Royals’ Ned Yost on a bobblehead? The manager just shakes his head

Royals manager Ned Yost isn’t sure what he’s going to do with his bobblehead, which will be passed out to the first 20,000 fans through the gates for Saturday’s battle with the Atlanta Braves.

“When you lose 12 out of 16, the bobblehead is about the last thing you think about and where you’re going to put it,” Yost said Friday before the opening-game of a six-game homestand.

First baseman Eric Hosmer, on the other hand, knows exactly what’s he’s doing with his Yost figurine, assuming he can get his hands on one.

“I’ve got to get one first,” Hosmer said. “I collect all that stuff. I’ve got my little hangout room, bar, man cave or whatever you call it back home. I’ve got everyone’s that’s came out, so that will be right there at the head of it all, policing all the other bobbleheads.”

There’s only been one previous Yost bobblehead, a miniature handed out during his days in Milwaukee “that didn’t look anything like me,” he said.

Yost is much more pleased with the bobblehead set to be passed out at Kauffman Stadium.

“This one, there’s two major features — one’s wrong and, well, they’re both wrong,” Yost said. “It’s got my hair way too gray, and it’s got me skinny. I like that part of it. I’ll take the gray hair as long as they Photoshop my bobblehead to make me skinny.”

Yost has a big order of bobbleheads to fill. He’s already had requests from his hunting buddies, who famously include Jeff Foxworthy, among others.

“I’m going to give them all one,” Yost said. “I’m getting one for them. They’re already calling asking for one.”

These days, Yost is a World Series-winning manager, who’s overseen more wins than any other man in Royals history and led the once-moribund franchise to consecutive American League pennants.

He’s certainly worthy of a bobblehead, but there’s no telling what fans might have done with Yost’s bobble-headed likeness three years ago.

Asked about the idea of a Yost bobblehead, circa 2013, Hosmer paused and smiled, “You’re trying to get me in trouble with that question. I can tell you what they’d do with it now, but I don’t know about three years ago.”

This story was originally published May 13, 2016 at 8:26 PM with the headline "Royals’ Ned Yost on a bobblehead? The manager just shakes his head."