Knicks Mid-Season Review, Strawberry Backs Pete Alonso, & News Out of WFAN | NY Sports Rapid Rundown

Knicks Mid-Season Review, Strawberry Backs Pete Alonso, & News Out of WFAN | NY Sports Rapid Rundown

All right welcome back to the New York Sports Rapid rundown the best digital show where we talk about the hottest three topics of the week in New York Sports and joining me this week for another great discussion is a producer an update anchor for WFAN and CBS Sports Radio also a fantastic play-by-play

Voice the one and only Manny Rodriguez Manny what’s going on man hey Dexter how’s it going I’m doing good I’m doing good how is your start to 2024 going I can’t complain I cannot complain I’ve spent it with some loved ones and I’ve taken a couple of trips to Madison

Square Garden and as a New Yorker I mean what more do you want look that’s a good it’s a good place to be especially if you watching Knicks which I assume I know you’re a Knicks fan and they have been winning but we’ve got a lot of

Stuff to talk about this week Manny including a departure at wfn Daryl strawberry advocating for Pete Alonzo but first we got to talk about the team we just talked about the New York Knicks the Knicks they just passed a halfway mark of the season they played their

42nd game of this season that happened on Thursday night in a victory what’s your assessment of where the Nic aakers are through 42 games well they’re in a fine spot I mean after 42 games you can’t complain about having 24 wins and if you are complaining please stay away from me

Don’t buy me a beer I don’t want that energy anywhere near me but um I do believe that they do have some issues you take a look at what the Knicks have right now after the trade that saw RJ Baron Emanuel quickly go out to Toronto

They have an issue on the bench they don’t have enough scoring on the bench so that’s something that the Knicks will have to address but again they’re in uh they’re in the playoff spot they’re not in the playin tournament as of right now so I mean if you’re complaining right

Now I can understand I thought they would be maybe a three seed by around by about this point but again 42 games 24 wins can’t complain well you know it’s like my friend always says you somebody can always be mad right somebody’s always going to be mad and when you look

At you know Nick’s fans on social media you’re going to find some fans that are unhappy some fans that think they should have made a CH another trade already never going to please anybody but you talked about the fact that they need more scoring Off the Bench right and

Then you had reports come out this week that the Knicks would be interested in moving shooting guard Quinton Grimes who struggled and you know they need the scoring Off the Bench that is definitely in need you can see it with this team right now and then there’s also been

Reports that Quinton Grimes has not been happy here should the Knicks move the third-year shooting guard yes they should but it should only be for the right package if the Knicks will move on from Quinton Grimes and they don’t get back a perennial all NBA player that is

A mistake in my opinion by the Knicks if they are going to go out and trade Quinton Grimes for a piece to come off the bench that’s just not good enough Quinton Grimes should be in a bigger deal coupled with first round picks to go get that perennial all NBA player

That I do believe the Knicks still lack and is that one chip away from making the Knicks not only a perennial playoff team but a perennial contend in team in the Eastern Conference let me ask you this just as a followup real quick on that do you think that they need to do

That by the trade deadline or is this something that could wait for the off season the uh starting getting that star player yes I mean ideally everybody wants it done as soon as possible but sometimes that’s just not the case um so I do believe according to everything

That I’m reading it looks like we’re going to have to be patient Nicks fans it looks like this is going to happen in the summer if it does um the trade that will uh solidify the bench unit that might be coming by the middle of next month by the trade deadline but again

For that perennial all NBA player we might have to wait until the summer talking about patience a little bit of patience nexts fans we will see if that happens how it all shakes out with the Knicks but as you said 24 wins through 42 games they have been playing some pretty good

Basketball okay let’s talk some Mets baseball this week darl strawberry he said that he all in on Pete Alonzo resigning with the Mets Alonzo he’s entering the final year of his contract before free agency do you think the first baseman will be back with the Mets after 2024 I mean he should he

Absolutely should he is in my opinion one of the best Sluggers in baseball and you need multiple versions of that in your lineup in 2024 it’s simple as that he’s one of the best hitters in baseball so he absolutely should be back with the New York Mets now will he I think so

Because I think the Mets have an owner who understands in Steve Cohen we have seen repeatedly he has it feels like he has his pulse on the fans he’s brought back uh Oldtimer day he’s retiring Doc and Daryl’s number it feels like he’s in the know with what the fans want and I

Do believe that the fans would want to see Pete Alonzo resign with New York given again his numbers his ability his ability to hit the long ball and given how today’s ball game works you need that Slugger so I do believe that pet Alonzo will be back in blue and orange

And queens I it’s a good point about Co being in touch with the fans because most Mets fans I’ve talked to Manny I haven’t heard them say I don’t want Peter Lonzo back I’ve yet to find the Met fan to say that they may have some critiques of his game or that whatnot

But I haven’t heard the Mets fan say I don’t want this guy back now speaking of Alonzo he’s not too far from breaking strawberry franchise Mark of 252 home runs the first baseman man he would need 61 homers this season to break the record do you think Pete will break

Strawberry’s home run record either this season or down the road if like you said that he stays with the team yeah um listen 60 home runs is a is a big ask how many times have we seen 60 home runs in the last five years we’ve only seen

It once by Aaron judge it’s a big ask but if anybody can do it it’s probably Pete Alonzo I do believe that that record will get broken but I don’t believe it’ll be this season 60 home runs is just a lot of home runs yeah

That’s a lot of home runs that happen in one season not saying we don’t want to see it we would like to see it I’m sure Manny would like to see it as well too but it’s a lot to ask for one season look if Pete Alonzo hit 61 home runs

This year I’ll tell you what Manny it’ll be hard for him to uh not be back in blue and orange the next year it would be hard for them to not bring him back it would be almost malpractice by by Cohen and the Mets to not bring uh

Alonzo back if he does hit 60 home runs or 63 home runs you know it would be definitely tough not to do that we know what Mets fans want they want it back in blue and orange so we’ll see how that all goes okay this one here the last topic we’re

Going to talk about here on the rapper rundown it relates closely to you and I because we both do work at local Sports Talk radio station wfn as all New Yorkers know and earlier this week news broke that program director Spike esin will be leaving the station after two

And a half years so first of all I have to ask you when you saw this um as both of us work there what was your reaction to the news I mean my jaw dropped and the reason that my jaw dropped was because I was just perusing on my phone

I think I was playing wle and uh I got a tweet notification from a Jets beat writer it might have been or a football beat writer might have been Connor Hughes and he texted something along the lines of holy cow so I saw that and I immediately thought what just happened

To New York football so I tapped on it and then sure enough that holy cow tweet led to a post by marshan that had the headline and at that moment I figured perhaps it would be a good idea to check my work email and so I did and um it um

I was shocked I was shocked you know what I’m happy to see Spike go back to Philadelphia um you know I I don’t know I feel like he he misses it um maybe go back to talking about the Eagles and the Sixers I feel like that’s Spike and um

I’m I’m very happy for him yeah definitely you know anything for anybody being able to go back home and work back home we are blessed to work in the city that we’re from that we love you know that’s always a beautiful thing but I think in this aspect Manny for many

People as you know as a native New Yorker as well too the f is part of the core of New York Sports there’s no way you can say that it’s not and you and I were blessed to be part of that core what did Spike mean to you and what do

You think his lasting Legacy at wfn I know it was short two and a half years but what do you think his lasting Legacy at the fan will be well I mean Spike means a lot to me uh Spike was the man who saw something in me and allowed me

To get my foot in the door in the industry so um I’m forever grateful for what Spike has done for my career um I do believe his lasting Legacy will be a good one no matter what you see on the internet um I think the ratings are what

The ratings say they are and uh WFAN is still pretty much at the top of those ratings and when it comes to sports radio in New York WFAN is still at the top so no matter what you read online Spike it’s it’s Blasphemous you take a

Look at the ratings ratings are what the ratings say they are and we’re at the top at the fan people are still tuning in I I think that’s something that you can’t deny no matter what some people always say and feel differently and you know I had tweeted about this earlier

And I still keep saying tweet even though it’s X now I still say tweet you know still say that but I had said earli this week on social media that you know I thought part of his legacy will be the fact that he sort of changed the way wfn

Has looked um in in recent years there’s been more people of color who have been prominent in terms of sports update anchors whether you or myself or producing or hosting like Keith mcferson and I think that matters a lot because for a long time wfm looked a certain way

Where everybody look the same and you know hopefully those things are changing and I think that’s a beautiful thing with what’s been happening there 100% And you mentioned Keith you mentioned yourself myself I mean I also have to give a shout out to Amanda AES we have

To give a shout out to Carlos Ortiz as well another couple of Latinos who are working at uh WF and at CBS Sports Radio so I mean yeah that’s another thing that Spike uh really uh brought to the radio station was uh people of color people

That look like you that look like me and you know hopefully you know you know there’s uh some kid listening in the r on the radio um and you know they hear our names and they think oh that that that name sounds like us sounds like me

They’ll look us up and you know they’ll they’ll strive to try to to try to be the next generation of black or Latino uh journalist or host or update anchors whatever the case may be so again Spike uh Spike really brought a a uh he opened

New doors at WF and I mean I’m grateful for him 100% no I think he definitely deserves as flowers for that and let’s also add women in the mix too Daniel mccarten who does such a fantastic job as well to in wfn Lori rumstein um as

Well too who’ve been able to pave ways for other women that might be listening that want to do that because you’re right that representation matters so much so we just want to say salute thank you to spike because I think that’s definit I think that’s definitely part

Of his legacy you did a great job first time here on the raford rundown appreciate you thank you so much well no you know I love your work I love what you do I’m glad you’re able to pull up and come and hang out with me and talk

Some New York Sports we’re going to have to do it again again please let’s do it we will definitely do it again that is Manny Rodriguez check him out on WF CBS Sports Radio he like me wears a lot of hats he does a lot of jobs he does a lot

Of good things and he’s really one of the talented people here in this industry so Manny thank you appreciate you thank you Dex we will be back next week with the New York Sports Rapid rundown until next time Peace

WFAN producer, update anchor and host Manny Rodriguez joins the show to evaluate the New York Knicks after 42 games, Darryl Strawberry saying Pete Alonso should stay with the Mets and WFAN Program Director Spike Eskin leaving the station.

#newyorkknicks #knicks #newyorkmets #mets #wfan #mlb #nba #juliusrandle #jalenbrunson

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