Sports talk radio listeners should know by now not to get Don La Greca going, because he will unleash the verbal beast on you if he has to.
A caller to Monday’s edition of the Michael Kay Show on 98.7 FM ESPN New York learned that quite well during a nearly seven-minute interaction that left La Greca fuming on the air. The verbal lashing was the result of caller Mike in Manalapan saying that the Michael Kay Show co-host’s take on Joey Gallo was “one of the most moronic comments ever” and then suggested that La Greca’s success was only because of Kay.
“It actually proves why (La Greca and co-host Peter Rosenberg) would fail if Michael wasn’t part of the show,” the caller said. “Your comment about Joey Gallo, and I’m a Mets fan, saying why are (Yankee fans) offended by him. Because he bats .160.”
La Greca and Rosenberg were flying solo without the show’s namesake on Monday. After going back and forth with the caller for several moments, La Greca clearly had enough after Mike mentioned Kay one last time.
🚨 A #DonRant for the ages 🚨@DonLagreca x @TMKSonYES pic.twitter.com/feMy8Ye9e9
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) July 11, 2022
“Stop with Michael Kay! I’m on the air, I worked at the (WFAN) before Michael Kay,” La Greca fumed. “I do Rangers games without Michael Kay. Sixteen years doing pre and post for the Jets. Guess what? No Michael Kay! I’ve got a podcast that’s in the top-50 in every country on the planet. No Michael Kay! I have two kids, I have a wife, 17 years I’ll be married to her in September. Guess what? No Michael Kay! I’ve got hair that people would die to have.
“Michael Kay? Nothing! I’m a fabulous driver. Michael Kay’s got nothing to do with it. I’m one of the best friends you could ever have in your life. Zero to do with Michael Kay! Do not ever say to me, you wouldn’t have the guts to say it to my face, Michael Kay’s got nothing to do with what I am and who I am. I can work with Michael Kay, I can work without Michael Kay.”
Monday’s tirade will go down as one of the more animated ones by the accomplished radio personality. La Greca has been known to get into a few verbal dustups over the years during his time on the Michale Kay Show.
And any defense of Gallo wasn’t likely to be greeted well from Yankee fans, who have spent a better part of the season lambasting the outfield on social media and on sports talk radio in New York. Gallo has not come nearly as close to the success that he had in Texas with the Yankees and it is believed that the Bombers are looking to move the outfielder before the trade deadline.
