Don, Hahn & Rosenberg — Hour 3: NY Baseball & Picks
Date: September 12, 2025
Episode theme: Baseball's critical stretch run for NY teams, fandom “fraudulence,” Volpe’s struggles, politics mixing into Yankee narratives, and NFL picks.
Episode Overview
The third hour dives into local New York baseball at a pivotal moment in the season, wrestling with whether the Yankees can seize momentum for a playoff push, while dissecting the Mets’ spiraling collapse and the emotional toll on players and fans. The crew peppers in debates about true fan loyalty (“fraud” talk), a nuanced discussion about reactions to politics in sports, and concludes with their NFL picks segment, all delivered in their signature energetic, often humorous banter.
Key Segments & Discussion Points
Yankees Surge and Red Sox Showdown
[00:59 – 04:01]
- Momentum Shift: Don and Alan debate whether the Yankees’ big win over Detroit (fueled by Judge’s two homers and a pre-game meeting with President Trump) could be a “turning point” — a classic baseball moment that fans rally around.
- Don ties it to legendary baseball omens (’69 Mets black cat, the Yankees’ past winning streaks with odd mascots) and wonders if this is “one of those moments.”
- Don [01:48]: “It just seemed like it was a moment…the Yankees played their best baseball.”
- Upcoming Crucial Stretch: With playoff chances still technically alive, sweeping the Red Sox is framed as “must do,” especially given tough matchups and competing with Toronto for playoff seeding.
- Alan [02:22]: “You have to go up there and you’ve got to win all three games, no less than two. You got to take all three.”
Mets: From Contenders to Collapse
[04:01 – 08:51]
- The Brutal Numbers: Mets lose another, bullpen collapses, 23 straight batters retired after a hot start, now barely clinging to a playoff spot (“in freefall”).
- Don [05:13]: “They're not going anywhere. This is a complete free fall.”
- Pessimism Short of Resignation:
- Peter recalibrates fan expectation (“view your season like any crappy team…if they get in, a miracle happens”).
- Alan and Don reflect on the emotional atmosphere — that the team no longer believes, and that last year might have been “fluky.”
- Alan [06:16]: “You can really feel it slipping away, right? …Eventually, like, you are what your record says you are.”
Anthony Volpe & Yankees Handling of Injuries
[08:51 – 13:32]
- Mishandling or a Player Issue?: Alan issues a public “mea culpa” for previously blaming Yankees management for mishandling Volpe’s injury. Now, evidence points to Volpe himself hiding a shoulder problem out of pride, creating a complex accountability issue.
- Alan [10:00]: “He didn’t want to come out of the lineup…eventually you have to save the player from himself.”
- Volpe’s Future as a Yankee in Doubt:
- Psychological toll and sensitivity to NYC pressure are cited as concerns for his fit moving forward. Alan and Don note the tricky position of benching a “homegrown hope” the franchise invested in.
- Alan [11:44]: “These might be the last days of Anthony Volpe with the Yankees…and the Yankees might be coming to that point…”
Fandom “Fraud” Debates: Loyalty and Lines
[13:34 – 23:36]
- Caller Stu’s Accusation: Is Don a fraud enabler for attracting Rangers fans to the Devils broadcast?
- The hosts joke about cross-team curiosity, puncturing the premise that “real fans” can’t watch rival teams for favorite broadcasters or curiosity.
- Peter [16:19]: “In the heart of my Celtics fandom…if I watch Kings-Lakers to see what Kobe does, is that being a bad Celtics fan?!”
- Don [17:55]: “If the Devils needed a win…I said, ‘Would you root for the Devils for me?’ [And he said,] ‘I’ll get back to you.’”
- Wearing Ex-Player Jerseys and Fandom Optics:
- Kevin, a Mets fan, asks about wearing a Jacob deGrom jersey after his departure. The crew agrees it’s not “fraud,” but a bad look — you invite misunderstood loyalties at the park.
- Don [20:12]: “It’s a bad optic…He left, man. I don’t think he wanted to be here…you gotta let it go, man.”
“Breaking Up” with Your Team: Political Fallout & Fan Apathy
[27:22 – 36:28]
- Ace’s Dilemma: The impact of Yankees’ Trump appearance on his fandom. Is stepping away a “fraud” move?
- The hosts walk a delicate line, attributing breaks from fandom for sincere personal or political reasons as valid, but repeatedly warn there’s “no coming back” once you walk away.
- Don [28:17]: “If you don’t pick up another team…[it’s] not a fraud,” but warns “no coming back.”
- Peter [29:56]: “Where do you think most billionaires vote?...Down the line in all leagues, most are Trump guys.”
- Sports and Political Crossroads:
- The crew emphasize that being around the president is protocol, not necessarily endorsement.
- Frustration grows with how much politics intrudes on sports fandom, but they also acknowledge that personal lines exist — just don’t claim team loyalty if you check out.
- Don [34:07]: “I don’t want to live in a world like that…I feel bad for you, because there’s a lot of things you could be walking away from.”
Revisiting Mets’ “Fluke” vs. “Reality”
[38:37 – 40:52]
- Callers prompt deeper Mets analysis: Was last year’s playoff run a fluke?
- Hosts agree that last year’s success was built on a hot streak, not a well-constructed team — results this season prove the flaws were always present.
- Don [40:11]: “You take a huge step back, acquiring the best player [Soto]…it’s been a colossal disappointment this year.”
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- On the Yankees’ Playoff Chances:
- Alan [02:22]: “You have to go up there and win all three…hard to do when you consider what they’re pitching.”
- On Mets fans holding out hope:
- Peter [05:44]: “The only thing you’d be hanging on to…is, if they get to the dance, a miracle happens.”
- Alan [06:16]: “That is sucked away…and, when you look at the faces…even they know it.”
- On Volpe’s Injury Saga:
- Alan [09:40]: “I just was like, I’m not right about this…if I was on the beat, I’d start picking at this scab…this doesn’t seem right.”
- Alan [10:33]: “It’s almost like maybe this place isn’t the best thing for him. He can’t handle this. He hears every boo, he gets down on himself.”
- On “Fraudulent” Fandoom:
- Don [20:12]: “I wouldn’t wear [a deGrom jersey].”
- Alan [21:59]: “People are gonna think you’re rooting for deGrom…You don’t want that vibe.”
- Peter [22:46]: “The Mets suck...go root for deGrom. Knock yourself out.”
- On mixing sports and politics:
- Don [29:41]: “So you’re gonna throw your whole fandom away because the Yankees seem to lean right? I got news for you…most billionaires vote [that way].”
- Alan [33:07]: “If you just decide, you know what, I can’t root for this team because of something like that, that’s your prerogative. Fraud stuff that we do is more about fan fraud…not personal fraud.”
- On what it means to leave a team:
- Don [35:54]: “You can tap out anytime you want. You can’t tap back in, and you can’t go root for somebody else.”
- Alan [35:59]: “There’s no coming back.”
- On the universal love-hate of NY sports:
- Don [34:17]: “Did they openly campaign for him during the game? They just welcome the president.”
- Mets Reality Check:
- Don [40:52]: “You had a five and a half game lead in June; now you’re gonna lose this division by like a dozen games...That is just disgusting.”
Timestamp Guide to Important Segments
| Time | Segment | |-----------------|-------------------------------------------| | 00:59 – 04:01 | Yankees momentum, Red Sox preview | | 04:01 – 08:51 | Mets’ latest collapse & mood | | 08:51 – 13:32 | The Volpe injury saga and accountability | | 13:34 – 23:36 | Callers on "fraudulent" fandom & jerseys | | 27:22 – 36:28 | Yankees, politics, and fan loyalty | | 38:37 – 40:52 | Last year’s Mets: Fluke or for real? | | 43:41 – 49:20 | NFL picks, survivor league banter |
NFL Picks Segment
[42:40 – 49:20]
- All three make their NFL picks, discussing strategy, records, and some good-natured ribbing for Peter’s rough week.
- Peter: Cowboys -5.5 (one point), Broncos -1.5 (two points), Survivor: Cowboys.
- Don: Eagles +1.5 (one point), Broncos -1.5 (two), Survivor not specified.
- Alan: Broncos -1.5 (one), Rams -5.5 (two and Survivor), detailed reasoning about McVay’s dominance in early games and versus the AFC South.
Style & Tone
- Conversational, edgy, and self-effacing, with a mix of classic New York sports fan pessimism and humor.
- Willingly engages “hot button” fan topics—loyalty, politics, and disappointment—with nuanced takes and room for dissent.
For New Listeners
This episode is a quintessential slice of late-season New York sports radio: reckonings with hope and heartbreak, arguments about what being a “real fan” means, the intersection of social issues with the sports world, and the ever-present anticipation (and anxiety) for the next football Sunday.
Memorable closing thought from Don [36:28]:
“We don’t get political here. But sometimes when the elephant’s in the room, it could be talked about…and talked about with civility. Because we live in a really crazy…Tri-State area…and this should be the one place where we can all agree.”