Hour 3: Mets Struggles & McNeil Returns

Summary

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Don, Hahn & Rosenberg – Hour 3: Mets Struggles & McNeil Returns

Date: April 10, 2026
Hosts: Don La Greca, Alan Hahn, Peter Rosenberg
Theme: New York sports talk on Mets drama, Yankees development, Knicks/Celtics psychology, plus listener questions and classic pop culture tangents.

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Episode Overview

This episode captures the Don, Hahn & Rosenberg trio in full swing, broadcasting from different cities but united in trademark banter and deep NYC sports insights. The hour weaves big-picture baseball clubhouse politics (with a focus on the Mets’ Jeff McNeil–Lindor relationship), Yankees lineup speculation, playoff mentality for Knicks/Celtics, and plenty of lighthearted asides on music and lifestyle. Calls from engaged listeners add depth, as do candid debates about what it means to be a “fan” after franchise relocations.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Travel & Behind the Scenes: Life on the Road

• [00:44–04:55]
  Alan recounts his early-morning Newark airport experience, sharing exhaustion, seating strategies, and a cool encounter with a fan who recognized him but kept it discreet.
  • “He ended up being like a big fan. But he never bothered me during the flight. Didn’t say anything.” — Alan Hahn [04:24]
  • The discussion highlights how public personalities handle recognition, and when fans do – or don’t – approach.

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“Fraud Friday” & the Ethics of Fan Allegiance in Franchise Moves

• [07:11–14:44]
  Listener Jose from Connecticut challenges Don’s views on sports loyalties when teams move cities, using the Browns/Ravens and Sonics/Thunder as context.
  • The debate centers on whether it’s “fraudulent” to stick with a team’s new incarnation after they abandon your city, or if it’s more fake to abandon them after years of commitment.
  • Notable Quote:
    “He made the conscious choice to follow them to OKC and for nearly 20 years has continued to root for them. So wouldn’t it be fraudulent to stop?” — Alan Hahn [08:14]
• The guys highlight NBA franchise history deals (Sonics’ identity being “on hold” for a future Seattle franchise), connecting it to loyalty and team identity.

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Knicks Playoff Readiness & Offensive Identity

• [10:40–14:44]
  Caller Chris asks about the Knicks’ unpredictable half-court offense and their playoff viability against Boston.
  • Alan and Peter break down the system, expressing concern about sustainability but optimism about team chemistry. They reinforce the difference between regular season play and what lasts in the playoffs.
  • Chris, who also knows Gary Payton, jokes about SuperSonics allegiances, connecting back to the earlier “Fraud Friday” debate.

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Mets Drama: Jeff McNeil’s Return & the Lindor Relationship

• [15:00–22:20]
  The hosts dissect Jeff McNeil’s carefully worded, emotionally distant statements about Francisco Lindor upon his return to the Mets.
  • They sharply analyze the order and tone of his remarks (“We’re teammates… wish him all the best”) as signals of real-life tension, debating whether public pleasantries mask unresolved conflicts.
  • Notable Quotes:
    “First thing he said was, we were teammates.” — Alan Hahn [15:49]
    “Doesn’t sound like they’re exchanging Christmas cards.” — Anthony [18:13]
    “He ends it with almost as if he was saying subliminally, ‘Hey, tell him I wish him well for the rest of his career.’” — Peter Rosenberg [19:11]
  • The segment leads to broader reflection on Lindor’s likability versus possible inauthenticity, likened to the “Russell Wilson” scenario where public persona differs from clubhouse reality.

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Yankees Roster Development: Caballero vs. Volpe & the Lombard Prospects Question

• [29:25–32:43, 44:47–47:31]
  Multiple callers inquire about Yankees’ player development, questioning whether utility infielder Caballero deserves an extended shot, and when top prospect George Lombard Jr. might force his way up.
  • Alan emphasizes that roster spots have to be seized, not just handed out:
    “He was given a spring training and it looks like the first … over a month of the season to literally steal the job away from Volpe, and he’s wet the bed.” — Alan Hahn [30:15]
  • Discussion of Lombard Jr. centers on development timing and the necessity of mastering AAA before a big league call-up.

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Knicks vs. Celtics: Playoff Psyche & Media Narratives

• [32:49–36:21]
  A caller asks if Boston is psyching themselves out about the Knicks after a recent loss and Tatum’s visible frustration. Alan, as Knicks sideline reporter, gives inside perspective:
  • Boston postgame media downplayed the Knicks’ celebration after a big win, mocking them for “acting like it was a championship,” but Alan clarifies the real motivation was joy for Josh Hart.
  • Notable Quote:
    “They were running up to him ... this was not a game that the Knicks, like, ran off the court waving their finger, number one, like Joe Namath …” — Peter Rosenberg [35:38]

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Listener Lightning Round: Fandom, Drop Madness, WrestleMania vs. Playoffs

• Hartford Whalers’ Fans and Team Allegiance ([47:39–48:50])
  • Discussion on how Hartford fans identify after the Whalers’ move, with Don explaining many turned to the Rangers, not Bruins, despite the geography.
• Drop Madness Legitimacy ([41:30–43:37])
  • Debate over what qualifies as a “drop” on the show, whether Carlin’s “choking” bit was too long, or in-bounds given show history.
• WrestleMania vs. NBA Playoffs ([44:47–45:41])
  • A caller struggles with the choice between NBA playoff play-ins and WrestleMania, leading to a lively exchange about sports priorities.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “He ended up being like a big fan. But he never bothered me during the flight. Didn’t say anything.” — Alan Hahn [04:24]
• “He made the conscious choice to follow them to OKC and for nearly 20 years has continued to root for them. So wouldn’t it be fraudulent to stop?” — Alan Hahn [08:14]
• “Doesn’t sound like they’re exchanging Christmas cards.” — Anthony on McNeil/Lindor [18:13]
• “He ends it with almost as if he was saying subliminally, ‘Hey, tell him I wish him well for the rest of his career.’” — Peter Rosenberg [19:11]
• “They were running up to him ... this was not a game that the Knicks, like, ran off the court waving their finger, number one, like Joe Namath …” — Peter Rosenberg [35:38]

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Music & Pop Culture Sidebars

• [25:25–27:39]
  Tangents on Stevie Wonder’s and Beatles covers, changes in the music industry, and how charting hits has evolved from sales to streaming.
• [43:40–44:41]
  The 30th anniversary of Alice in Chains’ MTV Unplugged prompts nostalgia, with Alan calling it the “quintessential” performance of that era.

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:44 – Show begins, travel stories
• 07:11 – “Fraud Friday” and team loyalty debate
• 10:40 – Knicks playoff offense concerns
• 15:00 – Jeff McNeil’s return and Lindor questions
• 29:25 – Yankees: Caballero/Volpe lineup questions
• 32:49 – Knicks/Celtics “psychology” after big game
• 41:30 – Drop Madness asterisk debate
• 43:40 – Alice in Chains’ MTV Unplugged turns 30
• 44:47 – Yankees infield prospects & play-in/WrestleMania
• 47:39 – Whalers fans on post-move allegiances

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Tone & Takeaways

Rich with classic, quick-witted New York sports radio energy, the hosts balance skepticism, inside info, and real passion for the city’s sporting culture. Fans tuning in will leave with sharper perspectives on team dynamics (especially the Mets and Knicks), an understanding of the complexity behind team moves and fan loyalty, and plenty of laughs and pop trivia along the way.

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Transcript

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[Peter Rosenberg]

is the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.

[Alan Hahn]

That sounds like heaven to me.

[Peter Rosenberg]

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

[Don La Greca]

Hahn and Rosenberg on ESPN New York 503 in the big city, as the great Don Leggraec would say. Peter Rosenberg here in Orlando, Florida. Don Legreca in Detroit with the Red Wings for the second to last time this season. Is that right, don?

[Alan Hahn]

We got three games left.

[Don La Greca]

Oh, three. Third to last time.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You're in game 80 right now. We got two. How am I beating you to the

[Don La Greca]

finish lines at Allen's at game 81?

[Alan Hahn]

81 MSG to the Olympics.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Alan Hahn]

So down for 18 days. That'll do it.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That'll do it.

[Don La Greca]

But here we are. Now, Dom, before we get to all these phone calls and we got lots of them, you said you had a cool airplane story.

[Alan Hahn]

I thought it was cool. So, you know I'm not like you. I got to go to the airport early. So my flights at nine out of Newark. So I set the alarm for five.

[Don La Greca]

Good Lord.

[Caller/Listener]

All right.

[Alan Hahn]

And I don't shower. I just throw something on. I figure I'm gonna get to the hotel in Detroit, I'll shower and get ready for the show. So drive to the Prudential center, leave my car. So when we get back tomorrow night, my car will be there. Uber to the airport. And. And it's like 6, 6:30. I'm in the. I'm already through security. It's ridiculous. But I wanted to make sure that I was on time.

[Don La Greca]

Of course. Security at 6:30.

[Peter Rosenberg]

So my cruise through. You get. You want to. You rather that than stand on the line for an hour and a half

[Alan Hahn]

because here's the thing. You're right. You're right, Peter. But all of a sudden I waited out. Let's say I wait an hour. Yeah, you, you know, it wouldn't have been. I would have been through security at 7:30 because now there's more traffic on the turnpike.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yep.

[Alan Hahn]

There's more People. So I did the right thing. Yeah, it was early. I'm exhausted. But still I didn't have to stress. Hate rights. But clear in the TSA got me through quick.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Nice.

[Alan Hahn]

But I got my mad hat on. I'm just exhausted just trying to get six. Trying to get.

[Don La Greca]

So you're not boarding for another two hours?

[Alan Hahn]

That's right. A little less than two hours. So I had a nice, nice pancake breakfast.

[Peter Rosenberg]

There you go. Little pancakes, you know, little flapjacks. Right.

[Alan Hahn]

So planes packed. There's not. There's not a ctp. Perfect. Rutgers team was on a trip a lot of.

[Don La Greca]

And let me guess, you're sitting.

[Alan Hahn]

And let me.

[Don La Greca]

And let me guess, you're sitting in coach like the regular man that you are.

[Alan Hahn]

No. Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Don't share that. Don't tell the world. Don't tell.

[Don La Greca]

Don't go Dan Orlofsky. Don't go Stephen A and Dan Orlopsky.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Don't tell the world what your. What your union demands. Don't do that.

[Don La Greca]

26B.

[Alan Hahn]

One of the reasons was because I scheduled all my flights the beginning of the season and the last flight out of Detroit was 6:30, so I would have to take it off from the show. And I didn't want to take off, so I shifted it to nine. And it was literally the only seat that was on the 9 o' clock flight was row 15. And it was right at the window. I like the window seat. That way I don't have to get up if somebody's got a pee. I'm good.

[Don La Greca]

Yeah.

[Alan Hahn]

So I'm trying to fall asleep. I'm just. I'm playing my Vice City like I do on the. On the iPad. So we land, I check my phone and a guy, Brett, on X, says I'm either sitting next to Don Lagreca or. Or his. The best doppelganger. Turned out the guy was sitting next to had tweeted me before we took off. Not sure if that was me or not. And then when we landed, I showed him the phone and he laughed. He ended up being like a big fan. But he never. He never bothered me during the flight. Didn't say anything.

[Don La Greca]

Wow. No.

[Alan Hahn]

Saw that I was, in a way, I had my headsets on, just trying to get some. Some Z's. But he tweeted that out, so. Turns out he's taking his son to visit Michigan State. Big fan of the K show. Big fan of Don Hanna, Rosenberg. Big Yankee fan, big giant fan. So shout out to Brett, but I don't know if you're ever. That's. That's happened to me a couple of times where people have tweeted at me, I'm next to Don Lagraek online or I'm sitting next to him at a table. Right? Just say something, man. Yeah, but he was cool, but I was not expecting that.

[Peter Rosenberg]

People don't want to bother you. There's some people that feel like, well,

[Don La Greca]

they've seen you screaming on television before

[Peter Rosenberg]

and nobody wants that. Yeah, they only want to see it on tv. They don't want to see it in their face.

[Don La Greca]

No. There's a level of intimidation by. By the way, guys, the NFL draft is coming up Thursday, April 23rd. To you and me.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Wait a minute, that's in 13 days. That's less than two weeks.

[Alan Hahn]

To you and me, that's 417,000 more mock drafts.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yes.

[Alan Hahn]

We love this.

[Don La Greca]

New York is on the clock. Big day for the jets and the Giants. So Rick and Dave, our morning show, are doing a live couchcast. Your second screen experience for the draft. Real time reactions, instant takes, everything you need. Maybe Dave will have a full breakdown and weep. We don't know. But watch along and react with us. Do not miss a moment. ESPN New York's Couchcast on draft night on the ESPN New York YouTube page. April 23, 8pm Presented by Calandra's Bakery.

[Alan Hahn]

How do you think they feel if one of us just showed up and just sat down on the couch and participated in the broadcast? You think they'd be excited, offended?

[Don La Greca]

No, I think we're doing.

[Caller/Listener]

We're.

[Peter Rosenberg]

If. If there's no Nick playoff game, we'll be doing our show in the studio. Correct?

[Caller/Listener]

Right.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And so we'll be. They'll be there, we'll be there. It's. We'll be done. If we're done at seven, they don't start till late. I know, but we could, we could go get a nice meal and then just come back and just bum rush it. Just. Just for the hell of it.

[Don La Greca]

I gotta tell you guys, it's actually funny that night. I can't reveal what yet because I have an announcement coming, but. Oh, yeah, but I do have something that night at 10 o', clock, I literally may have nothing to do and there's no point in me going home.

[Anthony]

We won't be off on. We won't be off at 7 that day. Unless there's a Nick game. We'll be off earlier than seven.

[Don La Greca]

Oh, so it would be sitting around.

[Caller/Listener]

No.

[Don La Greca]

You know what we do? The three of us go have dinner like Some gentlemen.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yes.

[Don La Greca]

And then we come back at 8 o' clock and join them and just

[Peter Rosenberg]

sit on the couch and just like, what are we doing, guys? Like, I get them all angry that we're in there.

[Don La Greca]

Hey, guys, want to play some ball?

[Peter Rosenberg]

What are we talking about?

[Anthony]

We can mooch off more Calandras as well.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah.

[Don La Greca]

And you know what?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Some dessert.

[Don La Greca]

I'm always here for some colanders.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I'm okay. Yeah.

[Don La Greca]

All right, let's. Let's get to it. A lot of people are on the line, and it starts before anything. There's a fraud dispute, and it is Fraud Friday. I'd be remiss. Let's go to Jose in Connecticut, who wants to get in? What you got, Jose?

[Caller/Listener]

Hey, what's up, guys? Happy Friday, Don, man. I love you, bro, but I'm surprised about your take on this one. Like, I feel like. And I'm giving. I'm gonna give you an experience. I live because I'm not a Browns fan, but I lived in Cleveland for 20 years, and when they moved to Baltimore, nobody. Like, it's different if it was the Baltimore Browns, but they, like, completely changed the identity of the franchise. Like the Thunder, nobody was a Ravens fan. And, like, once the Bronze came back, everybody was a Bronze fan again. It's like, I don't know any. I could honestly tell you I don't know anybody, and I've lived for 20 years that's a Ravens fan. So I feel like you're kind of a fraud. I could understand if they were still like the Oklahoma City Sonics, but you're kind of a fraud if your team comes back and then you're like, well, the Thunder are champions. And, you know, I. I'll stick with them. I can't understand, like, the Dodgers, the Brooklyn Dodgers are still the Dodgers, but

[Alan Hahn]

he made the choice. He made the conscious choice to follow them to okc and for nearly 20 years has continued to root for them. So wouldn't it be fraudulent to stop? That's what I'm saying.

[Caller/Listener]

But I bet you if the Sonics become great and the city is celebrated, he's going to be like, oh, I was a foreign stand the whole time. I just feel like you're giving them a leash.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah, he would be a fraud. It's a very unusual circumstance. Now, the thing with the Browns, that was 19, the Ravens first year was 96. So at the end of the 95 season. So that was in the infancy of the Sunday ticket. And it was so. It was so disgusting the way that Modell did it, you know, leaving the way. The way that he did. I. I can understand you not. Not rooting for the Ravens. Now, the circumstances with Seattle. You'd have to remind me, Alan, like was it. Was it nefarious? Was there an issue or was it just.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Hey, no, it just. Yeah, they made it clear there was a deadline. They couldn't get the arena deal done and then they just left.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah, so.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But you knew it was coming.

[Alan Hahn]

Now if he had made the decision, I'm not rooting for them because they're evil. They left me. But he made the conscious decision to stick with them. So I think it'd be fraudulent to give up on that. So if he decided, I'm not going to follow. No, Casey. Fine, I get it. But once you decide to do it and they've got all Seattle's history, right? I don't know. Do they have like the Sonics retired numbers up in okc?

[Peter Rosenberg]

I don't believe so, no. I think they only have its. What's his name? Collison, that they retired. He was a Thunder. But they know they didn't do any of that stuff.

[Alan Hahn]

But, but if you went to them, if they. Their media guide, it's got the Sonics history, right?

[Don La Greca]

That's an interesting question.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I've never really put that much thought into it, Don. It's a great question because we know when the New Orleans went. When the Charlotte Hornets originally moved to New Orleans, New Orleans Hornets, that all went with them. But then the league, there was some agreement when the Bobcats came in as a new Charlotte franchise, they changed back to Hornets in a couple of years and the Pelicans willingly gave back the history. Very bizarre.

[Alan Hahn]

All right, let's not give back to it because Seattle doesn't have a team back yet. So I don't know.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Don La Greca]

Let's go to Chris in Connecticut, wants to talk some Knicks. What's up, Chris?

[Caller/Listener]

Hey guys, how you doing?

[Don La Greca]

Good, man.

[Caller/Listener]

First of all, first and foremost, I just want to say you guys do an awesome job on the show. And Alan, that caller that had called in a little while ago about the post game interview with Josh Hart, you do an awesome postgame, man. I don't know what that guy was talking about. So I just wanted to make that clear. I just wanted to kind of get your guys opinion on this. I. I've played basketball my entire life and I'm a die hard Knicks fan and I'm just a little bit nervous because it seems sometimes that I hate to use this word because they're Our beloved Knicks. And I think they have a good ball club, but sometimes the offense to me almost seems kind of accidental. And what I mean by that is when they get into the half court and it's kind of dribble, dribble, high ball screen, roll out four guys around the three point line, I know Big Cat's a good shooter. And then they leave Mitch down on the block to kind of pick up the mess. But I just don't really realize if that's like kind of a sustainable way to play ball in the playoffs. And then furthermore, if you've got four guys around the outside and we've got all those slashers like, like Bridges and Obi, why sometimes we get beaten transition so bad that I just, I don't know if that's a Mike Brown style offense. It's kind of inhibiting us in a way. I, I'm just a little bit nervous. I'm obviously not going to sit here and say that Boston's eons better than us, but I still do think they have a leg up on us. But I did want to get your opinion on that. And before I do go with this whole Seattle thing, Gary Payton's actually a business partner of mine and I'm pretty sure he would be awfully upset.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, nicely done. I like that.

[Caller/Listener]

Gary Payton is actually a friend of mine and it would. And that's not why I called. It just happened to fall into the conversation.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Sure.

[Caller/Listener]

But he would be awfully upset if that person didn't go back to being a Seattle SuperSonics fan. So thank you guys so much for your time and I really enjoy the show.

[Peter Rosenberg]

All right, before I get to his point on the Knicks, I did check it out, Don, you're right, so and so is the caller. So the Thunder did assume the franchise, but did not assume the Sonic's history. So there's no banner, like there's 79 championship banner that does not hang at Paycom. It does not hang in Oklahoma City. It is in a storage facility. All their banners, all the stuff they had in the arena for the Sonics stored in the Museum of History and Industry in Seattle, waiting for the next time a team can return. And the deal that they made was they took ownership of the franchise, but not physical possession of the team when it comes to history. So the deal allows the return of the Sonics name, colors and history to a new Seattle franchise in the future. So, like, Gary Payton doesn't want his. He didn't want his number hanging in Oklahoma City. Like there's been this whole talk about other players. If you're. If you had your number retired, would you want it hanging in Oklahoma City? Like. No, I don't want it hanging there because I didn't play there, so it's weird.

[Alan Hahn]

It's. And I was just so.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That's very interesting.

[Alan Hahn]

I couldn't remember because I was in Denver earlier this year with the Avalanche. Like, do they honor any of the Nordique history? Although they do have a throwback where they wear the Nordic, which I love. They have the history. Like, if you look up, the second leading score in Avalanche history is Peter Stasnik.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Alan Hahn]

From the Nordics. Michelle Goulet. But all of the retired numbers for the Nordics were. Were not grandfathered into the Avalanche, so their numbers do not hang in.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Interesting. Yeah, I like that better. I. I think there's something to that. I do think there's something that's special about that, but. So I guess if, when the Seattle franchise does return, they'll be the Sonics, I guess there's no question about that.

[Alan Hahn]

And there's not going to be history.

[Caller/Listener]

Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

There's not going to be some name

[Don La Greca]

contest now, respectfully, going to move to something more pressing. But that was interesting. Jeff McNeil is back in Queens, of course.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yes, he is, with the A's being here.

[Don La Greca]

And Jeff has spoken before the game. He has spoken first, of course, all those rumors about Jeff McNeil and Francisco Lindor. What happened between you and Lindor Lindor in Philly?

[Jeff McNeil]

No, no, we didn't get. It's just a. You know, we just had a little argument. It was no big deal.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Semantics.

[Don La Greca]

It wasn't a fight.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It was an argument.

[Don La Greca]

Well, I thought it was about a raccoon, but exactly. Jeff, did the fight lead to you being traded?

[Jeff McNeil]

No, absolutely not.

[Don La Greca]

And lastly, what was your relationship like with Lindor?

[Jeff McNeil]

We're teammates. You know, I think he's a, you know, great guy and, you know, good person. And, you know, I enjoyed my time playing with him and, you know, I wish him, you know, all the best. And, you know, he's a great baseball player, you know, one of the best shortstops to ever do it. So best of luck to him and the rest of his career and fun playing with him.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Oh, it's. It's. It's like. Can you hear it, Don? Can you hear it?

[Alan Hahn]

Here's the problem. His order's all wrong. Yeah, he said a lot of nice things.

[Caller/Listener]

What do you mean?

[Alan Hahn]

First thing he said was, we were teammates.

[Peter Rosenberg]

We were teammates.

[Anthony]

Which is what Lindor said about stto,

[Peter Rosenberg]

we played the same sport that both human.

[Alan Hahn]

We both reside on Earth.

[Caller/Listener]

Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

We got a lot in common. We both are humans. We have two legs.

[Don La Greca]

I'm asking an honest question, Anthony. I'm going to ask. I got to ask you. All right. Don and Allen are both truly sports guys in New York. Alan, writer first for a time. For a time. And Don, God bless him, he's better than most, but he is still. What's the term that Mushnik likes to describe writers? Gas bag. He's still a gas bag. It's who he is. Okay, so I'm going to you, Anthony.

[Anthony]

Yes, sir.

[Don La Greca]

Is Don and are Don and Allen trying too hard and are they being that guy by noticing that he put that word first or is there really something to that? I'm asking you in your unbiased non sports talk host or writer opinion.

[Anthony]

Unbiased. There's just, there's too much smoke there. And by the way, the Philly incident was just a different incident. The raccoon thing was like two years ago in. When they were at City and it was in the home locker room.

[Alan Hahn]

So it's just like.

[Anthony]

But no, like, it's not your fault. There's too many instances where these guys

[Peter Rosenberg]

agree, which fight are we talking about?

[Don La Greca]

But are Don's. Is Don's assessment that he hears that language first? Is he reading too much into it? And like, yeah, maybe they did have drama, but ultimately it's not a big deal. They love each other. Or is Don right? They went out of order.

[Anthony]

I think. I think he's right because it just. And again, I think Jeff answered it perfectly. Like, Jeff did a very good job of tiptoeing very difficult questions. Did the fight you had last year lead to your trade? No, absolutely not. What else is he going to say? But when they asked you describe your relationship with Lindor, he said, we're teammates.

[Don La Greca]

Good luck. Let's. Let's hear it again.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Good luck.

[Anthony]

The rest of his career, by the way, sounds like we're not going to be talking very often.

[Don La Greca]

All right, let me hear this.

[Jeff McNeil]

No, no, we didn't get the fight. It was just a, you know, we said a little argument. It was no big deal.

[Don La Greca]

And what was your relationship with Lindor? Let's hear that third one.

[Jeff McNeil]

We're teammates. You know, I think he's a great guy and, you know, good person and, you know, I enjoyed my time playing with him and, you know, I wish him all the best and, you know, he's a great baseball player. You know, one of the best shortstops, you know, to ever do it. So best of luck to him and the rest of his career, and fun playing with him.

[Anthony]

Doesn't sound like they're exchanging Christmas cards.

[Don La Greca]

So. Don, it's the beginning and the end. Because the beginning is we were teammates. Yeah, we know. And the end. Good luck with the rest of your life. Yeah, that does sound like it's over, I guess.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Alan Hahn]

But I just think order is important. I'm not trying to stir it. I'm just saying that Peter, if. Because I get asked about you a lot, like, how do you. How do you feel about Peter? You know, working with Peter for 10

[Don La Greca]

years and you don't go, well, I work with him.

[Peter Rosenberg]

We co hosts.

[Alan Hahn]

You know, we work at the same station. And then I eventually get to great guy, great talk show host, all that. But if the first thing in my mouth is, we're teammates, that's not good. And I think because he's a quick thinker, he's a smart. He probably heard how that sounded. So now he's got to make sure the next few things are pretty good in favor of Lindor. But the first thing. We were teammates.

[Don La Greca]

No, it's.

[Peter Rosenberg]

He ends it. I'm sorry. He ends it with almost as if he was saying sublimity, subliminally. Hey, tell him. Tell him I wish him well. Like. Like, I hope, you know, I wish him well for the rest of his career. That's like. You can say that when you go say hi to him across the field.

[Anthony]

You know how Soto and Judge hugged the first time they faced each other last year? I think it was. Yeah, it was Fourth of July weekend. I bless you. I don't think. I don't think that McNeil and Lindor are going to be embracing.

[Caller/Listener]

No.

[Alan Hahn]

When he's at second teammates anymore.

[Caller/Listener]

But.

[Don La Greca]

But you know what, though? How bad will it look, Anthony, if after that quote and everything, he. They still look better than him and Soto?

[Anthony]

It just shows, like, anybody, anybody. And I don't think there's any people that doubt it anymore. There was clearly something in that clubhouse, and I don't want to blame any one particular person.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, but there were clearly something.

[Don La Greca]

You mean the raccoon?

[Anthony]

Well, yeah, the raccoon was clearly an

[Peter Rosenberg]

issue, but aside from Rocky, there were other things going on in there.

[Anthony]

It seems like that there were a couple of personalities that didn't just gel well. And the Mets did a. We think a good job of trying to eradicate that, but we'll see the time Will tell if that's the case.

[Peter Rosenberg]

We said this last year that there was something not right in that clubhouse. We talked about this enough. So it's not like they're. They're. They're not hiding any secrets from us. Like, we knew all this stuff. But it would be hilarious, though, what Peter just said. Like, again, this is all eyes are watching, you know, the McNeil walk. Then, like, a fly ball gets to second Lindor. Now there's like a stoppage for a minute. Lindor goes over to him, little dap, quick little hug, little catch up. And then they, you know, and then the play resumes. And then it's like. That's the most interaction we've seen. That's more interaction that we've seen there than him and Soto.

[Alan Hahn]

Right.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That would be a bad look. If you're Lindor, you almost have to, like, keep the cold wall up.

[Alan Hahn]

But what is it about?

[Peter Rosenberg]

So bizarre.

[Alan Hahn]

Because he seems like a really nice guy.

[Don La Greca]

No, he seems like the nicest guy,

[Alan Hahn]

but he plays my girl when he

[Peter Rosenberg]

goes up to bat.

[Alan Hahn]

But is there Russell Wilson in him? Is there something that they. Right, because Russell Wilson comes across as a really nice guy, and then everybody in the room hated him.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That's not a bad.

[Alan Hahn]

And then you start learning more that he's kind of not what he appears to be. Is that. Is that maybe what's going on with Laguna? Because I listen, it's from afar, but he just looks like a really nice guy, family man, you know, bringing his kid to the press conference with the whole buck thing, like, ages. There doesn't seem to be anything unlikable about Lindor. Unless, to the guys in the room, is it a facade? Is it just. Is it an act? Because that was the problem with Wilson, right? He wasn't what he appeared to be.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yes.

[Alan Hahn]

And that rubbed everybody in the room the wrong way.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, he was always scripted.

[Alan Hahn]

Again, I don't know, but I don't listen. Maybe I'm too close to it alone, but when you see Lindor, does he look unlikable?

[Don La Greca]

No, he seemed. Not at all.

[Peter Rosenberg]

He seems bubbly and friendly and approachable and all the things that you would think.

[Alan Hahn]

So when you see somebody like that not be liked by multiple people, what could the reason be other than he's not what he appears?

[Peter Rosenberg]

That's the only reason I come up with. He's a phony.

[Alan Hahn]

And nothing, nobody can root that out better than somebody that's in the clubhouse with you every day.

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[Anthony]

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[Don La Greca]

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[Anthony]

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[Peter Rosenberg]

Thanks for listening to the Don Han and Rosenberg podcast.

[Don La Greca]

I didn't listen to anything you just said.

[Peter Rosenberg]

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

[Don La Greca]

One of my favorite Beatles records, if I'm being honest. And I like the Stevie Wonderful Wonder version at least as much as the original. A beautiful classic of all time. You're not a fan, Donna? The Stevie version?

[Alan Hahn]

No, I. I am so good. I legitimately found it interesting.

[Don La Greca]

Well, thank you. Yeah, I love it. And it was such a crazy time. Like, not only do people cover songs, but like Stevie's. Stevie's version of it is a single as a B side for one of his singles, too. It's like they. They would do covers and then put out. It's just.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's.

[Don La Greca]

It's actually something. It may have been done almost too much back then, guys, and not enough now at all.

[Peter Rosenberg]

The sharing of songs.

[Don La Greca]

Yeah, it went from maybe they.

[Peter Rosenberg]

There was a lot of 70s and

[Don La Greca]

now there's basically none.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Don La Greca]

But like, what a. What a crazy, like, huge artist just doing each other's songs and, you know,

[Peter Rosenberg]

it was almost like writing. They were writing songs for each other and then doing them themselves, too. Like, you saw a lot of that Dylan.

[Alan Hahn]

If I listen to the Casey case of American top 40, which I'll probably listen.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I know you will.

[Alan Hahn]

As a game tomorrow, they'll. It'll be like 1973, in case you'll go. Do you know that eight of the artists in the top 40 have written their own songs? Because you just needed hits, Peter. You had to have hits. It wasn't even about the album back that you needed a hit. So there were writers that could get you hits or you just. I need to perform this song because I know it's gonna be a hit.

[Don La Greca]

Well, it just. It was such a different business. And the. The idea now that you will say, you know, Drake has 11. I'm not picky on Drake, but he just happens to have a lot of hits. Drake has 11 songs in the Billboard top 100. Well, that's because they stream every single song right back in the day, to get into a Billboard Top 100, you needed to put out a record and people had to go buy it.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yep.

[Don La Greca]

It's such a different animal altogether.

[Alan Hahn]

It was based on record sales. And then they would pull the DJs right on how often the song was played.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yep.

[Alan Hahn]

So obviously, the more it sold, the more it would get played. And then they would formulate the top 40.

[Don La Greca]

Yeah, it's completely done. How about a little game time? Brought to you by Tullamore Duiski. Because when it's game time, It's calling time. Mets start a series with the A's as We're talking about right now coverage right here on 880 at 6:30 Knicks Raptors like you dream about on 10:50 at 7. Yankees are in Tampa facing the Rays at 7:10 Nets and the Bucs at 8. Tullamore Dew. The original triple distilled, triple blended and triple castman shirt Irish whiskey. Be sure to grab a Tullamore Dew or try the new Tullamore Dew, honey. During today's action glass up to enjoying Tullamore do responsibly. And before the break, we played audio of Jeff McNeil talking about his relationship with Francisco Lindor. And it was, the audio was a bit frigid and I joked, well, imagine if his embrace with, if Lindor's embrace with McNeil is better than Lindor's embrace of on opening day with Soto. Well, the video's out, guys. The, the embrace with McNeil was better.

[Alan Hahn]

Way better.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Really?

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah.

[Don La Greca]

Take a look at your text, Alan. It's a, it is a better embrace between Lindor and McNeil than we saw with Lindor.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And on opening day in front of the home fans, the very first thing

[Alan Hahn]

you do compared to the Lindor Soto, it's like they, when they surprised the 8 year old that their father came back from, from the military.

[Don La Greca]

Yeah.

[Alan Hahn]

And seen him in four years like that relative that compared to Soto and Lindor.

[Don La Greca]

Let's, let's take some calls though, guys. We only have two segments left to talk to the people because ENN's coming up at 6. Let's go to Ed in Mohegan. He's been on hold forever. Ed, what do you got?

[Caller/Listener]

Hey guys, how you doing? Yeah, thanks for getting me on. I wanted to talk about Caballero. You know, I know Volt, he's coming, coming back soon, you know, and he's going to play. But you know, I was looking at Caballero and he's, he's never had a chance to play a full season. I mean, Volpe's had three now. He, when he, when Caballero got to the Yankees, he hit better. You know, it was only a small sampling and so is this year. It's only been two weeks. If this guy can even raise his batting average, maybe 30 or 40 points, he could be a redeemer. Ridiculous weapon. And I would love to. I know he's not going to get a full season, but I mean, don't you think this guy deserves a chance? Because when you play with that over your head, knowing you're probably not going to be. I mean, granted, he's going to be a part time player, but I don't know, I just think if they gave him ample time, he could turn into something.

[Alan Hahn]

Well, that, that's true, but you know what? You don't always have a perfect road. He was given a spring training and it looks like the first, you know, over a month of the season to literally steal the job away from Volpe and he's wet the bed like. Yeah, I'm sure given 400 of bats. 400 bats is almost an entire season. They've invested a lot in Volpe. He's not going to get that kind of road. So Alan, you got to take advantage of the road you're given and he's completely messed it up.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, but I get the, I get the, the curiosity from the caller. Right. I get that part of it. It's like, well, let's, let's, let's give him a run here and see what he could do with it. And I guess the Yankees know better obviously than we do what he is and how they want to use him. So if they don't see him as somebody that could do it every day, then don't, you know. But, but there is a curiosity to everybody who's new to see if you gave this guy time, could he turn it into something. But it's not like he's a rookie that came up in your system. He's played elsewhere. This is kind of what he's become right now.

[Alan Hahn]

And they've invested a lot in Volpe and he's given an opportunity here. And Volpe, by the way.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, and the Volpe thing is also something to watch carefully because they are going to have to make a decision at some point, maybe by the end of this season, if not during, of what they're going to do with him going forward. And also with Lombard going forward. Lombard's a shortstop. They are using him at third base. I, I, I don't know if they're using at third base right now in Double A. I haven't checked, but I know they've used him. They, they've given him third base reps in the minors. But you know, defensively, you know, Michael has talked about this is defensively, he's elite already at his age. It's, they want to make sure offensively that he'd be able to hold his own at least as a young player because they've, we've seen other young players come up early and they struggle offensively and that can take you out of the lineup, especially here in New York where we're so forgiving.

[Alan Hahn]

It's so hard to develop a player and go try to win a championship at the same time.

[Peter Rosenberg]

All right, so he's only played shortstop. That's interesting. He's only played shortstop so far in

[Alan Hahn]

Double A, but he can play third.

[Peter Rosenberg]

He can play. I mean, yes, he's got the arm,

[Alan Hahn]

it's not an issue.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But if they see him as their long term shortstop and Volpe maybe has played his way out of being the future, then there's going to be a transition there too.

[Don La Greca]

All right, let's, let's go to Joe in Orlando. Hey Joe, I'm in Orlando. How you doing, bud?

[Caller/Listener]

Hey, what's going on, fellas?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Love you guys.

[Caller/Listener]

Alan, I've been rocking with you since Han Solo on night, my man. Just calling to see if any of you guys saw when the camera panted Tatum yesterday, he had his head on his head at the end of the game. He had this look like, oh no, not again. And I think there's this mental aspect that people aren't considering where if the Knicks, they face each in the second round, the Knicks steal one of those first two games on the road, Boston's gonna just have nightmares of what happened last year.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Oh, how could they not think of that?

[Don La Greca]

Well, the blown lead or something like that.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, but, but Tatum's thing last night, I was watching again, for those who don't know my sit my. The area I'm located when I'm doing sideline at the Garden is by the visitor's bench. Like I'm literally within their group. So I get the access of being able to see the players interacting. I hear some things, not everything, but very, very close to the visiting team. And I watched him carefully from start to finish just because of A, who he is, B, you know, the fact that this was coming back for him to something that he called traumatic. And he was so frustrated with his shooting, very frustrated with himself in the game because of his shooting. He kept mimicking his shooting form. He was stretching his shoulder. Like there was a lot of like him like being mad about the shots he was missing because he did not shoot the ball well. So I think the face you might have seen was less about the end result of the game and, and more about his own personal performance. He had like six turnovers. Like this was, it was not a good. He had had a great run of games. That was not a great game for him.

[Alan Hahn]

But as far as like, not again. We can't beat the Knicks.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, I don't.

[Alan Hahn]

Jalen Brown didn't play. And if that had been a playoff game, Jaylen Brown plays.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Of course he played.

[Alan Hahn]

So I'm not saying that the Celtics didn't care, but it's a.

[Peter Rosenberg]

They wanted that game. They played hard.

[Alan Hahn]

Of course they wanted the game.

[Jeff McNeil]

But.

[Alan Hahn]

Sorry, is it possible the result could have been different if Brown played?

[Don La Greca]

What's so weird, too?

[Alan Hahn]

Definitely would have been.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But here's what's weird. I don't get caught up in. Again, you know I hate man drama, right? I don't get caught up in like the what did their post game show say thing. But of course, that got in the algorithm yesterday, last night and then this morning and I noticed that and I got friends up there. The Celtics post game spent a lot of time focusing on the fact that the Knick players ran off the bench and celebrated. I think the line was like they were going to hang a banner. Like the game meant so much to them. And it was like they were almost mocking the idea that this game was so important to the Knicks. And it's like, that's. That's not what happened. Like, they ran at Josh Hart because he made two big threes and they love him and they were going to.

[Caller/Listener]

They.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You know, it's like when you're. When somebody you love has a good finish to the game, he's not necessarily a star. At the end of a game, you know, you're in a good mood, you're gonna celebrate with them. That's what they. I was there. I was on the court. Like, they, they were running up to him. They were joking with him. It took him a couple minutes to get to me to do the interview because, you know, like, everyone wanted a piece of him. Like, this was not a game that the Knicks, like, ran off the court waving their finger, number one, like Joe Namath, you know, this was because of the two shots he hit. It was. They were excited. For a teammate that doesn't normally get a moment like that. So this kind of stuff about the back and forth is fun, right? But no one got caught up in the end result of that game last night. Like, over the top. You notice that.

[Alan Hahn]

But it's been the majority of our show, Nick fans are excited because they should be. I'm talking about the players. But that's what the Celtics are setting up. That's why Brown doesn't play. Reason Brown doesn't play. Because it's like, all right, listen, if we beat you, we beat you without our best players. If we lose to you, hey, we lost because we didn't have our best player. And here we are. The Knicks beat the Celtics last year, the favorite to win the conference at the start of the season. And it's the Knicks that feel like they've got to build the confidence to beat the Celtics, who still sit there as the king. So it's all set up for that. So it makes sense for their postgame to to play that up. Because by not playing Brown, that's the stage you set.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Of course, the unknown right, Smalls here.

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[Rich Eisen]

Rich eisen here. The April 15 tax deadline is coming fast, but don't worry. Hand off your taxes to a TurboTax expert today. You know how April feels. Everything speeds up. Games matter more. Hoops and hockey schedules tighten. Your phone won't stop buzzing. And somewhere in the middle of it all, there's that quiet little reminder.

[Alan Hahn]

Taxes.

[Rich Eisen]

You'll get to it tonight or tomorrow or after the weekend. And if you handle it the old way, you're refreshing your inbox like it's breaking news. Waiting, wondering, hoping. Everything's squared away. That's a lot of mental bandwidth. With Intuit TurboTax Expert full service, you can match with a dedicated expert who understands your specific tax situation and handles your taxes for you, start to finish. You can do it all online or meet in person at one of their new tech enabled store locations. Have Your tax forms imported directly into the app. And hand everything off to your TurboTax expert. While they work to get you every dollar you deserve, you can go about your normal routine, giving you time back to focus on what actually deserves your attention. Like rooting for your team to make the playoffs. April 15th is not waiting, people. Visit turbotax.com and hand off your taxes to a TurboTax expert today.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Need parts fast.

[Don La Greca]

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[Peter Rosenberg]

Thanks for listening to the Don Han and Rosenberg podcast.

[Don La Greca]

I didn't listen to anything you just said.

[Peter Rosenberg]

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

[Caller/Listener]

Man.

[Don La Greca]

God bless Stevie Wonder. I gotta try to see him again. I haven't seen him.

[Alan Hahn]

I saw him a lot starting in October.

[Don La Greca]

Yeah, we. That Don, should we go together? Let's. Let's go, Allen. Maybe the three of us just jump right off the. The cliff together, holding hands. You know what I mean?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, what do you mean?

[Don La Greca]

You know, Thelma Louise, it drive off, jump off.

[Alan Hahn]

You understand it is somebody that you should see before you've seen him.

[Don La Greca]

Don, you've seen him, right?

[Alan Hahn]

No.

[Don La Greca]

Alan, have you?

[Peter Rosenberg]

I have not.

[Don La Greca]

Neither of you have seen him?

[Peter Rosenberg]

No.

[Alan Hahn]

Are you?

[Don La Greca]

Yes. He did a in 20. In 2016, I believe he did Songs in the Key of Life anniversary tour.

[Alan Hahn]

Oh, wow.

[Don La Greca]

And I saw the full album at MSG like you dream about. But yeah, maybe that's. We got to look. I don't. Hold on. I don't see when the. No, he did October 2024. We're gonna find it, all right? I promise. We get to everyone the phones. Alan leaves us at 6. We got to do this.

[Alan Hahn]

That's not right.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It is. So I said they're shutting the power down, so I have no choice.

[Don La Greca]

All right, Mike in Manhattan, what's up?

[Caller/Listener]

Hey, guys. Love the show. I know I'm like a week late on this, but I feel like this year's Drop Madness needs an asterisk. And I say that because a drop should be something that can be seamlessly dropped into the conversation of the. The show. It needs to be quick and funny and used regularly. Carlin choking is a funny moment, but it's. It's not a drop. And it wasn't even audio from the show. So for it to be a number one seed, then have the voters go on and pick it, to me, it just kind of delegitimizes the whole thing.

[Peter Rosenberg]

This has been a common. This has been a common piece of input from a lot of the listeners.

[Alan Hahn]

Well, the last part's not fair because we've had drops that were not part of the show that ended up being in Drop Madness.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Right.

[Alan Hahn]

That we stole or took from something else. But his first take is an interesting one because it's long. It's not something you can kind of just drop. But it was also used quite a bit. But it's more of a featured element when it is used because it's so long and it has to be commented on and talked about when it is dropped. So he brings up some interesting points.

[Anthony]

Eric Wedle, six seconds. Stensham and Marinek, six seconds. K's awkward ending with Greenie not on the show. Six seconds.

[Don La Greca]

Yeah, there's just been so much that. The problem with the argument is there's just been so many versions similar. And frankly, I would argue the Chris Carlin one may have gotten more play than any of the other ones in the same category.

[Alan Hahn]

But technically, if you want to play that game, a drop should be short. Thus calling it a drop

[Don La Greca]

shortish. But we also have the shortened version of it that got play as well. This is tough, man.

[Alan Hahn]

I don't.

[Don La Greca]

History spoke.

[Alan Hahn]

I don't listen. I'm not taking that. I'm not putting an asterisk by any stretch of the imagination, but he does bring up a valid point. The second point was invalid to me because the LT drop, one of the greatest drops of all time, was not on the Case show, but it was used on the Case show.

[Don La Greca]

Yeah, there's a lot of examples.

[Anthony]

Listen, all good things must come to an end. I think we've come to an agreement. This is over.

[Alan Hahn]

You're kicking a dead horse. I mean, we dragged the body away. It's already gone.

[Don La Greca]

Don, this is for you. Steven Rochester has something important for you.

[Alan Hahn]

Hey, Steve, what do you got?

[Caller/Listener]

Hey, guys. I just wanted to run it by you, Don. And you may have mentioned this earlier, but I'm not sure. Today's the 30th anniversary of the Alison Chains MTV Unplugged. There were a lot of great performances during the Unplugged era, but I just wanted to get your take, and I hope you.

[Jeff McNeil]

You guys have a great weekend.

[Peter Rosenberg]

The rooster is unreal.

[Alan Hahn]

It is hard to believe it's been 30 years. Wow.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It is again, unplugged was 90s.

[Alan Hahn]

It is to me the greatest unplugged of that period. And they released an album of it. Every song is fantastic. They really went above and beyond with it, to me. And there's a lot of good ones. Nirvana 1 is terrific.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Nirvana's is so good too. That's why I was surprised.

[Alan Hahn]

The Alison Chains one is the quintessential unplug. Back when MTV actually, you know, made an effort.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah. Cared about music.

[Don La Greca]

Let's go to Chris in Brooklyn. Hey, Chris.

[Caller/Listener]

Hey guys. I'm happy Friday, everybody. And I have a two part question for. For dawn and Allen and Peter. Don and Allen question. Do George Lombard Jr come up this year and take third and McMahon help him and Peter. Do I watch WrestleMania in the playoffs? Because they come on the same time

[Alan Hahn]

in the same day.

[Caller/Listener]

What do I do?

[Alan Hahn]

Thank you guys.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Okay.

[Alan Hahn]

I mean, what are you a bigger fan of?

[Don La Greca]

Yeah, I mean I. Listen, there's. So wait, hold on. It'll be the play in the play ins will be getting played on Saturday and Sunday next week, Right?

[Alan Hahn]

Come on, play.

[Don La Greca]

Yeah, listen, you do what you want. They make a pretty compelling case for this year's WrestleMania, particularly Sunday. You got the CM Punk, Roman Reigns main event Sunday. You know, it's Sunday, if you will.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Don La Greca]

You know where I'm standing for this is. It's mania week. Well, we got a lot of basketball over the next two months.

[Alan Hahn]

Listen, if Lombard Jr. Is going to rake and Scranton, you gotta honor him by getting him up here.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But he's. He's not in Scranton yet.

[Anthony]

He's not even in Scranton, right?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, he's in Double A now. He's. Now he's. I think he's hitting over.400, but it's early.

[Alan Hahn]

But you're not. He's not gonna make the jump from Double A to the bigs. So if he eventually goes to Scranton and starts to hit, you gotta honor these guys by giving a chance to play. If he's gonna stay in Somerset, then he's not. I don't think he's gonna make that jump unless they're catastrophic injury. But remember it was last year, he had the great spring.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yep.

[Alan Hahn]

And he almost made the team.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Alan Hahn]

Guys gotta play at some point. Like I always feel like organizations like the Devils are doing it now their season's over. They're starting to call up some of the kids. You got to honor these guys when they play well and give them an avenue to show what they can do in the big leagues. Yes. And you just can't have him now. He's still a kid, but if he performs well, you've. You've got to reward them by giving him a chance to play and see what they can do.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, yeah. But, but it, it's still, there's still, it's still really early, and he still has to really. It has to be loud, what he's doing in the minors, right? It has to be loud. We. They do believe, and again, I'm. I'm quoting Michael here, that his defense is already ready. Already ready. Already. It's his offense that, you know, you don't know if it translates. And what you don't want it to have happen is it turns, you know, like you start. Because in the majors, they'll find every hole, they'll find every mistake, everything that's wrong with you. Yeah. Another whole drop. And I just think that that's what you're worried about is you don't want it to start affecting him mentally and. And then it, you know, kind of ruins them.

[Don La Greca]

Let's, let's. I want, I promise, everyone, let's try to do it. Nathan in West Hartford, our last call for the day before. Ian in. What do you got?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Nathan?

[Caller/Listener]

Hey, how are you? I just wanted to say about the. The fans. I'm in West Hartford and we got a lot of people that are really big New England and Boston fans, and I see them wearing Ranger hats. And I asked them about it when I moved to here, and they said that they were big New England, Boston and Hartford fans. And when Hartford left, they couldn't go to the Bruins because they were the big rivals. They said it's kind of like the Norik fans who can't root for the Canadians now. So I just wanted your take on that.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Interesting. That's a good one.

[Alan Hahn]

Remember, Hartford was in the same division as Boston. They were in the old Adams Adams division. The Rangers were in the Patrick Division. So you can't become a Bruins fan. All those heated playoff rivals when one would play four and two would play three within the division. So if you were going to hook up with a team from a local standpoint, because Hartford's dead center between Boston and New York, it just made sense to be a Ranger fan. You couldn't be a Bruin fan.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And the obvious thing, too, Don, of course, as you know, is that the fact that the Rangers put their minor league team in Hartford, so it also made it a lot easier as well.

[Alan Hahn]

That's right.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.

[Don La Greca]

I don't want to know how the

[Peter Rosenberg]

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.

[Caller/Listener]

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[Alan Hahn]

Let's talk about it.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I don't have time to shop, so

[Anthony]

I buy all my clothes, where I buy my seafood.

[Don La Greca]

I I just want someone to tell me what shirt goes with what pants.

[Caller/Listener]

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[Alan Hahn]

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[Don La Greca]

Man, that was easy.

[Alan Hahn]

That looked good.

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[Caller/Listener]

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