Hour 3: Volpe Dilemma

Summary

Don, Hahn & Rosenberg Podcast Summary Episode: Hour 3: Volpe Dilemma
Release Date: July 30, 2025

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Overview

In this engaging episode of Don, Hahn & Rosenberg, hosts Don Hahn, Alan Hahn, and Peter Rosenberg dive deep into the intricacies of recent MLB developments, with a primary focus on Anthony Volpe's defensive challenges with the New York Yankees. The discussion is enriched with expert analysis, differing viewpoints, and passionate caller interactions, providing listeners with a comprehensive understanding of the current state of the Yankees and broader sports narratives.

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1. Mets Trade Analysis

[00:33 - 02:18]

The episode begins with Don Hahn breaking down the New York Mets' latest trade, where they've acquired Tyler Rodgers from the San Francisco Giants. Don highlights the key elements of the trade:

• Trade Details: Mets receive Tyler Rogers, while San Francisco gains José Bhutto, outfielder Drew Gilbert, and right-handed pitching prospect Blade Tidwell.

• Player Performance: Don praises Rodgers' efficiency, noting his low walk rate and strong strikeout numbers. "He doesn't walk anybody. So far this year he has struck out 38 and has walked 40. Last year he struck out 51 walks. Six." [01:00]

• Strategic Impact: Rodgers' role as a bullpen workhorse aligns with the Mets' championship aspirations, especially given his 1.80 ERA. Don emphasizes the financial and developmental advantages of this acquisition, considering Rodgers is underpaid and still young.

Peter Rosenberg concurs, emphasizing the necessity of addressing bullpen walks and leveraging Rodgers' different arm angle for optimal matchups. [02:18]

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2. The Volpe Dilemma: Defensive Struggles and Team Strategy

[02:40 - 37:13]

The core of the episode centers around Anthony Volpe, the Yankees' shortstop, who has been underperforming defensively, leading to significant debate among the hosts and listeners.

Don Hahn’s Perspective

Don presents a balanced view, acknowledging the severity of Volpe's defensive errors while recognizing his offensive contributions. He discusses the management's reluctance to bench Volpe, considering his offensive performance and potential future value. "He is a workhorse. He's got a 1.80 earned run average." [02:18]

Don explores the complexities of benching a player who performs well offensively but struggles defensively. He emphasizes the importance of mental health and the potential repercussions of punishing Volpe, suggesting that a strategic benching might be more beneficial. [09:16]

Peter Rosenberg’s Take

Peter advocates for prioritizing Volpe's mental well-being, proposing that taking him out of the lineup temporarily could help reset his mental state. He argues that continuous pressure and playing day-after-night games exacerbate Volpe's defensive issues. "What's best for the kid is after a night like that is. Okay, watch your film and just take a breath." [10:39]

Peter stresses that protecting Volpe from the intense scrutiny of playing in New York could prevent further defensive lapses and support his overall performance. [12:56]

Caller Interactions

Listeners weigh in with strong opinions:

• Caller Lang from Connecticut supports Peter's stance, criticizing the Yankees' management and general manager Brian Cashman for not addressing Volpe's struggles adequately. [16:13 - 22:18]

• Caller Sweeter adds to the discussion by expressing frustration over perceived favoritism towards Volpe, suggesting that the team is "coddling" him instead of enforcing accountability. [24:54]

Don and Peter dissect these caller opinions, debating whether the Yankees' approach is a strategic move or a failure to address Volpe's issues effectively. Don hints at the possibility that management fears benching Volpe could worsen his performance, while Peter remains steadfast in his belief that giving Volpe a mental break is essential. [36:17 - 37:13]

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3. Critique of General Manager Brian Cashman

[22:18 - 25:19]

The discussion shifts to a broader critique of Yankees' General Manager Brian Cashman. Callers express dissatisfaction with Cashman's management style, particularly his handling of player acquisitions and team strategy within the constraints of the salary cap.

• Caller Rodney from the Bronx criticizes Cashman for not adapting to modern baseball's demands and for prioritizing cost-saving over strategic team building. He also mentions potential MLB work stoppages that could hinder the Yankees' progress. [19:28 - 24:34]

Don counters by defending Cashman, comparing him to other New York GMs and acknowledging the challenges he faces within a constrained cap system. However, he concedes that while Cashman hasn't secured a championship, his performance isn't drastically worse than his peers. [22:18 - 25:19]

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4. Trade-offs Between Offense and Defense

[14:39 - 17:41]

The hosts analyze the balance between offensive and defensive performance within the Yankees:

• Don Hahn notes that despite Volpe's defensive errors, his strong batting performance provides significant value. He discusses the team's strategic decisions to prioritize offense while attempting to rebuild the bullpen. [14:39 - 17:41]

• Peter Rosenberg emphasizes that maintaining offensive strength should not come at the expense of fundamental defensive responsibilities, advocating for a more balanced approach to player utilization.

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5. Looking Forward: Upcoming Games and Team Morale

[05:55 - 07:24]

The conversation turns to the Yankees' recent performance and upcoming games:

• Don Hahn updates listeners on the current state of the Mets-Padres series, highlighting the Mets' efforts to avoid a three-game sweep. [06:11]

• Peter Rosenberg and Don discuss the importance of upcoming matchups against teams like Miami, suggesting that performance in these games will be critical for Volpe's future role and the team's overall success. [07:24 - 08:30]

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6. Conclusion and Final Thoughts

[37:13 - 40:18]

As the episode approaches its end, Don and Peter reflect on the fluid nature of the situation with Volpe and the Yankees:

• Don Hahn acknowledges the uncertainty surrounding Volpe's future in the lineup, citing recent defensive performance metrics and management's public statements. [34:04 - 37:13]

• Peter Rosenberg reiterates his belief in the necessity of giving Volpe a break to reset mentally, emphasizing that the next few games will be telling in determining the appropriate course of action. [37:06 - 37:13]

The hosts agree that the situation remains unresolved and will require ongoing observation and analysis in upcoming episodes.

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Notable Quotes

• Don Hahn [01:00]: "He doesn't walk anybody. So far this year he has struck out 38 and has walked 40. Last year he struck out 51 walks. Six."

• Peter Rosenberg [10:39]: "What's best for the kid is after a night like that is. Okay, watch your film and just take a breath."

• Caller Rodney [19:28]: "Brian Cashman needs to have his feet to the fire."

• Don Hahn [34:04]: "They haven't won a championship. And we've seen a lot of holes."

• Peter Rosenberg [37:13]: "Guys stop banging your head, though. But because once you stop making noise, you've lost."

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Final Remarks

The episode provides a thorough exploration of the challenges facing the New York Yankees, particularly concerning Anthony Volpe's defensive performance and the management's strategic decisions. Through insightful analysis and passionate discourse, Don, Hahn & Rosenberg offer listeners a nuanced perspective on team dynamics, player well-being, and the intricate balance between offense and defense in baseball.

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Note: This summary excludes advertisement segments and non-content discussions such as music talk and sponsor messages to focus on the core topics of the episode.

Transcript

[Don Hahn]

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[Peter Rosenberg]

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[Podcast Announcer]

This is the Don Hahn and Rosenberg Podcast that sounds like heaven to me. Listen live weekday afternoon starting at 3 on 880 ESPN, the ESPN New York app and your smart speakers.

[Don Hahn]

5 o' clock in the big city. Don Juan and Rosenberg with you until 7:7 o'.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Clock.

[Don Hahn]

Mets and the Padres underway in San Diego as the Mets trying to avoid the three game sweep after dropping the first two and the Padres already up two. Nothing on the Mets, no Juan Soto, although the hope is they'll be on the lineup on Friday against San Francisco. But the big news around the Mets is the deal, the trade that they made to get Tyler Rodgers from the San Francisco Giants. So they give up Jose Bhutto, outfield prospect Drew Gilbert and right handed pitching prospect Blade Tidwell, who we saw as an opener earlier this season. Jeff Passon described it as a hefty price to pay for Rogers, but looking at Rodgers stats, he's kind of exactly what they need coming out of the bullpen. He doesn't walk anybody. So far this year he has struck out 38 and has walked 40. Last year he struck out 51 walks. Six. That's exactly what they need.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Don Hahn]

All right. He leads the league in appearances this year. He led the league in appearances last year. So he's a workhorse. He's got a 1.80 earn run average. It tells you that the fact that they traded him away San Francisco, that they know they're out of it, the Met just came off sweeping them. Take a look at the contract. He's a free agent at the end of the year. He's making $5.25 million this year, so he's not really making anything. But the Mets shouldn't worry about stuff like that. He's not even 29 years old yet. If they like what they see, you know they can resign them. I mean that that's supposed to be the advantage of having a big time owner with money like a Cohen is that you don't worry about losing guys you want to keep, right? So yeah, it's a hefty price to pay. But if he helps you Win a championship this year, you come close and then you love what he did and you can sign him. You know, you sign him.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Don Hahn]

Shouldn't be an issue. So I think it's a good move. It's a lot to give up, but it shows you the Mets are in. Mets are in to try to take advantage of that. They want to win the division. They think they can win a World Series here. Granted, they're trying to avoid losing their third in a row, but, you know, listen, it's fluid. Things are going to happen. You're on the west coast, you come back on a West coast trip. Three and three. I think you take it, but you don't want to get swept. We'll see what they do today, but that's a nice pickup, I think, for them.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah. And again, it's walks have been a major issue for the bullpen. So you're trying to fix that problem. And, you know, different arm angle, also different. Look, somebody that can give you pretty much is going to give you an inning in the middle of every game, possibly if you need them in the right matchup. So, you know, it's, it's the start of rebuilding that bullpen, which is exactly what, of course, David Stearns is tasked to do before tomorrow's deadline.

[Don Hahn]

And if you watch the postseason, you understand having great starters, it's very important, but most of the time these games are decided after the. The starters are already in the showers. And now it's just a battle of the bullpens and, and the matchups. And it even isn't even necessarily about the innings as much as is the outs. I need to get nine outs, I need to get 12 outs, and I want to slot my relievers into getting those higher leverage outs. And if I can bring Tyler Rogers in, face a righty, listen. And he's got to be good because he's got to face three batters now. But I want to be able to get these guys. I want to have multiple options. And even if he got a deep open, add more arms, you know, you just want as many options as possible here because in this day and age in Major League Baseball, even the best pitchers aren't going to give you a ton of innings.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And that's what we learned last year in the playoffs, Right.

[Don Hahn]

I mean, as good as Freed is, he didn't even give you six yesterday, right. So you're going to have to get 912 out, sometimes even more to be able to win a game. And if I got a bunch of reliable guys coming out of the bullpen. I'm going to feel good about doing that, especially matchups.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Getting those matchups is going to be so key in the postseason.

[Don Hahn]

So is it a lot to give up? Sure. But to me it tells me that they're in Yankees, they made a deal. Austin Slater, also a former Giant, comes over. You know, listen, he's a, he's a right hand, he's a bat, he's a right handed bat.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Not a headline move, it's a depth.

[Don Hahn]

But, but, but you look deeper into why you make that deal because you know Rosario can play the outfield. Now you bring in Austin Slater can play the outfield already.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Bet.

[Don Hahn]

Because there's a very good chance that when Judge comes back, he's going to be your dh.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yes.

[Don Hahn]

And you're going to need guys to go out there and field and you're going to lose.

[Peter Rosenberg]

What you're going to need the versatility. Right. You're going to need to be able to put different lineups together now because Judge is going to play every day. But if he's not available in the field, you need the ability to play different combinations of outfielders depending on what you're facing pitching wise for your lineup. So I do think that's what they're trying to do with their, with some of the position players. I also think Rosario is, while he can play the outfield, I do think there we may see some Rosario at shortstop. I just, I have a feeling we might see them give Volpe a little bit of a break. And the one way you can do it is to have that kind of an option because Peraza's not there anymore. He's not going to be there anymore. All right. Peraza's days are numbered, as we know. So Rosario becomes somebody that, yeah, sure, he can be part of the outfield rotation once they get Volpe right. But if they got to get Volpe right, I don't think it gets right in one game. You need somebody that can play a couple of, couple of games at shortstop. Rosario certainly can do that.

[Don Hahn]

Holmes getting beat up is now four nothing Padres in the bottom of the third inning. But getting back to the Yankees we talked about at the beginning of the show, you want to give yourself options for Volpe. One of the reasons he's played, what did you say, 106 games out of their 100 any player.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Don Hahn]

Is the fact that they didn't have an option. Now Rosario, his primary position is shortstop. So if you wanted to give Volpe.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Was he as shortstop as a Met?

[Don Hahn]

Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Was he a second baseball?

[Don Hahn]

He played? No, he played everything outfield, but he could play, he played short. He can play short. So that gives you an option to say, hey, I want to give, I want to give Volpe a blow. I want him to sit for a little bit, I want him to think about it. And let's put Rosario at second base. We're still waiting for. See the Yankees lineup is out as I look at it here, and Volpe is, you know, still batting eighth, playing shortstop. So he's not getting an off day today. They got a day game tomorrow.

[Peter Rosenberg]

What do you think about who?

[Don Hahn]

And then you go to Miami.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Let's just stop there. Right after a two error game where he almost gave the game away, where he was almost glassy eyed in his post game, where Boone even wouldn't answer the question about sitting him because he said it was too fresh off the game, but did acknowledge, quote, he's got to get over it. And you could see for the first time the frustration in his face and in his words. Even though he didn't, you know, he's still careful what he said, he was still supporting. Do you think the right thing to do is to put him back out there again today?

[Don Hahn]

I would.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Wouldn't you think that this is exactly the time to sit him? You got a day game tomorrow. This is the perfect thing. Sit here and let's get out of town.

[Don Hahn]

No, I, I would do it, but I just wonder why wouldn't they sit him now? What are you waiting for? Because again to defend the Yankees, they know him better than we do. Right? So there's different ways to solve this.

[Peter Rosenberg]

He double clutched in the ninth inning. He doesn't know what he's doing. How do you know what he's doing?

[Don Hahn]

But you know, it's all about selling it to him. Maybe you want him out there right after this. Maybe they think if he sits on it for a day after that kind of performance, it could be a bit of a problem. Maybe you want him to have a solid defensive outing and say, then I want you to sit on that on the positive instead of the negative and make it worse.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That doesn't make sense.

[Don Hahn]

Well, nothing makes sense to why a player who's in his third year, who has won a Gold Glove, would all of a sudden get the yips. So I don't know how you handle it. You know, he might want to play and, and it's a day game after a night game. Maybe, maybe it's tomorrow, maybe it's in the Miami Series.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Is that what you're doing? Like. Like, to me, it's. It's. It's gotta. Hasn't it. Hasn't it hit a head yet?

[Don Hahn]

Listen, let's say you take these two.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Games and you get out of town and you go down to Miami where there's no pressure. There'll be nobody in the building, mostly Yankee fans in South Florida that are just happy to see the team. They're not gonna be booing anybody. And you just let them all get back into it. Just take two days. Take a breath.

[Don Hahn]

Let me take. You're right. You're not wrong.

[Peter Rosenberg]

All right?

[Don Hahn]

But let me play Devil's Abbey.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I don't love this.

[Don Hahn]

I don't love it either, but let me just try to see the line of things.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Go ahead.

[Don Hahn]

If I bench him today, it comes across like it's a punishment for what happened.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Okay? What's the problem with that?

[Don Hahn]

I. Again, I don't know. I'm just saying that I don't want this kid to get inside his own head any deeper than he already is.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Oh, my God. How could he?

[Don Hahn]

Why? Why not? Hopefully we get a good. We get a good outing today. He is hitting, you know, so we are making a sacrifice because his bat's working for us. We want to ride that.

[Caller]

He.

[Don Hahn]

If we can. And then if he ends up not having any errors, I can sell to him. Hey, day game after night game, you've played pretty much every game this season. Let's get the rest here. Or maybe it's just a case of, hey, I'd rather do it against Miami, a team that's not very good, and then I can afford to lose his bat and do it there, and it's on the road and it kind of flies under the radar rather than being right in everybody's face in a full building that he's not playing the day after he committed two errors. Again, you don't want to punish him. Like you said, what's wrong with punishment? Because it's not a lack of hustle, it's not a lack of concentration, and it's sure as heck not a lack of trying. Because the kid tries. He's prepared. He's going through something right now. So if he's in a fragile mental state, I don't want it to come across like I'm punishing the guy. I want him to be on board with it. Is it an easier sell for him for it to come? Day game after a night game is an easier sell for it to happen on the road, rather than at home is an easier sell if it's against a lousy Marlins team rather than a team that's kind of had our number in the race. I don't know when's a good time, when's a bad time, but maybe they've put thought into it and figured right after two errors, am I digging his hole deeper, Making it seem like I'm punishing him for his night last night?

[Peter Rosenberg]

I don't care what it seems like to me what is best for the kid. And what's best for the kid is after a night like that is. Okay, watch your film and just take a breath. Just take a breath. He hasn't had a game off since May. Now, I know they had an all star break, so he had some time off, but it's every single game. Look, they've lost four of their last six, and I know they've won two of the last three. And you have two games left against a race team that you should be beating. That should get you back on track. You do see the standings and you realize that. What is it? Four and a half, Right? Because the Jays. The Jays did get a win today.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah. So it's a four and a half.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah. But you're. You're. You're still. The arm's length is still there and all that stuff. And you're afraid of. Of losing. And I understand that because you just don't want to lose any more ground. But I also feel like sometimes you have to what what's best for the kid. This is get right time. This is not about the standings. This is not about the out of town scoreboard. This. This is about your team. They got to get that kid right. And if tonight, Don, he has another yip, he has another double clutch, he has another throw that isn't right. Whatever it is, if it happens again, you are not helping the problem. You're making it worse because it's happening in the crucible. It's happening at the stadium, in front of the fans that are going to react. That's the part that concerns me. You give him two days. He's got a day game tomorrow. You just take two days and take a breath, kid. If you need to, just do some work on the side. Whatever it is you want to do, just do it. And then when we get to Miami and we're out of the pressure and you're not playing a great team, we'll get you back out there, and then you can kind of find your rhythm again. That's what I'm thinking is the right way to handle this, not just keep pretending everything's fine and just put them out there because you don't want to hurt his feelings. This is not about that anymore. It's about letting him know, like, this is not acceptable and you gotta get right.

[Don Hahn]

But I. When you're talking about the mental fragility of a player, is that the right way to go about it? Like. Like punishing him for it when he's.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's not getting him away from the.

[Don Hahn]

But the way you just described it, though, honestly, is a way of, like, you got to get it right.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, what did.

[Don Hahn]

This is not acceptable. But. But the. Not acceptable. You got to get it right. It still comes across like a punishment. He is putting in the work. He's in a bad mental state defensively. I've got to. I got to play into that. I've got to be careful. Plus, I'm taking a pretty good bat out. So I. I've got to. I've got away his situation, our situation as far as a team is concerned. And then again, I. They know the player. I don't. Right. So how is he going to react? I don't want to make the situation worse.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I'm just trying to get him out of New York, out of the pressure, because he clearly is feeling pressure. He's clearly feeling that everybody's down on him. He's clearly feeling something about his ability to field that. I got to get him out of this. So I'm trying to protect him from it by getting him out and just tell him, you got to get right. So just take a couple of days, take a breath, think about it, figure it out, Work on some stuff, whatever it is. But we're gonna get you away from this stage where, you know, all eyes are on you, and every single time a ball comes to you, you know it's already in your head. We gotta get that out. Yeah, and we gotta bring you somewhere else. We get to go on the road. You play Miami, you play in Texas. You just get out of New York and just get out of your head. I mean, Boone, that's as mad as he could possibly sound at the podium about a player when he said he's got to get over it. So you're telling me I'm being harsh? He literally said he's got to get over it. How does he get over it if you don't give him a breather because you're afraid of taking his bat out of the lineup because you don't want to lose A game to the Rays. If you can't beat the Rays without Anthony Volpe, you got bigger problems.

[Don Hahn]

I'm just looking at his splits against Lytle because that's who's pitching tonight.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I am sure the numbers tell you.

[Don Hahn]

He'S over three this year, one for four last year with a three run home run. So the last couple of years. So that's all you're. You're basing it on a 1 for 7 over the last couple of years with one home run. I don't know if that's doing anything. It's certainly debatable. All I'm saying is, is that I think when you're talking about the, the mental state of someone that you've got, you've got to acknowledge that and you've got to be careful. Now if it's a guy that's not trying, if the guy's not putting in the work, then you bench him. You let you send the message to me. This isn't about sending a message. This is about just trying to get his head right. And I think where you place that day off or days off I think are very, very important. Cuz if you do mess it up, Alan, you could make it worse. Then when he comes back, he's even in a better, a worse state. So he's in the lineup tonight. I fundamentally agree with you. I would probably have after last night let him take the day. But you do have a day game tomorrow. You are taking on Miami over the next few games after that.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Do you think if they win this game that maybe tomorrow he sits afternoon game, just take a break, you know, get me to sit the plane, that.

[Don Hahn]

Kind of thing, that kind of. Well, we'll see. Because I do think at some point, even if he was, you know, listen, playing every day now that that doesn't happen in Major League Baseball anymore. You got guys do take rests now. Why would he be 106 games? Let's go to Lang in Connecticut. You're on ESPN, New York. What's up, Lang?

[Caller]

Yeah, I tend to agree with what's Alan here. And gentlemen, nice to hear from you guys. I will say I've been processing the Knicks loss in these last few months. I can't believe we lost to the Pacers again. But I'm back. I'm better than ever.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Ready to go? Yeah.

[Caller]

I hate to say it, folks, but you know, if Opie makes another yip tonight, right. It's going to be far more consequential than him sitting out. And this has all the Makings and all the signs of Chuck knob walk. Right. Which ended his career. You know, albeit that was toward the tail end of his career. And it led to so many off the field issues for him at the automatic processes that have now become manualized because he's overthinking the basic of the basic. It's. I wish, you know, my worst enemy. It's so difficult to watch. I cringe when the ball is hit in his direction. I have no idea how he's going to get through it. He needs to use some kind of visualization or hypnosis. But it's got all the makings of the beginning of the end for him. I hope I'm wrong.

[Don Hahn]

Here's why I think you're wrong.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I wouldn't go that far.

[Don Hahn]

Is because it hasn't affected him offensively.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Right? Exactly.

[Don Hahn]

He ended up having a great offensive night last night, despite what was happening defensively. So he's still functioning as a ballpark and shouldn't that.

[Peter Rosenberg]

See, to me it's always like what's in the back of your mind. Usually if you struggle at the plate, it affects your. Affects you at the field. Normally that's how that works.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But if you're having like, if you're feeling good at the plate and you're having a good run, which he had, I just told you, over the last 10 games, five home runs. I think it's eight RBI. I believe his OPS is nine. Something like he's had a good run last 10 games. You would think that that relaxes you where in the field now you're just kind of loose. But instead he still is tight in the field because of the mistakes. Because of the 15 errors that leads major leagues this year and the amount of errors he's had over the last X amount of games, that's probably still in the back of his mind when he comes back out on the field. You're right. Usually if you're going well offensively, it's almost like you're just loose defensively because defense is something that most of the time players don't think.

[Don Hahn]

And also it's debatable whether he has the yips. Steve Sacks, Chuck Knobluck, they had it.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Don Hahn]

Like that was like fundamental throws. And we're talking about second baseman not being able to complete a throw to a first baseman. Mackie Sasser, if you don't remember, he goes back a long way.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Couldn't throw.

[Don Hahn]

Mackie Sasser could not throw the ball back to the pitch. Amazing guys were advancing to the next base because he literally couldn't make the 60 foot throw to the pitcher. That's when you're, you're shot. He's going through it right now. I do think it's mental, but I'm not ready to say that it's as bad as the caller was making it out to be if he wasn't hitting. If every, every, every time he touched the ball is an adventure, he's made some good plays.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You know what's amazing? If Goldschmidt finds a way to scoop.

[Don Hahn]

That, which he does more times than not.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, it's just, he just didn't stay in his glove.

[Don Hahn]

See, that's the other thing, too. That's a positive. But the negative is he's bailed out Volpe of other errors he could have made. If you had even, you know, even a less of a defensive first baseman than Goldschmidt, he might have 20 years. Let's go to Rodney in the Bronx. You're on espn New York, man. What's up?

[Caller]

Hey, guys, how you doing? It's a pleasure always talking to both of you. I just want to say I wanted to give you guys a big hug for finally doing what I've been wanting someone in New York City media to do. And that's call out Brian Cashman. It's about time he gets called out. I feel like for some reason, the media protection ungranted. And Don, I agree with you. You know, 30 plus years of winning baseball, that's unheard of in sports. But as we said before, this is the New York Yankees and we've said it. It's about winning titles. It's been 15 years. That's a big drought for this sort of team that is expected to win a title. You know what I mean? And it is time that the media start calling them on. Like I remember was, I think it was a year ago or two during the offseason when he had it out with a reporter about Volpe and, oh, well, we'll see how Volpe does this upcoming season. It's like, it's like, I don't know, like, I feel like Brian Cashman can't help himself. He loves being the smartest guy in the room. And at the same time, when it comes time to call him out, it's like, you know, nobody does it. And I just want to add this, guys too, before you let me go. The big elephant in the room is this. And I don't know, guys have started talking about it. There's a potential work stoppage that's going to happen in baseball. So those are going to be years that the Yankees are going to waste of Aaron Judge and Garrett Cole. So you could add that to the drought because those are years that are not going to be played. They're going to get older when as they don't play, you know what I mean? So right now we're in, we're in a bad. We're in a bad spot as fans, you know what I mean? Especially Yankee fans. And again, I don't want to come up with being, you know, a crying Yankee fan because I'm not. I'm very realistic when it comes to things. But at the same time, I have to call. I gotta call a spade a spade. And Brian Cashman needs to have his feet to the fire.

[Don Hahn]

Well, I'll say I do think he does get criticism. You may want to rip him the fan. Certainly he has not gotten any. Whatever word you want to look for from the. From the callers. He's not getting any grace period from them. Like the callers rip them all the time. But if you cover the team. And I keep bringing up the same tired argument, but compare them to the other general managers in New York. Joe Shane's got one foot out the door. Muji's been here five minutes. We can't even judge him yet. All right. Chris Drury gets destroyed by Ranger fans. He's been here for only a handful of seasons. Right. Leon Rose gets a lot of love and should because of how much they've improved over the years. But comparing him to other general managers in New York, Allen, he's probably not doing that bad of a job. Now you look deeper. He hasn't won a championship. And we've seen a lot of holes.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And a lot of negatives operate in a cap system.

[Don Hahn]

But. And also a lot of fans.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You can't compare him to other general managers, but they operate in a cap system. It's a lot harder.

[Don Hahn]

It is a lot harder. And I do think when you look at it, he may actually think. And I'm sure this is what Hal thinks too, may work better in a cap system because it almost seems like Cashman's always looking for the cheaper option to not spend as much money. It's Hal that usually knocks on the door and goes, let's throw the extra money. He didn't want to give that much money to Judge.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, I get it.

[Don Hahn]

But twist his arm to get to share back in 2009.

[Peter Rosenberg]

When it does do the cheap thing. When does it ever work out?

[Don Hahn]

When you're like, wow, what a brilliant move. It hasn't worked.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I also like Don. To me, it just. It gets increasingly frustrating because it's not simply about a general manager making roster decisions. He is clearly God in that organization. He controls everything. And that includes style of play. And I said this the other day, and I love the fact that fans reacted to it the way they did because that tells me that you think the same way. Nobody likes the way the Nankees play. And you could say, well, when they win, you like it. No, no. Because even when they win, you're like, wow, they hit all these home runs. It doesn't happen all the time. The all or nothing, one way or nothing type of approach is starting to reach a level of frustration at the fan base. The style of play and the approach. It's like I said, when. When you had the ISO mellow era where the Knicks had Carmelo Anthony, who was a great player, but the only system that they would play is just put him in ISO. It wasn't fun to watch. They won and it worked. But fans were frustrated by the fact that it was just such a reliant on one thing and one thing only kind of thing. It's like the Celtics and they shoot all the threes. It's not a style that you can really feel good about and enjoy watching. And then when they play like this, which is becoming an issue of the last couple of seasons, the undisciplined, poor fundamental baseball, simple things that now become a struggle for them. This is a baseball town that has loved this sport for a long time. It goes too deep to watch that kind of baseball. It's maddening. But I do think he's all about it and it's unacceptable.

[Don Hahn]

But I do think the lack of accountability that people think the media is giving him. Well, I never have. I called for his job a couple of years ago, is what you said. They know he's not going anywhere. Like you're banging your hell against the wall because you just know.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Doesn't mean you stop banging your head, though. But because once you stop making noise, you've lost.

[Don Hahn]

But I do. But I do think you call out in hope there's going to be change and just know that that's never going to happen. Got a tweet from Sweeter who says, add Don legreca to the Volpe coddling list. Can't give him a rest because it seems like a punishment and taking good bad out of the lineup. To quote Don, what are you watching? Volpe's over 30 versus four seam fastballs this month, barely hitting.200, but he's hitting better.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, last 10 games he's been very.

[Don Hahn]

Good and moving Parraza to shortstop doesn't improve your defense at all. Rosario just got here and we also got a tweet from somebody else saying that Rosario isn't really a good defensive shortstop either. He's got the analytics behind that, but it does create some more options. I'm not coddling him, I'm just saying that if he is a mental issue, you know, ripping and tearing into him may not necessarily be the best avenue to finding the improvement that you're looking for because you do know that he works hard. There's, there's try there. So I think not making it, you want punishment because he's not producing, but if he is a part of your future and he's a young enough kid that he can improve, you want to make it's not coddling, it's just trying to get the most out of the situation. But clearly patience is being lost.

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Hey guys, it's CD Lamb, wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys. I'm partnering with Abercrombie this season to tell you all about that viral denim. All you need to know is denim should fit like this. My jeans need to check a lot of boxes. Fit first, trend second. They need to go with whatever I'm feeling, and Abercrombie Denim has it down whether I'm throwing on a tee or putting a whole fit together. Shop Abercrombie Denim in the app online and in store.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Not all meals are created equal. For instance, breakfast has a spicy egg McMuffin for a limited time. And lunch does it. McDonald's breakfast.

[Podcast Announcer]

Thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.

[Don Hahn]

I didn't listen to anything you just said.

[Podcast Announcer]

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

[Don Hahn]

Game Time is brought to you by Televardu Irish Whiskey. Because when it's game time. Yeah, it's Charlie time. It's totally time. Padres and the Mets in San Diego finishing up that series and Padres bringing out the brooms. And at last check, the Mets were down four to nothing and updating that score. It's still four nothing in the bottom of the third inning. That seems odd. I'm gonna hit refresh to see if they're on top of the fifth now. I thought it was a little bit behind. Oh, the Yankees will play later on tonight against the Rays at 7:05. And the Liberty will play will visit the links at 8 o'. Clock. Tullamore due 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. Enjoy Tullamore. Do responsibly. That song that was just played by Jacob. Remember Dennis Leary? Of course you remember Dennis Leary, but Dennis Leary, the stand up, if you remember. How about now?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Now it's working.

[Don Hahn]

He did a whole bit that in hell. Shadow dancing is playing on a little shadow dancing.

[Peter Rosenberg]

There's like. You know how some groups you like 20 years later, like, oh, they sound just like that. They'll never be anyone that sounds like any of the Gibbs. Yeah, Andy Gibb, the bg. Like there's no chance that's Andy Gibb with his brothers. Right? That. That.

[Don Hahn]

No, I think that was just him solo. I'm sure they thought the brothers were.

[Peter Rosenberg]

With him on that.

[Don Hahn]

I'm sure they. I'm sure they were involved in the background.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Like, don't. Didn't they do the background?

[Don Hahn]

Maybe, but that's an Andy Gibbs soul. He was never in the Bee Gees.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, I know, but they produced everything.

[Caller]

Yeah, but Andy Gibbs sung it. Barry Gibb produced and composed and also wrote it.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, they had to have had background, but they had to do the background regardless. That's a sound like. You ever hear Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake.

[Don Hahn]

Oh, yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Their thing on snl. It's a sound that no one will ever replicate. No one.

[Don Hahn]

And you talk about they Weren't terrible. Complete. This could be another list. We got to write these down. Anthony, write these ideas that pop into my head lists. What do you got? Like a band that completely transformed.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Don Hahn]

And, like, got even bigger. Like the Bee Gees from the folk era, like Massachusetts.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Don Hahn]

I started a joke.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Don Hahn]

They were the nice Beatles. Right, Right.

[Peter Rosenberg]

We're trying to be.

[Don Hahn]

And they completely transformed themselves into disco.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Don Hahn]

And then became even bigger. But, like, I cringe when people like, oh, the Bee Gees, disco. Like, there's so much good music before that, that turnaround.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Aren't they a little bit yacht rock, too?

[Don Hahn]

Oh, easily. Yeah. Like. Like they are.

[Peter Rosenberg]

There is some stuff that's just too disco to be yacht rock, but there's a lot of songs like that one. That's a yacht rock song. Yes, right.

[Don Hahn]

Yes.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Don Hahn]

And like Jive Talking might be not a disco song, but the whole Saturday Night Fever sound. Yeah. That was like, you know, it was huge.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah. Unreal, but a different sound.

[Don Hahn]

But they're like. I think, like, they had a documentary a couple of years ago. How to Mend a Broken Heart was another big song.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Don Hahn]

Like that. There's so much good music that comes like the pre disco. And I hate when people, like, throw them into disco because there was so much good music.

[Peter Rosenberg]

They made their money before all their beats, though, right, Jake? Jake, I know you're not a big Bee Gees guy, but you have to admit that any of their songs, the music itself, just the beats, I mean, they're pretty good, actually.

[Caller]

They still live on to this day. Like, mostly it's crazy that I listen to, like, most of these songs that, like, recreate the Bee Gee sound or, like, just whether it's the lyrics or the beat. And then I'll go back to listen to the Bee Gees like, they made it.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Right.

[Caller]

And then I. Then I'll get stuck on the original Bee Gees song instead of the one I know.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Staying Alive should have been covered a million times in hip hop.

[Caller]

Actually, DJ Khaled probably did it like.

[Peter Rosenberg]

A couple years ago and there was. Was it Wyclef did use Staying Alive? Yeah, it was.

[Caller]

What was that, like, 99, 98.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, yeah. It's like it began like, look at, look at, look at it, right? Like he, he. But that's a really good one. But he used Staying a lot. But yeah, their beats are good now.

[Don Hahn]

Aaron Boone spoke before the game today.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Okay, let's get an explanation on Volpe.

[Don Hahn]

Because Volpe is in the lineup. He is going to bat Eighth, which.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Is curious from my perspective. Very curious decision.

[Don Hahn]

So, Aaron, did you consider giving Volpe a day off to reset?

[I]

I have not wanted to do that or decided to do that. You know, I think clearly he's. He's gone through some struggles here and some key moments, made some not made some plays. You know, I think Anthony's super tough, and I think he's wired for this. And, you know, believe it or not, everyone at some point, defense, we think of slumps or struggles more offensively. It happens even with really good players on that side of the ball. I've been there many times. You know, my sophomore year in College, I made 18 errors in the first 18 games. I was a wreck.

[Peter Rosenberg]

All right.

[I]

Anthony's not even close to that. And my message to him is, you're really good at this, and that's reality. Like, he's a Gold Glove player. He makes plays that people can't make. He's a playmaker out there. You know, he's made some mistakes on some balls that he needs to nail down, but it happens to guys at different points in their career. I feel like his mental toughness and his wiring will get him through this and we'll all work, you know, right there with him to get kind of get through it, too. And I believe his best days are in front of him this year and beyond. So, you know, and even going into last night, there's a number of plays this week. He's played really well. He's made a lot of really good plays. So we got to get there and nail down the ones we. We need to make. And confident he can do that. And I'll continue to pay attention to it and make decisions where I see necessary.

[Don Hahn]

All right, so the way there's two ways you can take what Boone said. Clearly it doesn't sound like they believe it's mental. Just in a slump. He's still a great defender. Nothing to see here. Everything's fine. All right. Or is it? We don't want to create something, and we believe that benching him is going to create something. And there's also the alternative. Hey, we don't want to admit we made a mistake and maybe he's not as good a player as we thought.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I don't think it's that.

[Don Hahn]

I don't think it's that either. But they can be stubborn. The Yankees can be stubborn with players. I mean, this starts to sound a lot like Sanchez, where, oh, he's still. Frame is great. The pitchers like finding reasons why we still have to Keep him in the lineup because they don't want to admit that maybe he's not the player. Player. We thought that could still be on the table, but it sounds to me like Boone kind of agrees with me in the sense of, listen, I don't want to create any more damage than I have to. Let's pump this kid up. Let's still believe in him. He's going to get over this. And they must believe that giving him a day to reset makes matters worse. You could disagree with that. But do you believe that that's what they're thinking?

[Peter Rosenberg]

The only way you're proven right or wrong. Right, like our argument. It's already out on social media, you and I discussing Volpe and whether or not he should have been in the lineup today, and you trying to give the logical explanation while I'm telling you how I felt. I don't like this. I can look like I know what I'm talking about, because if he has another poor night throwing the. Throwing the baseball, then I'm right. If he has a clean game, then I'm wrong. That's it. Like, there's no really right or wrong until we see what happens. But I know how I feel off last night's game, and my feeling, my gut would have been, let me take these two games and just get. Let him exhale, and we'll get back to it. In Miami, out of the crucible of the stadium and all the fans that are every. Every little thing he does, they're going to get on his case, and he doesn't need that. That's just my opinion. If he has a clean game tonight and no issues and everything's fine, I'm wrong. But if he doesn't, I wouldn't. They made a mistake.

[Don Hahn]

I wouldn't necessarily say you're wrong. It could be very fluid because he might play a perfect game tonight and then tomorrow kick the ball three times. Then you were right. You know. You know what I mean? Like, it's still. Yeah, it's still very fluid. Right. Like, we're going to have to see what it ends up looking like today, tomorrow, the next day. It's not just one game. I mean, he might field all four balls hit to him. And you know what? Allen was wrong. And then tomorrow afternoon, he commits 5 error. No, Allen was right. But I think just judging by the conversation that they just had, is that they don't believe that giving him a day would work.

[Peter Rosenberg]

So you. Are you buying that? Because what Puni said there is literally what you were saying to me in the last segment.

[Don Hahn]

Mm, it's.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You were chapter and verse.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah. Because I think that's the alternative.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Do you buy into this though?

[Don Hahn]

Yeah, I think that they believe that benching him coming off that performance defensively will do more harm than good. And I could see that. I also see your point. Hey, you know, listen, we got to do something about this now. We can nip this in the bud. Yeah, but they think he's an A plus defender. They believe he's going to work his way out of it and playing is going to help and we'll see who's right or wrong when we, when we get. I think one game is too small of a sample size but over time we're going to find out because he looks like he's playing and it doesn't look like he's going to sit tomorrow either. And he's just going to keep playing.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And his bat's been good. Like I said, the last 10 games his numbers have been very good. Last 10 games.

[Don Hahn]

1-800-919-3776 we'll also got ENN coming up at 6 o'. Clock. Having some fun here till 7. Don Hannah Rosenberg 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 and savings during the Mazda More to move you sales event. Lease a new 2025 Mazda CX90 preferred plug in Hybrid for 159 for 24 months. Start shopping now at Ramsey Mazda.com choose wisely. Choose Ramsey Mazda. Call 833-853-2970 for details. Excludes tax, title, registration 0 Security Deposit VIN S1235648 MSRP 52870 and 73125 Gatorade.

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[Don Hahn]

Designed to hydrate better than water so you can lose more sweat and raise your game.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Gatorade is it in you?

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Ryan Reynolds here from Int. Mobile.

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With the price of just about everything.

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Going up, we thought we'd bring our prices down. So to help us we brought in.

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A reverse auctioneer which is apparently a thing.

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Sold. Give it a [e-mail] Switch.

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[Podcast Announcer]

Thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.

[Don Hahn]

I didn't listen to anything you just said.

[Podcast Announcer]

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

[Don Hahn]

Jacob's trying to make some sort of a point.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Now he's down the rabbit hole. No, he went down the rabbit hole. This is a good song.

[Don Hahn]

No, it's not.

[Peter Rosenberg]

This is a good song. No, no, come on.

[Don Hahn]

It's everything that's wrong with music.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Not at all.

[Caller]

I mean, this the reason why I put it on because Don said, this is the song they're going to play in hell.

[Peter Rosenberg]

So, yeah, the.

[Don Hahn]

Dennis Leary was right.

[Peter Rosenberg]

This.

[Don Hahn]

This is on in a loop in hell. Now at least admit it's a guilty pleasure. Like, I can admit, like, my go to is always like biodome. Like, it's a bad movie, but whenever it's on, I watch it. But I'm like, you're not going to see me. Oh, that's a good movie. No, it's a bad movie, but I do enjoy it. I want you to say, you got.

[Peter Rosenberg]

To get to the part, though, where they all. Single part. Come on.

[Don Hahn]

This is the best part. Where you don't hear it anymore, man.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Come on. That part.

[Don Hahn]

But at least admit it's a guilty play. It's bad song that you enjoy.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Oh, yeah, it's terrible.

[Don Hahn]

It's like the Macarena some people like.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, no. You see. How dare you.

[Don Hahn]

No, that's.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's not even music. It's just.

[Don Hahn]

Understand you have to think about this.

[Peter Rosenberg]

This at least has.

[Don Hahn]

I don't want to speak ill of the dead because Andy's no longer with us. Matter of fact, I think Barry's the only survivor.

[Peter Rosenberg]

There might only be one left here, right?

[Don Hahn]

But he. Let's be honest, he was the talent of everything. He was right.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah. That's why it was bg.

[Don Hahn]

He. He wrote and produced this song. Notice the thing he didn't do. Then take it. Right? He gave it to his brother. The brother that wasn't in the band. Like, if he thought it was any good, he would have kept it himself. He knew it was garbage, but he gave it to his brother. That's what you do with the younger brother, right? You give him the hand me down toys and clothes and in songs, in this case.

[Peter Rosenberg]

So wait, who's older, you or Dave?

[Don Hahn]

I'm older by three and a half years.

[Peter Rosenberg]

So is that how you did things, Dave? You should try this. It's not for me, but it's good for you.

[Don Hahn]

I guess I'm trying to think of an example. But, like, listen, I cared about David, but, like, if I. If I found something that was going to work for me, that I'd keep it for myself rather than give it to him.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, I see.

[Don Hahn]

But if I found something, like, I'm not doing that, but it'll probably be a hit.

[Peter Rosenberg]

So you take it. Yeah.

[Don Hahn]

And Barry knew it was going to be a hit. Like, he didn't give. He didn't give his brother something that wasn't going to work work, but it wasn't something that he wanted his name completely on.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Get it? I totally get it. It's. It. I wouldn't call this the Macarena, though. This is not even like, Ice, Ice baby. Like, this is like Shadow Dancing is not that bad.

[Don Hahn]

Well, you say just it's there. They were both hits.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's just kind of goofy. I'm like, I'm a little buzzed right now, so I'm just bopping to this. Like, you know, like, you're not listening to it regularly, but if it's on and I've had a drink or two, I'm like, yeah, this is. I like this. Like, this just got a little vibe to it. That's all. Nothing more. But Macarena and Ice, Ice baby. Like, that's the kind of stuff that.

[Don Hahn]

Just now this is just Stab me.

[Peter Rosenberg]

In the eardrum now.

[Don Hahn]

There's a. There's a go to that.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That.

[Don Hahn]

Because, you know, marriage is a game, right? It's all about trying to get. Get your wins. Oh, and Listen, I'm a 62 men. I'm losing everything day. Yeah. She wins all the battles. She's. She's the 27 Yankees on the 62 minutes. And that's worked very well for our relationship. All right? But the one little go to the one little victory I'll get every once in a while is there'll be a song like that that's bad. And I'm. I'm singing it. I'm liking the song. And she's like, this is. This is awful. And I'll say, I'm sorry, Nance. Weren't you the one that bought the cassette single of the Macarena back in the day? Yikes. And that shuts it right down. Because you know what? You're gonna complain about anything.

[Peter Rosenberg]

There's no comeback from.

[Don Hahn]

There's no. There's no. That's a win. That's the drop mic moment. I got to come up with a few more. But that's why I'm. That's why I'm 120 lost team. I don't got much, but that's a go to. Like. I'm trying to think of a song that I just know is bad, but for some reason, I like it. I can't think of one off the top of my head. I'm sure my wife, if she's listening, would probably text like, 20.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Oh, please do.

[Don Hahn]

There's.

[Peter Rosenberg]

There's.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah, if you could think of one, Nance, if you're out there, if you're taking the kids wherever. But I'm trying to think because it's hard for me to think because I don't think they're bad unless I really start to get into it.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I have a whole playlist of guilty pleasures. They're terrible. Like, I would never. Like if the window was down at the. At the red light. I'm rolling it up.

[Don Hahn]

I'll give you. I'll give you an A song I am not a fan of the Copacabana by Barry Mantle.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Not a fan.

[Don Hahn]

Here's the thing. It's probably the only song by Barry I don't like. I love Barry Manilow. I mean, adore the guy. Love all. Every song.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Except every song.

[Don Hahn]

Daybreak. I'll sing Daybreak out loud.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Daybreak. Daybreak.

[Don Hahn]

Not good.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's not great.

[Don Hahn]

But you know what? I enjoy it.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I mean, they're doing the clapping.

[Don Hahn]

Like, it gets a little rough, and I won't say it on the air, but if you listen to Daybreak, it almost sounds like something else.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Oh, now you got me curious.

[Don Hahn]

All right, I'm gonna tell you during the break. You could figure it out yourself if you listen to it.

[Peter Rosenberg]

So wait.

[Don Hahn]

But that's a guilty pleasure. Barry's a guilty pleasure of mine. You know, the stuff I'm into, all the death metal and everything. But you know what? And I'm also the.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Wait, you're telling me that Copacabana is a worse song? Don't like it than Somewhere in the Night. Somewhere in the Night is a God.

[Don Hahn]

Awful down the road.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Oh God. It's just.

[Don Hahn]

No again. I know it's bad, but Copa's almost. This is a story I don't do not that great a story.

[Peter Rosenberg]

His name was Rico. I know he wore a diamond.

[Don Hahn]

I do that sometimes.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Like you can picture Rico.

[Don Hahn]

I'll say diamond. Her name is Jalen. She was a showgirl but that was many years ago and they used to have a show now it's a disco but not for Jalen. I know the song I just not a fan But I love only a.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Picture and tells us that's good for.

[Don Hahn]

Him Somewhere in the not a story.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Dreary just I love that. Shut up. Oh, I've seen an animal house where the guy grabs a guitar.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah. Smashes. No, I get it. No, but listen, I, I, and, and I had a top 100 listen 20 years ago that I did top 100 of songs. Yeah, I did a whole hundred. And for Christmas 05, Joey Salvia got all on CD for me. So I got all the songs on CD.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Nice.

[Don Hahn]

Weekend in New England's one of my favorite songs.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, I'll give you that. Weekend in New England is an amazing song.

[Don Hahn]

That is a great song. So those you can't relate to that.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Song, you've never been in love.

[Don Hahn]

I also believe, and I love to make eye contact with Jacob here on this one.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Okay, here we go.

[Don Hahn]

That I believe everyone on the face of the planet likes at least one Barry Manilow song. At least one. And I'll get people going. No, no way. You know what? I'll get you. I'll get one. Because I could see Jacob smile.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Jacob, smile. Tonight you're going to. When you get on the train, you're going to put Barry Manilow in your ears. You're going to do it.

[Don Hahn]

Okay?

[Peter Rosenberg]

And you're going to find one.

[Caller]

I'm going to find my phone.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I promise you, you'll find out.

[Don Hahn]

There'll be one.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You might like Copacabana. You might like that one.

[Caller]

I know Copacabana.

[Don Hahn]

I'm not.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's not terrible.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah.

[Caller]

I mean, I know it, but it's a great story.

[Don Hahn]

You would turn it off, right? Yeah. Yeah.

[Caller]

I almost put it like Don said it in the same category as Michael.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You know what you're not doing? You know, you know, you're not turning it off.

[Don Hahn]

Full of girls.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Not turning off in a room full of girls. They love that song. They'll dance to that.

[Don Hahn]

Jacob would be down, but not for the music. It keeps him in the room.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Come on. Half of music is really just all about.

[Caller]

I mean, we here for the vibes. I won't listen to the song.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It'll.

[Don Hahn]

It'll play.

[Caller]

I forgot it played. And then I'll move along.

[Peter Rosenberg]

There you go. All right. So.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah, go. Yeah. Just because it's gonna be at least once, I'm like, you know what?

[Peter Rosenberg]

That's not bad.

[Don Hahn]

Because there's a stigma around Barry. I get it. But you know what? I love it. I'm a big fan. So I'm live. I forget when, but you seen some legends. Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Oh, God, the old songs. That's. That song's terrible. The old song.

[Don Hahn]

The old.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, It's a terrible song. Terrible song. No, not good.

[Don Hahn]

I like it. It's good.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Made it through the rain. I'm looking at.

[Don Hahn]

I made it through the rain. I know them all. Love them. Every one of them except Copa kept Copa.

[Peter Rosenberg]

How is worse than that? It's just one mistake. He's not a mistake.

[Don Hahn]

This is one. Yeah. He misplayed his hand.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You're out of your mind.

[Don Hahn]

Go to Steven Boot and you're on ESPN New York.

[Peter Rosenberg]

What's up, Steve?

[Caller]

Hey, guys. How you doing?

[Don Hahn]

Good.

[Caller]

My first question goes a little bit off of Barry Manilow, but what do you think about one from Metallica? Don.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I told Don that one. And what did I say? It was one the Belt and For Whom the Bell tolls.

[Don Hahn]

Believe it or not, I was not a huge fan of. Of that album when it first came out. Then I fell in love with it gradually, but one. I loved the second I heard that. Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

By the way, do you want to hear what? Do you want to hear what Rolling Stone said about Enter Sandman?

[Don Hahn]

They.

[Peter Rosenberg]

They ranked the best Metallica songs. Enter salmon was ranked seventh. It said it measures at least a 9.0 on the head banging scale.

[Don Hahn]

The fact that they even mentioned headbanging is just stupid.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Thanks to Headfield, sinister vocals and lyrics from that ominously transform nursery and bedtime prayers into nightmarish visions.

[Don Hahn]

Awful song. Where do you see. Where do you stand on that song?

[Caller]

I just. Again, you were talking about the videos. I mean, that was one of those that you could.

[Don Hahn]

You got home.

[Caller]

You saw that on MTV or. What was that. What was that station you used to call up and you used to request of it. It was like a. It was almost like a sports line type thing. You paid like A$99 and your video came on.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Oh, man, I don't remember that.

[Don Hahn]

That's awesome.

[Caller]

Yeah, it was like right around when the MTV was on. You came. We always ordered like Madonna. Like the. The. The borderline. The one where she's getting all sexy? No, the one where she's getting all sexy. Yeah. No.

[Don Hahn]

One word like a prayer. It's a soft core.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I don't know. I thought borderline.

[Caller]

Justify. Justify my love. That video got ordered a lot by me and my friend that in the divine.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You ever see the Divinals video? I touched myself. Oh, my Lord.

[Caller]

Anyway, I think back to what I call for. Alan, you. You said it before without even knowing it. My favorite play of the year last night. Last night was Dominguez. Little single steel second base, goes to third on a sac fly, almost slides into the dugout and then scores on a little looper. That's how you gotta play. You can't sit there waiting for three run home runs. Someone should top rope beyond the shoulder, not yell at him. Don't get him upset like that.

[Peter Rosenberg]

He's done that. No, Volpe's done that. We've seen him hustle and steal third and all that, so we've seen him do the same thing. It's the field. I can't blame these guys for the style of play they're playing the way they're being told to play.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah, but manufacturing a run now and then would not be the end of the world.

[Podcast Announcer]

Thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.

[Peter Rosenberg]

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

[Podcast Announcer]

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.