Hour 3: Mets Pitching

Summary

Don, Hahn & Rosenberg: Hour 3 – Mets Pitching (August 25, 2025)

Podcast: Don, Hahn & Rosenberg
Hosts: Don La Greca, Alan Hahn, Peter Rosenberg (absent this hour)
Theme: A deep dive into the Mets’ pitching woes, rotation management, organizational philosophy, and how it all fits into Mets and league-wide baseball trends.

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Overview

This hour centers on the New York Mets’ current pitching situation, including roster management, the decision to use top prospects in the bullpen, the front office’s strategic philosophy, and broader MLB pitching trends. Don and Alan bring sharp, candid opinions, field calls from passionate fans, and debate whether the Mets’ longstanding pitching-first identity is still viable—or even being honored by leadership.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Brandon Sproat: Starter or Reliever?

(00:44 – 11:12)

• Major topic is the Mets’ decision to move top prospect Brandon Sproat from the starting rotation to the bullpen in AAA, seemingly in preparation for a September call-up.
• Don questions the logic:
  • “He got shelled in his first outing coming out of the bullpen... Aren’t you kind of curious to see how this kid starts?” (01:41)
  • Compares Sproat to McClain, who’s thrived as a starter after call-up.
• Alan: “The thinking of moving into the bullpen... does that suggest that they don’t see him long-term as a starter?” (04:25)
• Carlos Mendoza’s explanation (paraphrased from press conference):
  • “It’s just part of the development... We’ve done it with all of our starters pretty much... in case there’s a need here.” (04:45 – 05:13)
• Don’s skepticism:
  • “If he’s been this good and he is a starting pitcher, I don’t want his debut in the major leagues to be coming out of the bullpen, especially when you see the outing that he had coming out of the bullpen. There’s an adjustment there.” (06:07)

Notable Quote

“If you’re ready, you’re ready. You’re not, you’re not. But if you’re a starting pitcher... I would like this kid to come up here and make some starts.” – Don La Greca (06:22)

2. The Mets’ Rotation Woes & Playoff Strategy

(11:12 – 20:34)

• Evaluating the rest of the rotation: Senga, Peterson, McClain, Mania, Holmes, Montas (injured).
• Mets are still in the playoff hunt; division could be in play.
• Alan outlines the post-season implications:
  • “When you look at the standings... once you get to the playoffs... you’ve already got your three pitchers, right? You figure Senga is going to pitch... Peterson... and then maybe McClain gets a start. Mania.” (07:17)
• Don advocates for using this time to “audition arms” given the lack of rotation reliability.
• Both agree: the bullpen has been inconsistent and unreliable, exacerbating rotation struggles.

Notable Quote

“I want to audition arms here, man, because... you got a kid in McClain who’s been good. Peterson bounced back... but for the most part... this year he’s been your horse.” – Don La Greca (08:27–08:40)

3. David Stearns’ Pitching Philosophy

(11:12 – 23:21)

• The hosts explore whether Stearns’ lack of investment in big-ticket starting pitchers is wise or shortsighted,
• Alan frames the historic Mets identity:
  • “If there’s one thing identity-wise in Mets history, especially in their best years, what would be that identity?”
  • Don: “Pitching. Starting pitching.” (11:50–11:53)
• Question: Is Stearns’ “piecing-it-together” approach temporary, or his blueprint?
• Referenced contracts (e.g., Max Fried) as cautionary tales; the risk of long, expensive pitcher commitments.
• Don defends the philosophy:
  • “He doesn’t want to pay big money to a pitcher... Because what is it, a $218 million contract. Right. For over eight years... Am I going to sign a 31 year old pitcher to an 8-year contract?” (15:07 – 17:50)

Notable Quotes

“You can make the case [Stearns’ pitching strategy] hasn’t worked [this year]. Last year it did. But I understand where he’s coming from... You have to overpay for pitchers. And why do it if you don’t necessarily have to?” – Don La Greca (16:59)

“It does [sound excessive], yes. But it doesn’t if you have a ring or... if you get that champion, especially for the Mets because it’s been so long.” – Alan Hahn (17:50)

4. The Reality of Modern Pitching—Across MLB

(36:13 – 52:18)

• Comparison of Mets to other teams: nobody gets length from starters, few true aces are available, injury rates are high league-wide.
• Callers and hosts agree: pitching instability isn’t just a Mets problem; looking at teams like the Brewers and Padres, even the best staffs lean heavily on the bullpen and have limited innings from starters.
• JT (caller) adds:
  • “Who even does have a staff that strikes any sort of fear in any lineup?” (49:22)

Notable Quote

“The problems the Mets and the Yankees have are problems that exist in Major League Baseball all over.” – Don La Greca (52:05)

5. Callers Debate the Mets' Decisions

(30:26 – 36:13)

• Stamatis (caller):
  • Challenges the negativity around Stearns’ signings:
  • “I kind of got a little bit of a rebuttal here... I think you look at the Canning signing... you look at Clean Holmes... he was 11 and 6, with 3.6 ERA...” (30:30 – 32:10)
  • Don agrees, saying, “This would—the Clay Holmes was not made for 2025. It was made for the long haul.”
• Danny (caller):
  • Offers playoff bullpen management advice and a soft challenge to the Mets pitching “legacy.”
  • “I want to talk about the Mets pitching presently, but... have the Mets really been known for their starting pitching since Richard Nixon was president?” (36:57)
  • Alan counters, “You just gave me the eras where the Mets were good. Give me the good Met era where you couldn’t name the starting pitchers.” (37:30)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Sproat Bullpen Plan:

  “I don’t want his debut in the major leagues to be coming out of the bullpen, especially when you see the outing that he had coming out of the bullpen. There’s an adjustment there.” – Don La Greca (06:07)

• On paying for aces:

  “Does it make sense in a sport where a guy will maybe make 30 to 32 starts out of 162 games... and pay him more than a guy that’s going to play every day?” – Don La Greca (19:01)

• On Stearns' frugality:

  “Should the Mets be so frugal when they’ve got an owner sitting on $16 billion... I do think Stearns was hired by Cohen to keep him in check.” – Don La Greca (35:10)

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Timestamps of Key Segments

• 00:44 – Start of Mets pitching discussion, Sproat’s move to bullpen
• 02:36 – Discussion about potential spots in the rotation (“Who’s he going to start for?”)
• 04:45 – Carlos Mendoza’s explanation of the bullpen plan
• 07:07 – Playoff pitching strategy/rotation
• 11:12 – Alan’s pointed question about the Mets’ pitching identity
• 13:55 – Big-money pitcher contracts: pros & cons
• 19:47 – The Mets’ homegrown pitching legacy
• 30:26 – Callers (Stamatis, then Danny) question and defend the front office’s moves
• 36:40 – Danny’s creative playoff bullpen plan
• 49:22 – JT’s call: “Who even has a dominant staff in MLB now?”
• 52:18 – Hosts conclude that pitching challenges are league-wide

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Tone and Language

True to the show’s brand, Don and Alan blend sharp analysis, Mets fandom, and frank back-and-forth:

• Don is brash, passionate, occasionally exasperated with management, and eager to test “the process.”
• Alan probes deeper, pressing for strategic reasoning, historical parallels, and big-picture implications.
• Callers are knowledgeable, sometimes combative, always invested in the Mets’ fate.

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Final Thoughts

• The hour closes with agreement that Stearns' philosophical refusal to overpay for starting pitching is defensible, even visionary, but carries significant year-to-year risk—especially with injuries and unproven prospects.
• The rotation issues are a microcosm of a broader MLB trend toward less reliance on starter innings and more advancement for homegrown arms.
• Ultimately, both hosts express hope (and some impatience) that the next Mets championship-caliber rotation can be cultivated, not purchased outright—but admit results are pending.

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Transcript

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[Don La Greca]

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[Caller/Listener]

On 8 80, ESPN, the ESPN New.

[Alan Hahn]

York app, and your smart speakers.

[Don La Greca]

Game time is brought to you by Tullimore to Irish Whiskey. Because when it's game time, it's Tully time. It's Tully time. Mets start a series with the Phillies coverage immediately following us right here on 8:80 at 6:30. And the Mets host the Nationals at 7:05 while the Liberty will be on welcoming in the sun at 7. Tullamore Dew, the original triple distilled, triple blended and triple cast matured Iris whiskey. Be sure to grab a Tullamore Dew or try the new Tullamore Dew. Honey, during today's action, glasses up to enjoying Tullamore Dew responsibly. Brandon Sproat is eventually going to get called up when. When they expand the rosters, which is going to be coming up in a. What do you figure?

[Alan Hahn]

About mid September?

[Don La Greca]

Right? Yeah, well, yeah, I think.

[Alan Hahn]

Is it in mid September?

[Don La Greca]

Yeah, somewhere. It's something where like most of the rosters expand September 1st. But you know, it all depends on when your season ends and all that. But yeah, at some point he's going to get called up here. What's today? The 25th. So in about a week.

[Alan Hahn]

Okay.

[Don La Greca]

And it made some news that he was moved to the bullpen and the Mets announced he's going to be pitching out of the bullpen for the rest of the minor league season. Why? And that's what I want to know. And he got shelled in his first outing coming out of the bullpen. And the feeling seems to be, well, when he gets called up, he's going to be working out of the pen because the Mets need some bullpen help. But aren't you kind of curious to see how this kid starts? Look at McClain. He's been great. He went what, like 5 2/3 innings his first outing against the Mariners, won the game, went seven the other day against the Braves. Like he looks like he could be a Player, wouldn't you want to see this kid start then, then messing with him and moving him to the bullpen? And what are you going to have him come out of the bullpen at the end of playing in like high leverage situations when you're trying to solidify a playoff spot? I mean, obviously Stearns has a plan behind all this, but would you mess with him and would you be thinking about maybe getting him some starts rather than coming out of the bullpen?

[Alan Hahn]

Well, who's he going to start for? Senga mania.

[Don La Greca]

Senga mania. Peterson.

[Alan Hahn]

Peterson.

[Don La Greca]

And you've got now McLean.

[Alan Hahn]

I mean, but Holmes, I mean again, I think, I think they, they were probably, I, we all thought they were eventually going to move homes into the right and also. And then Montas got hurt and changed.

[Don La Greca]

Everything and we're going to see what happens with Senga pitching on four days rest. But ideally they wanted a six man rotation to give him a little bit of rest tonight. So aren't there some openings that you can at least get this kid a couple of starts in a bottle?

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah, I don't understand it. I honestly. Because if I thought all along the reason why they weren't bringing those guys up sooner rather than later, especially during the time where they were having injury issues to their rotation which apparently aren't going away. I mean Frankie Montos being pretty much done for the season. He's on the 15. But you know, Mendoza said that this possibility, he's probably going to need Tommy John like that ends up being an absolute bust of a signing for more reasons than just the fact that he got hurt, but for the fact that he's going to pick up his option and you stuck with him next year. But, but while you had the injuries, you could have called a couple of these guys up even if it was for a spot start when they were pitching well during the middle of the season. But I understand why I kept thinking they don't want to bring up a guy who's a starter in the minors and make him a bullpen guy. Remember, the bullpen was just so worn out.

[Don La Greca]

True.

[Alan Hahn]

And they were having trouble with it. So that was my thinking. Oh, they probably don't want to make these kids come out of the bullpen. That it's not fair. And, and then when McClain came up and it's like, oh, you see that he started and he's been, he's been. His numbers are great, Don. I mean he's, he's got no, he's been good. Fifteen strikeouts and four walks and two Starts, he's been excellent and very confident. So you would think, okay, give this guy, like the thinking of moving into the bullpen to get him ready to be a bullpen guy. Does that suggest that they don't see him long term as a. As a starter?

[Don La Greca]

Well, this is Carlos Mendoza after yesterday's game on Sproat, pitching out of the bullpen in Syracuse.

[Caller/Listener]

Yeah, I think it's just part of the development.

[Don La Greca]

We've done it with all of our starters pretty much.

[Caller/Listener]

I think we did it with Titwell.

[Alan Hahn]

Before, obviously, he got traded. We did it with McLean.

[Don La Greca]

Today's Sprott's turn, you know, part of the plan, part of the development. And I feel like, you know, our AAA staff, they do a really good.

[Caller/Listener]

Job preparing these guys in case there's a need here.

[Alan Hahn]

And, you know, before you know it.

[Don La Greca]

We need him to pitch out of the bullpen here, kind of like in.

[Caller/Listener]

Preparation for any happened here.

[Don La Greca]

So it's another step for them in their development, and that's what we're doing.

[Alan Hahn]

As he explained it now, Jonah Tong, they called up the Syracuse. His last. His couple of starts at aaa, he's been good. He was good in his last start, six scoreless innings. But he's been a strikeout machine when it comes to the minor leagues, both Double A and Triple A. And that's the other name that you're wondering. He's younger. I think he's like 22. But they do have their options with some of these guys. If they wanted to upgrade, what's been a problem. But he kind of explained it. This is what they want to do, this is their plan for Sproat, and then we'll see.

[Don La Greca]

What I don't understand how that's part of the process for moving a starting pitcher into the.

[Alan Hahn]

Did you remember them doing a McLean? He said they did it with McLean.

[Don La Greca]

I don't. Maybe they did. I don't. I don't remember. But I guess that's something that Stearns does. I don't. They know. They know better than I do. I don't know why that would be part of the process.

[Alan Hahn]

But this bothers you because you'd rather them call him up to be a star?

[Don La Greca]

Yeah, because I think I'd. If he's been this good and he is a starting pitcher, I don't want his debut in the major leagues to be coming out of the bullpen. Especially when you see the outing that he had coming out of the bullpen. There's an adjustment there.

[Alan Hahn]

And McLean has raved about him, their team. And he just said that he's ready.

[Don La Greca]

He said his stuff's coming and if you're ready, you're ready. You're not, you're not. But if you're a starting pitcher. All right, I can't. I can't answer to. It's part of the process that they move these starters to the bullpen. And they did it for McClain. All right. But when McClain got called up, he was a starting pitcher. And I think there is room for Sproat to start. And I don't know if I feel comfortable with these games having a lot of meaning. They haven't put the Reds to bed yet. They still trying to clinch a playoff spot. The division still could become real if the Mets sweep the series against the Phillies. It's on that. Rather than, you know, Clay Holmes pitching again and giving you three and two thirds and Senga, a guy that you like to give the extra day, you know, why not have this kid start again? Especially what he can do.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah. Like obviously you wouldn't do it against the Phillies. Although McLean's going to get to start Wednesday.

[Don La Greca]

Yeah. Well, now he's a part of this rotation now because Amonta's going down, you.

[Alan Hahn]

Can'T get him out.

[Don La Greca]

And I get that you're. You're trying to win a championship, right? I mean, the Mets were only two wins away from going to the World Series last year. I don't think they're a championship team, but when you look at the standings, they can make the playoffs and who knows, maybe they can make a run like they did last year is once you get to the playoffs, what are you looking at? That first series, if you play the Padres Dodgers, you know, it's the best of three. You've already got your three pitchers, right? You figure Sanga is going to pitch. Unless you need games down the stretch to clinch a playoff berth. And you don't have the ability to set your rotation. If you do, I guess your game one starter would be Peterson. He's been your best pitcher pound for pound, right. And then it would be some combination of maybe McLean gets a start. Mania.

[Alan Hahn]

Well, you want to get Maniah, you need the lefty, right?

[Don La Greca]

Yeah, exactly.

[Alan Hahn]

You got too many, right?

[Don La Greca]

So you might go Mcclain, bring in Mania Sanga or well, whatever. So you. Those are your three. And then maybe you go with a fourth. But Clay Holmes isn't going to pitch postseason game. You wouldn't think, Right.

[Alan Hahn]

Well, you don't know.

[Don La Greca]

Again, McClain, I think if he Continues to pitch. How many more starts is he going to get? There's 30 games, so he can make it another three starts here. What if he continues to pitch? Great. I mean, I would like to get the chance to see him maybe.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah. You're going to ride that?

[Don La Greca]

I want, I want to audition arms here, man, because I don't, I don't, I don't feel. Listen, you got a kid in McLean who's been good. Peterson bounced back after that really tough outing and I thought he pitched pretty well yesterday, but for the most part.

[Alan Hahn]

This year he's been your horse.

[Don La Greca]

He's been the horse, yes. And that's another lefty. But I don't know about Senga. What do I know? He doesn't give you any length at all. No, he's. He's an injury waiting to happen.

[Alan Hahn]

He hasn't won a game.

[Don La Greca]

Mania hasn't been great. So why wouldn't. Again, they know better from the development standpoint and they probably don't want to have too many young kids on a team that's trying to compete for a championship. But why not give these kids a chance, man?

[Alan Hahn]

Maybe they see him also, if you think about it, look at the bullpen, which has not been good. But you can't trust the bullpen at this point. Even though they tried to rework it, it has not been good. And maybe they feel like this is another way to try to upgrade the bullpen is get it, get a live arm out there. That, that is matchup wise. That can also give you more than an inning or two, you know, like there's got to be a strategy for this because I do want to. When you finish your point, I. There's something I've been dying to ask you about the, the approach. I talked about it last week. The approach that Stearns has with starting pitching with the Mets that I feel like we now need to revisit. But just again, you wanted to finish. I just wanted to know where they are right now.

[Don La Greca]

Wouldn't I rather have him start games and then he pitches well and then I decide, you know, I'm going to put him on the postseason roster. Starters have to go to the bullpen because you're not going to have a five man rotation in the postseason. Wouldn't I rather have him help me solidify a playoff spot and then if I need three out in the postseason.

[Alan Hahn]

Pitched out of the bullpen, don't you want to give him a couple of bull like just so he knows what it feels like? I guess if he's been a starter throughout his entire professional career. And then they're like, all right, we're going to make. We want you to learn what it's like to come out of the bullpen. This is a different thing. See, you could do it at home. Has already done it.

[Don La Greca]

To me, the kid may be just.

[Alan Hahn]

Just let him learn what it's like to come in, in the middle of a situation.

[Don La Greca]

But to me, all that is is the difference between coming in the starting inning or coming in in the middle of an inning. Like, if you're a starting pitcher, it feels like a start. If you begin the inning right, nobody on inning just starts. You get your warmups, you know, you prepared in the bullpen. To me, the adjustment is, all right, I'm going to come in, bases loaded, one out.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah.

[Don La Greca]

And now I. I don't know if you can ever be in a position where you can make that jump, where that becomes normal as viable.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah, it's made off again.

[Don La Greca]

I'm not criticizing it. I just. I would like this kid to come up here and make some starts.

[Alan Hahn]

Can I. All right, all right. I want to criticize then something that at first I thought, I can see the. I could see the game plan with David Stearns. Now, the one thing we all know about David Stearns is that he grew up a Mets fan, right? So you cannot say he doesn't really understand the Mets tradition. He doesn't understand the Mets history. Like, he has a working knowledge of all of it. And I'm going to ask you a question that I know you can answer. If there's one thing identity wise in met's history, especially in their best years, what would be that identity?

[Don La Greca]

Oh, I'm pitching.

[Alan Hahn]

Starting pitching.

[Don La Greca]

Oh, easily.

[Alan Hahn]

They've always had starting pitching when they've been at their best. Again, 69, see for Koozman, obviously, 73. 73 all the way through. Right. McGraw, the whole thing. And obviously we know the 80s and all. And on even Generation K, it didn't work out, but they had been building it. And then, you know, Harvey deGrom, Syndergaard, Mats Wheeler, like they had that group where they were building them up to be the next generation K. And these three guys, now that everybody's excited about, that there's this sense of, okay, this could be the next generation. But Stern's, aside from offering Yoshi Yamamoto 12 years, $350 million, they really haven't gone big money game hunting for starting pitching. And it almost feels like that's a strategy of his that for Half a season last year worked. Mania became something pretty good. Kentanya. Like they had some guys that pitched well. So Severino. But it doesn't seem like that is. First of all, it's not who the Mets are. It never has been. And clearly this year it's not working because you blew out your bullpen halfway through the season to a point where you had to revamp it by making trades. And now the bullpen is so sketchy that you see Mendoza sometimes hesitates to go get people. But you have starts. You can't get out of the fourth inning. Except for one. Peterson. In fact, the kid McClain was the first since Peterson.

[Don La Greca]

Right. First one not named Peterson.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah. To go with the six innings. Like. So you're not getting anything out of your starters and your bullpen is not any good. And you wonder why you're not winning. And it puts so much pressure on your offense. So is that the right approach? Or does he have a reason to not put big money into starting because he sees these young guys and thinks, this is my next generation and I don't want to create a glass ceiling because I signed a guy to eight years and $250 million. Which one is it? I'd love to ask.

[Don La Greca]

The first thing to answer is when you talk about the Mets history. And he did grow up a Mets fan. But we've seen he's about the job because he didn't want to resign. Alonzo. Right. But then I think Cohen got involved the home run off of Williams in the playoffs. That changed things. So he understood the whole Forever Met thing. And it didn't matter because he doesn't want to pay big money to a first baseman.

[Caller/Listener]

He.

[Don La Greca]

He's got his standards. He doesn't want to pay big money to a pitcher because if you brought up the eight years. Max Freed. That is not a great contract for the Yankees. I'm sorry. He's a very good pitcher. Could have won the Cy Young this year. He hasn't been great recently, but he. You're going to be paying him for the next seven years after this. He's 31 years old, so you're going to be paying him at 37, 38 years. So that contract is not going to.

[Alan Hahn]

Age, especially when the cap comes.

[Don La Greca]

But they had no choice because Cole was going to be out for the year and they had extra money because of Soto.

[Alan Hahn]

And I didn't know about Cole's injury when they signed him. They signed him. They had.

[Don La Greca]

I know.

[Alan Hahn]

You think they had an inkling.

[Don La Greca]

I think they had an inkling that it would. It could have been an issue. I don't know that for a fact.

[Alan Hahn]

Interesting.

[Don La Greca]

But I've heard Michael talk about it, that they must have been ahead of that. But let's just say for sake of argument, they didn't.

[Alan Hahn]

Okay.

[Don La Greca]

They had the extra money because they lost Soto.

[Alan Hahn]

Yep.

[Don La Greca]

And they knew they wanted to have another pitcher, even with Cole, because they knew he was hurt. Right. And. And the guys that the kids, they were going to end up having to go with, especially when Schmidt went down, but they didn't know about that either. But that contract's not going to age well. So Stern's probably looking like, I can go. I could, I could have got Max Freed. Right. The Mets could have competed for him. They've got the money. But he just said, I don't want to have a contract and I don't want to have to pay a guy 20, you know, because what is it, a $218 million contract. Right. For over eight years, whatever the math is. I don't want to have to pay a guy north of 35 years old, all that money. And he'd be shot, remember, because like Cece Sabathia, God love him, and he was a leader and all that, but they weren't getting banged for their buck at the end of his contract. But they didn't care because they won the championship in 2009. They don't want to. They don't want to do that because they don't think it ages well. It doesn't make sense. Now it's come back to Burnham this year, but you go back to last year. Last year it worked. Get Severino on a one year deal. Worked out great. On a one year deal. Worked out great. Grab Maniah. It worked out. They go to two games of the World Series this year. Doesn't work out right. He gives some money to Montas, guy gets hurt. All right. Mania's had his issues to start the season, but when they see somebody that's young, like Yamamoto, he's willing to go for it. Right. Because that's a young player. But am I going to sign a 31 year old pitcher to an 8 year contract? But that's what this sport is. They become, these free agents become available. They're all in their 30s and because there's so few really good pitchers, they end up having to pay way more than they're worth and they age terribly. And he doesn't want to get into that. So I like and appreciate the philosophy this year. You can make the case it hasn't worked. Last year it did. But I understand where he's coming from. I understand that you have to overpay for pitchers. And why do it if you don't necessarily have to?

[Alan Hahn]

Well, why do it? Because you want to win and you can't win this way. Well, clearly say that you're saying it's a one off.

[Don La Greca]

It worked last year.

[Alan Hahn]

But why wasn't last year a one off?

[Don La Greca]

And also he's got these kids, right? He knows he's got three kids that eventually are going to be a part.

[Alan Hahn]

Of this rotation in the next, hopefully.

[Don La Greca]

Two to three years that are going to make no money in the first few years of their contract. He doesn't want to land, lock them. Right. And then that's why I asked.

[Alan Hahn]

I'm just.

[Don La Greca]

But I'm just saying is that if the going rate. So then you have Max for them. I'm just saying, would the Mets be better off if they had Max Freed? Absolutely. This year? No question. But would you at least agree he's not as good a pitcher as he is an eight year, $218 million contract at the age of 31. Doesn't that sound excessive to you?

[Alan Hahn]

It does, yes. But it doesn't if you have a ring or, you know, if you, if you get that champion, especially for the Mets, because it's been so long.

[Don La Greca]

You're right.

[Alan Hahn]

You know, you know, the Yankees. Yes, it's been long for the Yankees, too. But for the Yankees, you'd hope to get a couple. Just to really make it worth the while, though, Sabathia, again, it was worth every penny just because of that one championship.

[Don La Greca]

It was one champion.

[Alan Hahn]

But if you're the Mets and it's been since 86, like, it's absolutely worth it. And then when he's in year seven of the deal or six of the deal and you can't move him and he's useless, you still go back and go, well, see that banner? So it was worth it. You know, like always.

[Don La Greca]

Wait, you don't know, like Max Freed at the beginning of the year, you're thinking, this guy's going to win the Cy Young Award. And now here he. He's kind of petering out a bit.

[Alan Hahn]

Why? It's the usage.

[Don La Greca]

Right?

[Alan Hahn]

Well, he's not used to this kind of innings mode.

[Don La Greca]

And maybe that's something that he's also thinking about is like, listen, I'm not going to get the bang for my buck right away because am I going to be able to use him and be reliable every fifth day. And as good as he's been overall this season, the Yankees are still only a wild card team. They got the same record the Mets day.

[Alan Hahn]

I agree.

[Don La Greca]

So I understand his philosophy. These guys always get hurt. These guys only go six innings now. Like, does it make sense to pay.

[Alan Hahn]

His guy's double six?

[Don La Greca]

But think. Right. You're right. But just overall, I ask this question all the time. I don't know if I ever asked you, does it make sense in a sport where a guy will maybe make 30 to 32 starts a year out of 162 games you have, this guy is going to impact maybe 32 of them and in those will probably only pitch six to seven innings in those games and pay him more than a guy that's going to play every day and get four at bats.

[Alan Hahn]

So the answer is simply that they don't believe in that. And so what we also know about Mets history is that the majority of their great pitching came from where?

[Don La Greca]

From their minor leagues? Yes.

[Alan Hahn]

Came up in their own. They brought them up. And that's probably what the answer is, which is answering my question. He sees these three guys, they see the track they're on and this year really accelerated, as you know, and as they continue to get better. The belief is this is what you go with and this is how you develop them. This is how you get a pitching staff. You develop it. Because then it doesn't. Cause like you said, it doesn't cost you nearly as much until it's time to pay them. Then you have that time to make that decision. But in the meantime, when you have a $300 million lineup and a pitching staff that you piecemeal together this season is what you can get right. And that could be very frustrating.

[Don La Greca]

Last year it worked. This year it didn't work. I don't think so far, I don't think a good general manager. And listen, I think he's been a good baseball guy for this team.

[Alan Hahn]

You don't think he's a good general manager?

[Don La Greca]

Well, I mean, he's only been here a couple of years, so I like him.

[Alan Hahn]

I was.

[Don La Greca]

I trust him.

[Alan Hahn]

Prized at the Montas deal. That one surprised me.

[Don La Greca]

That did. But he saw something and obviously I guess the excuse is going to be, well, he needed Tommy John. We didn't see the injury coming, but that's also part of it.

[Alan Hahn]

Good, though.

[Don La Greca]

Even the. Even the guys you get right end up getting hurt. But a good executive.

[Alan Hahn]

You think Montos and Clay Holmes were good decisions?

[Don La Greca]

Well, not this Year. See, that's the point I'm trying to make is if you're a good executive, you don't let one year determine whether your philosophy is good or bad. You look at it and say, okay, this year we tried to listen. We moved homes from closer to starter. We knew he was going to have innings limitations and we eventually think that he is going to be a really good starter. And if next year he goes out there and wins 15 games, then he ends up being right. Because you don't make decisions on this year. See fans and we in the media, we judge everything in the now and we go, well, his philosophy didn't work. Look at the pitchers, they're not going five innings. The Mets are not winning this division. It didn't work. But maybe we fast forward five years from now and that philosophy is going to be like, listen, he was right. Look at the pitchers and how they've worked out with the money they've been given and look at these young kids and how they're thriving. And maybe Maniah bounces back and maybe, maybe Montas comes back after this Tommy John and you can't judge it off of one season. But right now you look at. Nope, didn't work. No, no, no. Right.

[Alan Hahn]

So it's why I asked the question.

[Don La Greca]

Yeah, it's a good, it's a good.

[Alan Hahn]

Question because I'm curious about it and I do think that these three guys that you. Everybody's been talking, McLean, we've already seen Tong is starting to get his attention now at Syracuse. And then obviously Sproat is somebody that is on everybody's radar as well. If like you said, if that's the case and if I'm him and I'm looking at these three, I'm going, okay, we're not going to spend 300 million on a 30 year old. We're going to get some early 20 guys who we know have some pop and we're going to, you know, we're going to have them be the Paul Skeens and the Tarek schools for us, right? And we're going to let them come up and be the dominant young pitchers. And that's what we do, that's what the Mets do. But I got to get there and to get there I just got to piecemeal a starting rotation until I get there. But even when I get there I still going to need one or two vets around them.

[Don La Greca]

I don't think like Mania, they didn't.

[Alan Hahn]

Even sign until last minute. They like there wasn't sure they were going to bring him back and Kintanya wanted to come back. They didn't want to. They didn't want to bring him back.

[Don La Greca]

Yeah, I would have. I would have definitely brought him back. But do I think that Stearns is sitting in his office regretting not signing Max Freed? No, I don't think he does. I think he's, you know, it just hasn't worked out, but it still could.

[Alan Hahn]

Okay, so you're fine with it. So then what is your biggest issue with this Mets team then this year?

[Don La Greca]

Well, my biggest issue is from an offensive like Lindor, you can't get. They can't get him out, but for like two months he was an automatic out. You know, Soto not being able to hit with runners in scoring position. What's happened to Pete Alonso, it really comes down to me more of an offensive problem that's been exaggerated by the fact that you're not getting length out of your starters and your bullpen hasn't been very good. But much like the Yankees is, is that they should have enough offense to bash their way through some of these problems. And listen, we could talk yesterday about the issue of the bullpen giving up those runs in the eighth inning and losing four to two. Why are you only scoring two runs against the Braves? You know, why couldn't you get more than one run in that ninth inning when you had something, you had something cooking there? And what does Alonzo do? What does McNeil do? They bad at bats. Like, those are the things that bother you. Yeah. I'd like the starting pitching to be better. And it's not sustainable to your bullpen to have starting pitching last, as you know, be as bad as it was. But this offense, guys have to be able to play to the back of their baseball card, and too many guys haven't. Soto has been a complete enigma. We're going to get into that too, because the stats tell you he's having a great season, but he's left a lot to be desired in big situations.

[Alan Hahn]

It's really funny what you said. I know we got to go. I'm going to say real quick at the start of the year when Soto wasn't having a good start and the Mets were winning and you said you didn't care. You don't care if he doesn't do anything all year if the Mets are winning. And then what now happened, he started hit. His numbers since then are way better. Yeah, but the Mets aren't winning. And that's the nightmare that you were talking about because all of a sudden he's got the shimmy back. He's got a little swagger. He's smiling. He's talking about how we have belief in this room. He's talking like a leader and all that stuff. None of the things you saw at the start of the season. And isn't it amazing how the two things flipped? They don't play. It's exactly the scenario you said that you didn't want. And it happened.

[Don La Greca]

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[Alan Hahn]

Thanks for listening to the Don Han and Rosenberg Podcast.

[Don La Greca]

I didn't listen to anything you just said.

[Alan Hahn]

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

[Don La Greca]

Now. When I was in grade at Lincoln School, Hawthorne, New Jersey we got together as a class to call PLJ to get them to play this song and dedicate it to the fifth grade Lincoln School in Hawthorne, New Jersey. And one of the I think was Glenn Vygowski, who my next door neighbor, and he's no longer with us, got the call and it was like a big deal. It was like a big. The whole school rallied around that and for this song, because this song was like so quintessential New Jersey Bruce. Born to run. Such a. So whenever I hear that song I think about that. So that's all great.

[Alan Hahn]

How.

[Don La Greca]

What year was it when I was in fifth grade? It's probably like I don't know, 78. No. How old are you when you're in fifth grade? 10, 11. Fifth grades 10 to 11, 10 to last. It was probably 78, 79. Wow. Pretty cool. That was a lot of PLJ.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah.

[Don La Greca]

And then it was also two cool things about working here that like. So PLJ was not PLJ when I started working here in 2001, but to be on the same floor as PLJ, which was like great rock station back in the day. It was like PLJ new. They were rivals back in the 70s. And then we started on 1050 and that was the country station WHN that my dad used to listen to. So it was kind of, it kind of brought it full circle. Let's get some calls in on the Mets pitching staff at 1-800-919-3776. Stamatis is in a story. You're on ESPN, New York. What's up, buddy?

[Caller/Listener]

Yeah, what's happening? Don't stop. Alan, how's it going?

[Don La Greca]

What's up?

[Caller/Listener]

Good man, Good man. So I'm calling because like you guys can talk about the mess rotation and the disappointment of the Stern signings, but I kind of got a little bit.

[Don La Greca]

Of a rebuttal here.

[Caller/Listener]

I'm going to agree. Number one, the montage deal from the second it was announced, I scratched my head. I still don't understand understand it. I don't even know who was giving that guy 10 million a year because.

[Don La Greca]

He wasn't even good prior.

[Caller/Listener]

But. So we'll, we'll agree on that one. But move as far as the other ones. I think you look at the Griffin Canning signing.

[Don La Greca]

It was very good before he got hurt.

[Caller/Listener]

He was putting up a solid numbers. Yeah, right. Do you look at clean Holmes? I know you, I know that Alan was just kind of saying it was, it was not a good sign. But you look at, he was 11 and 6, we're 3, 6 OERA and you're only giving them like 2 12, 5 a year for three years. And then, and like, you know, correct me if I'm wrong, but like growing up in the 80s, right, like I'm, you know, I know it's not the 80s anymore, but that being said, right, you had your one year, two your aces, right? You had ace, one, ace two and then three to five. You know, even back then you wanted to get six innings out of a guy, five or six innings out of guy and just keep you in the game, you know, quality start, three stars. And if you kind of look at it right, the idea was probably senga was the ace Lanai are probably the two and then the rest, right? And the rest kind of have performed to what you sign them for. If you look at their numbers, I mean the end of the day, the clay holes Potentially could finish. Say he's 11, six now, say he goes two and one or so he could probably finish like you know, 13 and seven. 13 and eight.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah.

[Caller/Listener]

You know and you know, I don't think there's anyone that wouldn't have signed up for that prior to the year, you know, and you know, and, and then, you know, so you get the idea.

[Don La Greca]

I understand what you're saying.

[Alan Hahn]

I completely, you're. I completely understand what you're saying. I don't know if I guess the Clay Holmes thing, it's not like a criticism. It's more of just. That's like a gamble kind of a move. So it's two. Yeah. Like, like even the, the montage was a reach.

[Don La Greca]

Well, I. Montage is a reach. Here's where I, I agree with you Stamatis, is that this would. The Clay Holmes was not made for 20, 25. It was made for the long haul here. I think they knew that he had an innings limit and they knew that he was not going to be anything more than their fifth starter and probably somebody that was going to have to move to the bullpen either late in the year or the postseason. It could still work out very well and next year when he's all stretched out that it'll be better. But the problem is, is that there were some outings recently where he's not even getting out of the fourth. So that was a bit of a problem. But you're right, fifth starter. And because of the injuries to Canning, because of the Senga injury, I forgot about Canning, that he was probably asked to do a little bit more. So that's where I think Alan and I, there's a bit of it, maybe a disagreement is that I still think the philosophy is sound because it's a long term philosophy. This year hasn't worked out as well as it did last year, but it still could end up being a philosophy that more times than not ends up working out than having a bunch of pitchers overpaid, sitting there being paid, doing nothing because they're got Tommy John surgery. And yeah, it's one thing. Montage. $10 million a year losing him. Imagine losing him. A pitcher that may be making $35 million a year.

[Alan Hahn]

17.

[Don La Greca]

Yeah, 17. Excuse me. Yeah, but still that's nothing compared to like what you would have to give. What Cole got from the Yankees, what Freed got from the Yankees. If you were to go out there and get a Wheeler or get somebody that's going to be a big contract because that's what these pitchers are being paid now. And I think it's a flawed philosophy if you ask me. Is Stern's philosophy flawed or giving a 31 year old eight years, that's more flawed to me. Even though in the immediate it works out. You can't make signings for a long period of time, Alan. And put all your eggs in the first year's basket. Like same with Soto. That contract is going to age well and good and well and good over 15 years. There's going to be a lot of ebbs and flows to any contract.

[Alan Hahn]

What you're hoping is in one of those years he wins mvp.

[Don La Greca]

Right.

[Alan Hahn]

Like you're expecting him to be in the MVP conversation. The first year might be a transition for Soto, so you'll wait that one out. I just, I guess I asked the question with a twinge of criticism. But I really am just curious because watching the Mets and their struggles and the fact that they have one pitcher that can get them to six innings, the fact that everybody else just can't get out of the fourth inning or like it just made me say to myself like, is this what happens when you don't really invest in starting pitching? That's why I asked the question. But I certainly am not. I wasn't trying at least to make a statement.

[Don La Greca]

Here's a help to your argument. Should the Mets be so frugal when they've got an owner sitting on $16 billion? Like why should he be afraid to give Max Freed an eight year contract? He's got plenty of money. What does it matter?

[Alan Hahn]

What does it matter?

[Don La Greca]

But I do think Stearns was hired.

[Alan Hahn]

By, by Cohen to keep him in check.

[Don La Greca]

To keep him in check. Yeah, I agree because I don't think you want, even with all the money that he makes wants to be just throwing good money after bad. Like you don't want to be put in that situation. You'd like to have some, you'd like to have a grown up in the room that's going to say I don't know if this makes a lot of sense.

[Alan Hahn]

Understandable. But the only thing that I'll fall back on. And again, I don't have the answer. I'm asking it out of my own curiosity is when was the last time a team won a World Series and all the starting pitchers were just sort.

[Don La Greca]

Of like, you know, the tourists might. Right? I mean, who's the.

[Alan Hahn]

He said might. No, I'm just saying the last time.

[Don La Greca]

A team did it, when you take.

[Alan Hahn]

Me, a team that we like didn't really have a great Starting pitching. But they somehow won.

[Don La Greca]

You know, how many monsters are on some of these, you know, teams? Like, there's only. There's only a handful of really good starting pitchers.

[Alan Hahn]

So that's the problem.

[Don La Greca]

You know, it's not like everybody. It's not like the old days where you can rattle off the starting rotation. Like, half the teams in the league. You're sitting there now like, who's the stud in Seattle? Who's the. Who's the stud in. You know, obviously, Boston's got a couple of studs, clearly, but, you know, Toronto, like, it's not like they've got five deep, you know, so it might be.

[Alan Hahn]

The way of the new world.

[Don La Greca]

Well, I think that's ultimately how most people are going to feel about it. Danny, in Long island, you're on ESPN New York. What's up, Danny?

[Alan Hahn]

Danny.

[Caller/Listener]

Hello, boys. Welcome back there, Donnie. I left a picture of you jogging around the base the other day. You are the Giancarlo Stanton of your softball team.

[Don La Greca]

I asked to play. Well, you know what? But I played the field, and I played first.

[Alan Hahn]

You did.

[Don La Greca]

Outfield would have been a problem. Yeah.

[Caller/Listener]

I want to talk about the Mets pitching presently, but, you know, I'm a Mets fan for life, like most of you guys are. And, yeah, I'm listening to Alan talk about, you know, the Mets have always been known for their pitching. Okay, let's think about that for a second. Sixty years ago, the year I was born, you know, Siva Kuzman, Nolan Ryan. Okay, that was it for 20 years. Then we got to the 80s. We got, you know, Darling Gooden. That's about it. And then we had Generation K. They all bombed out. And then we had, you know, we had Harvey, who got hurt. So. Really, have the Mets really been known for their starting pitching since Richard Nixon was president?

[Alan Hahn]

Danny, Danny, what you just told me, you just gave me the errors where the Mets were good. Give me the. Give me the good Met era where they. You couldn't name the starting pitchers.

[Caller/Listener]

Oh, quick swan, but I'm just saying we have. We haven't had a legitimate starting really good. Whether you either. You either think they were good because they had pitching or the pitching was long for the ride. But we're not really known for our pitching. Like, as if the Dodgers could.

[Alan Hahn]

That's not what I said. I said you were good. Your identity was. Because you had starting pitching when you were good. Your problem is that there have been gaps of years where you weren't very good in between weren't very good.

[Caller/Listener]

But maybe I missed the story you said but in the present circumstance now I was listening. I touched on this with the screener Don, you basically touched on what do you think of a situation where the Mets make it to the playoffs? It's a big if of course and obviously you know Peterson's number one and now the rookie, hard to believe he may get start number two but other than that you have a bunch of guys who apparently can be major league quality pitchers for four innings. So why don't you start Minaya and then you put Holmes in the bullpen like you said, treat this like you start, you're the next man in, you're coming in the fifth inning no matter what happens, bring us to the ninth and then the next day you start Senga and you tell somebody else you're this because when these guys crap out after the fourth and fifth inning we are bringing in people that aren't getting the job done, hoping to get to the 8th and 9th and we're not making it there. So these guys all appear to be four or five inning pitchers. Let's just in the playoffs go to them. Just, just tell them, listen, it's Mr. Holmes, Mr. Senga, Mr. Minoia, this is your start but you're not starting to the fifth inning so have your, have your special K breakfast, whatever your routine is, start pitching in the second inning, warm up, do your stretching, you're coming in clean. We're not going to throw you into a situation where somebody you know bombs out in the fourth inning and you have to come in with two minute baseball because in a short series obviously you couldn't do that for 162 games. But if you're going to win a short series you got to go to your best pitcher. And that's the reason why guys are starters, because they're better than the people in the bullpen. That's why people are starters. So go to them. Let's see how it works. Right now we'll losing too many games in middle relief and all these teams, they try to roll out four or five pitches in one game, somebody's going to crap the bed. Not everybody's going to be. What I hate more than that is that a guy comes in, he pitches the sixth, seven, eight pitches, he's out of the inning and next thing you know somebody else is coming in, you're like, why is that guy not coming back out?

[Don La Greca]

You know what it is Danny? It's what they call lanes. Got to put him in the right lane. Lefty, lefty, Matchup Righty, righty, matchup, all that stuff. Instead of hey, this guy's on, let him pitch another inning. But hey, listen, what did they do with Sangat against the Phillies last year, right? He goes out, he pitches the first inning, whatever, and then you're into the bullpen. I don't mind it as much, Allen, in the postseason because in the best of three series, game one, game two, day off, game three, you know, best of five, series one came to day off game like so you at least get a chance to rest the bullpen. I understand that if I pitch six guys, all six guys have to be on. But it's less of an issue in the postseason. In the regular season, when you go sometimes 18 days without a day off, you just kill your bullpen. But come in the postseason, you're looking to get your starter out right away. You're, you're mixing and matching all the time.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah.

[Don La Greca]

First, now that goes back a long way. Some of the greatest, some of the greatest postseason games ever played in baseball history, you forgot the starters because so many things happened like after the sixth, seventh inning and who came out of the bullpen and all that, nevermind the extra inning games, but that's different. But to get through 162, you got to get some length out of your starters. 1-800-919-3776. It's Don, it's Han, it's Rosenberg, right until 6:30 here on ESPN New York. More Mazda buyers choose Ramsey Mazda during the Mazda More to move you sales event. Get 1.9% financing on a new 2025 Mazda CX50. No payments for 90 days or lease for for $239 for 33 months. Start shopping now at Ramsey Mazda.com choose wisely. Choose Ramsey Mazda. Call 833-853-2970 for lease details Vin SN 319033 MSRP 302007850 Security deposit APR 1748 PER 1000 Financed ends 9225 hey guys.

[Alan Hahn]

It'S CD Lamb, wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys. I'm partnering with Abercrombie this season to.

[Caller/Listener]

Tell you all about their viral denim.

[Alan Hahn]

All you need to know is denim.

[Caller/Listener]

Should fit like this.

[Don La Greca]

My jeans need to check a lot.

[Caller/Listener]

Of boxes Fit first, trend second. They need to go with whatever I'm feeling. And Abercrombie Denim has it down whether.

[Alan Hahn]

I'm throwing on a tee or putting.

[Caller/Listener]

The whole fit together.

[Don La Greca]

Shop Abercrombie Denim in the app, online and in store. This episode is Brought to you by State Farm. Life gets easier with great assists and State Farm is here to dish one your way. Get in touch over the phone or on the app to get the teammate you need. State Farm with the assist. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. Coverage options are selected by the customer. Availability and eligibility vary by state. Lowe's knows tough jobs call for tougher tools. The new DeWalt Elite Series power tool accessories are built to last. For the pro who doesn't stop with precision, fitment, durability and impact resistance, finishing.

[Alan Hahn]

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[Don La Greca]

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[Alan Hahn]

We help you save thanks for listening to the Don Han and Rosenberg podcast.

[Don La Greca]

I didn't listen to anything you just said.

[Alan Hahn]

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

[Don La Greca]

Well, unfortunately, this would be the skip.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah.

[Don La Greca]

So it's not a. No skips for me. Bor. It's still a pretty significant album.

[Alan Hahn]

Yes, very significant. So you're telling me that rather than like that Jake went too far into the album?

[Don La Greca]

Well, there's only like eight songs.

[Alan Hahn]

I know.

[Don La Greca]

Well, how many?

[Alan Hahn]

So. No, but seriously, you've played. I played. You played. Well, you didn't play the one that I. My favorite.

[Don La Greca]

So I played Born to run. I played 10th Avenue Freeze Out. Yep. I had Thunder Road ready. I didn't play that one.

[Alan Hahn]

That's the one.

[Don La Greca]

That's what I didn't play.

[Alan Hahn]

That's the one that you play that and then we're done.

[Don La Greca]

Well, you better play it now because we got ENN at 6 and we're not going to have any.

[Alan Hahn]

Never mind. I'll play it on the way home.

[Don La Greca]

Oh, okay. Well, don't get upset.

[Alan Hahn]

I'm not upset. Wait a minute. What's upset? I just.

[Don La Greca]

Listen. You're very.

[Alan Hahn]

I'll get it in somehow, some way. Jake knows that whatever he plays, it'll end up being what I listen to on the way home. He knows that.

[Don La Greca]

He didn't.

[Alan Hahn]

No, you don't have to.

[Don La Greca]

No, you know, he had to.

[Alan Hahn]

He didn't have to.

[Don La Greca]

Yeah, give me a little. Take a little flavor for the ride home.

[Alan Hahn]

It's. It's best part of the song's later. Although the opening line, the lyrics to the song are unreal. Listen to the description. Screen doors of lambs, Mary's dress waves. Come on, you can see it.

[Don La Greca]

I like this song a lot. You ever hear the story that you had trouble, you know, signing because they Thought he sounded too much like Dylan.

[Alan Hahn]

Well, I could see that a little bit. I just love, like that. It's such a. Like, you know, most music is like very like braggy and very, like, it's. It's very arrogant about everything. Like, she's the hottest. And this, this song is like completely not like that at all. I know you ain't a beauty but hey, you're all right I always, always.

[Don La Greca]

I mean, I always found that very interesting.

[Alan Hahn]

What a lie. You hate a beauty but hey, you're.

[Don La Greca]

All right and then there's, you know, the. Hey, little girl is your daddy.

[Alan Hahn]

Well, that's.

[Don La Greca]

Listen, there was. There was a point in rock and.

[Alan Hahn]

Rol understand that song, you know, the.

[Don La Greca]

Rules were just not a little different. Didn't age well. There's more songs out there about 16 year olds.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah.

[Don La Greca]

That were not being sung by 16 year olds.

[Alan Hahn]

Right.

[Don La Greca]

Problem.

[Alan Hahn]

Big problem. It was mostly in the 80s.

[Don La Greca]

Well, in 80s. Well, remember Winger? Remember the band Winger?

[Alan Hahn]

She's only 17.

[Don La Greca]

Yeah.

[Alan Hahn]

Not great.

[Don La Greca]

What are you doing? Even, Even if certain states do allow that. Come on. Honestly, you could stick about anything in the world.

[Alan Hahn]

You know what's funny?

[Don La Greca]

And you're. And listen, Kip Winger was a pretty handsome guy. They probably could have any woman he wanted to. But instead he was focusing on girls.

[Alan Hahn]

Funny thing is that song came out. I was 17.

[Don La Greca]

So you could sing along.

[Alan Hahn]

I was, I was.

[Don La Greca]

There was no. She's only 17.

[Alan Hahn]

Daddy said she's too young. She's old enough for me.

[Don La Greca]

That's right.

[Alan Hahn]

It's being literal. But yeah, that's that one. And the. The other one of. What's the. That she's just 16 years old. Leave her alone.

[Don La Greca]

They say, like, oh, yeah, that's no. Benny. Benny. Mar. Margonis.

[Alan Hahn]

That begins. And you're going, what?

[Don La Greca]

And there's a video. No, no, I'm telling you.

[Alan Hahn]

And listen.

[Don La Greca]

I love that song. It's a big yacht rod song. There's a video, and he's like 36 years old.

[Alan Hahn]

Oh, like.

[Don La Greca]

And in the video, he goes knocking on the door. And the father's like, get the hell out of here. And then eventually they end up on like this carp magic carpet. And they're flying through the air, you know. Really should go to prison.

[Alan Hahn]

Dad's got the shotgun.

[Don La Greca]

I'm just saying, like, even. Even, like, Ringo, you're 16. You're beautiful. Dr. Hook's got another one too.

[Alan Hahn]

No. What's that one? What's that?

[Don La Greca]

I gotta find it. But there's.

[Alan Hahn]

There's several yeah. Not. Not good, Bob.

[Don La Greca]

Sixteen, I understand. Sweet, but. Well, not what you want as a grown man. As an artist, you're like. And nobody. Nobody back then said, dude, really? 18 rhymes, too. You're 18, you're beautiful, and you're.

[Alan Hahn]

No, he said, we had 18 in life.

[Don La Greca]

Right? 19 works, too. You're 19, you're beautiful. All these more than legal, but you decided to go under legal. And the whole world. He's a great song. They're still playing.

[Alan Hahn]

There are songs that my wife will come up to me and take her earbud out and hand it to me go, will you listen to the words to this song? I used to sing this. Our whole softball team would sing it. And she'd. And it's like. And I'm listening to the words, and I'm repeating them to her back. And she's like, stop it. That's disgusting. I'm like, you. You didn't know, did you? No idea.

[Don La Greca]

Who's the happily singing along? Who's the comedian? Disgusting music that had that HBO crashing, where he was a comedian and he was crashing at different people's houses. I can't remember the name of the comedian, but he does a whole bit on the. A little girl. Is your dad a. Horns.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah. That song is Tough Desire.

[Don La Greca]

I'm on fire. And he's. And he's like, was there anybody back in the room? Like, Bruce, what are you. What are we doing?

[Alan Hahn]

Why are we singing this?

[Don La Greca]

Hey, little girl, is your daddy home?

[Alan Hahn]

Did he go and leave you all alone? I got a bad desire oh, I'm.

[Don La Greca]

On fire I'm on fire yeah.

[Alan Hahn]

If somebody dumps some cold water on him.

[Don La Greca]

If dad wasn't home.

[Alan Hahn]

Oh, boy.

[Don La Greca]

It was on.

[Alan Hahn]

Not good.

[Don La Greca]

What were we really. What was going. I got to think of the Dr. Hook. Oh, she was only 16. Only 16. Yeah. It's. What was going on. I want to squeeze in JT in New Jersey just to change the subject. What's going on, buddy? Jt, did we lose you?

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah. He probably was like, I'm out.

[Caller/Listener]

Oh, sorry. No, guys, I'm here. I was actually lost in the. The Bruce convo there.

[Don La Greca]

By the way.

[Caller/Listener]

I'm on fire. I'm on fire as a banger.

[Alan Hahn]

So that's what he was looking to do. That was the intent.

[Caller/Listener]

I love it. Check out the Chromatics version. Alan, I know you're. You're a covers guy. That's a tight version. But. So as far as the Mets pitching goes, you know, I look across the league, and I'm wondering, you know, who even does have a staff that, that strikes any. Like you guys were just saying before, that strikes like any sort of fear in, in any lineup. You know, I look at the Padres, they, they, they got like Cease and a couple guys over there. The Phillies are a little dangerous. I think they got Wheeler.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah, the Wheeler loss is big.

[Caller/Listener]

Yeah, yeah. But so there's an adage in baseball, you know, hitting solves all problems. So, you know, you talk about.

[Alan Hahn]

It's a real thing.

[Caller/Listener]

It does. You know, it's, it's tough to get bats going in the playoffs and stuff like that. But it's those tight games. You don't see blowouts in the playoffs and stuff like that. Those tight games and you know, you talk about intangibles too. I think that goes for pitchers as well. You know, a guy with a hurt finger, you know, being, being down one nothing. You're coming from a place of hurt too. You're trying to throw the ball and you know, it's. You're kind of, you're hurting inside, you know.

[Don La Greca]

You know, because. But you, you don't realize.

[Caller/Listener]

Get a little bats going. Yeah, sorry, that's what they're getting, little bats going. You know, that's the thing. Yeah, yeah.

[Don La Greca]

Because they figure they can outscore their problems. Now the best team in baseball right now, the Milwaukee brewers, and they will not have a pitcher, I don't think get to 200 innings. Peralta is there 15 and 5. He's throwing 147 and 2/3 innings.

[Alan Hahn]

Would you say the Padres have the. Probably the best pitching staff?

[Don La Greca]

Yeah. Right. But not a lot of length though.

[Alan Hahn]

No, but they still have two, two good guys at the top. ERA wise, WHIP wise, among the best in the league. Right.

[Don La Greca]

They're good.

[Alan Hahn]

But you got Cease and you got Darvish, right?

[Don La Greca]

Yeah, Darvish has been odd to say the least. But you take a look at San Diego. Okay, you mentioned San San Diego. You know, cease, 137⅔ innings and he's 6 and 11.

[Alan Hahn]

Right. That's an odd Darvish, you know, because he was hurt.

[Don La Greca]

He's three and three. So, you know, we'll see. You know, King hurt two, you know, so they've, they've been.

[Alan Hahn]

Overall as a, as a, as a staff, they've been good this year.

[Don La Greca]

Oh, yeah, because Pavett is 13 and 4.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah, that's the game.

[Don La Greca]

They've been good and they've pitched to a really good earner on average and, and all that. But again, it's not like the old days because we focus so much on the locals. You don't realize that the problems the Mets and the Yankees have are problems that exist in Major League Baseball all over.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah, you're right.

[Don La Greca]

ENN is up next. Rosenberg here on ESPN New York. You want to get the most for your money. That's why more Mazda buyers choose Ramsey Mazda for selection customer service savings during the Mazda More to move you sales event. Lisa New 25 Mazda CXP for 239 for 33 months. Start shopping now at Ramsey Mazda.com choose wisely. Choose Ramsey Mazda. Call 833-853-2970 for details. Vin SM 842601 MSRP 268800 Security Deposit Ends 9225 thanks for listening to the.

[Alan Hahn]

Don Han and Rosenberg Podcast.

[Don La Greca]

I don't want to know how is.

[Alan Hahn]

This sausage is made man. I just want to know. It's good. Hear more of Don Allen and Peter.

[Caller/Listener]

Weekday afternoon starting at 3 on 8.

[Alan Hahn]

80, ESPN, the ESPN New York app and your smart speakers.

[Don La Greca]

This episode is brought to you by FX's alien Earth, the official podcast. Each week, host Adam Rogers is joined by guests, including the show's creator, cast and crew. In this exclusive companion podcast. They will explore story elements, deep dive into character motivations and offer an episode by episode, behind the scenes breakdown of each terrifying chapter in this new series. Search FX's alien Earth wherever you listen to podcasts.