hiring managers and all the other stuff. But there was at least a window there of success early on and, and he became a well known, probably the most pop popular owner in sports in America. But then the 80s happened and we don't want to think about that, but that. So it's, it's almost like the contrast of the, the young George and then the grand grandpa George. Those are the Georges that people really cling onto here. You don't think of the guy in the middle, but you said something about how Hal doesn't have to worry about the same things George did when he bought the franchise and took it over. And that also changes your perspective on what is success and what is not.
- [44:41]
A
Because I think what George realized is in Order to make money, his team needed to win.
- [44:47]
B
Yeah.
- [44:49]
A
There wasn't the television contracts that getting people into the building was really important.
- [44:52]
B
People Forget in the 70s, if you watch highlights. Nevermind the 80s, which we already knew in the 70s, when you watch highlights of the regular season, it's places in packed.
- [45:03]
A
No.
- [45:03]
B
That you're hitting home runs into empty seats.
- [45:05]
A
Right.
- [45:06]
B
Today you never see.
- [45:07]
A
And then he was threatening he was going to move the team to New Jersey because the Bronx was falling apart and all that.
- [45:11]
B
Well, he needed to win.
- [45:12]
A
All right. But now because of the television contracts and the status in which the Yankees have built themselves up to. Yeah, you need to. You can't have sustained losing, but you could survive in 82 and 80 season. You could survive not going to the World Series as much as the fans are still ticked off. Record attendance, record ratings on. Yes.
- [45:31]
B
You know, so, Jerry, sound familiar?
- [45:35]
A
Exactly. There isn't the urgency to win now. Hal wants to win, but Hal doesn't have to, you know, lose money because he's still making money. Maybe George would be like, you know, sometimes you got to spend a little money to make a little money.
- [45:47]
B
Yeah.
- [45:47]
A
Hal's not in that situation. So Hal looks like a bad guy because he doesn't want to, you know, kill everybody for not winning. He wants to win, but he also realizes he's assessing success. As Buster said differently. Hey, I'm sitting on a ton of cash. I've got one of the most popular brands in all of sports. My building's constantly full, My ratings on the network are great. What am I doing wrong? I'd like to win. I've already got the third highest payroll in baseball, and if I go out and spend a few more million dollars, it's not gonna guarantee me a championship. So what else do I have to do? You know, we haven't won the championship, but at the end of every year, they probably all high five each other and say, great year, we all made money. And it's still a place everybody wants to play with the, you know, exception of Juan Soto. But the Yankees that maybe ended up being smart about that, we'll end up seeing at the end of the day. But George had to do that to build the brand.
- [46:39]
B
Mm.
- [46:40]
A
But. And because of that doesn't have to do it.
- [46:43]
B
He built back.
- [46:44]
A
Oh, yeah, because when he bought the team for like a million bucks in 1973, he was dying, it was suffering.
- [46:49]
B
And the Mets at that point, has he bought it in 74?
- [46:54]
A
I thought he bought it after the 73 seasons. So the Mets had just gone to.
- [46:57]
B
The World Series, so. But same area from. From that point, the last four years, the Mets really had become a real thing and a real threat, which nobody ever thought they'd ever be. But they were, because they were counterculture to the Yankees. They were everything the Yankees weren't. They were fun, they were younger. They were more the hippie kind of style, which was back then, the whole thing in the early 70s, and everybody was buying into this team from Queens, and the Yankees were a bad team and they had, you know, their. Their star run had run out and they got tired. They became the tired brand. They weren't classic and George had to come in and revitalize. Now, like, that took a lot. And so, yeah, putting people in the building was important.
- [47:40]
A
Right. He had to crack a few skulls back then. And Hal doesn't have to do that. I don't think Hal wants to do that.
- [47:45]
B
I think he got drunk off of it late in the late 70s, early 80s. And then it just. That's when it got out of hand. But he became a lot more like Jerry Jones. But now with Hal, I. It's such a smart. It's such. It's so true. His goal, like winning a World Series for George Steinbrenner meant a huge gate and like a successful year and more attention and the brand continues to build up. The Yankee brand is not going anywhere. Every year, 33 years, they're a winning team.
- [48:16]
A
From what I understand, the few times that I met him and Michael said this, that Hank was a little bit more like George.
- [48:22]
B
Hot blooded.
- [48:23]
A
Yeah.
- [48:23]
B
Yeah.
- [48:24]
A
And that's why Hal ended up taking over the reins and to the franchise. So believe me, they're sitting in boardroom somewhere. Win, lose or draw, they're still going to look at this as a successful season, both financially and the fact they won, that they went to the playoffs. Now he wants to win, but he doesn't do it in the way George did. So that comes across as that he doesn't want to win.
- [48:44]
B
Yeah. I think what Buster's trying to do is he's trying to make sure that people don't over romanticize the George Steinbrenner character.
- [48:55]
A
Yeah. Because that's what it is. They're morphing two personalities into something that didn't actually exist.
- [49:01]
B
Right. Yeah.
- [49:03]
A
And maybe they're too young.
- [49:05]
B
Well, I remember it. I remember George, the young owner, when I was a kid. And I thought this guy was just like, he was bigger than life. He was aggressive. He must be so rich. So I was just really impressed with whatever Persona he created out there publicly. And he had a big mouth. He had a lot to say. And I was like, wow, this guy must be important. The one in the 90s felt more like the grandpa where you're like, ah, look at him. Like, he is hilarious. We've all had. We all grew up in New York. Come on. We've all had that one grandpa that has no filter, that says whatever he wants. And every now and then, when somebody needed to be held accountable, he'd say it and it would shake the room. And I think that was George. But remember George in the 90s, right?
- [49:47]
A
But people don't remember that. When he was suspended from baseball and they announced it, got a standing ovation to the stadium because there were fans.
- [49:53]
B
They couldn't wait to get rid of them, Right? 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.