Comedian Jeff Foxworthy says Royals manager Ned Yost is funny

This story originally was published Oct. 15, 2014.

Jeff Foxworthy should be a good judge of who or what is funny.

After all, he has been making people laugh for years with his "You might be a redneck if ... " routine. And get him in the same room with Larry the Cable Guy, Ron White and Bill Engvall, and no one can keep a straight face.

So, you know who Jeff Foxworthy thinks is funny? Wait for it.

Royals manager Ned Yost.

You mean the stoic, grumpy, often-sarcastic Ned Yost? Yeah, that one, Foxworthy will tell you.

"I guess I see a different side of him," said Foxworthy, Yost's hunting buddy in Georgia. "Once he gets away from baseball and he gets out hunting with us, he's just a riot.

"It's like going behind the curtain and seeing the real Oz."

Foxworthy can give you an example. Because he and Yost own land near each other in Georgia, they became friends and hunting partners. They follow tradition and get out with the same guys every year.

Eventually, Yost and Foxworthy decided it would be good to divide into teams.

"Ned and I are on the Thump Monkeys," Foxworthy said in a telephone interview. "The other team is the Killbillies.

"If the Royals get to the World Series, tell him the rest of the Thump Monkeys will be on a plane to Kansas City."

Actually, Foxworthy doesn't need a third party to convey messages to Yost. They talk regularly on their cell phones. He chatted with Yost shortly after the Royals' big win over the A's in the American League Wild Card Game.

"I told him he was cutting into my sleep," Foxworthy said. "I don't think I got more than a few hours of sleep that night.

"He's been getting some criticism lately, but that's part of the job. In a way, our jobs are similar. We're in the entertainment business, and not everyone is going to like the way you're doing things.

"You have to let that roll off your back and do what you think is best."

Critics have blasted Yost for some of his decisions this season, including his choice of pitchers and the timing of his replacements. But Foxworthy defended his friend, saying that Yost's critics don't realize the preparation that goes into each crucial game.

"Ned was telling me that they had prepared for each scenario in that game against the A's," Foxworthy said. "He knew how the Royals were going to approach each situation.

"I was rolled up in a ball in the eighth inning the other night, when Ned was calling for all those steals. But it worked out great.

"He knows what he has to work with, and I think he makes it go."

Foxworthy and Yost met years ago in a Bible study conducted by the Atlanta Braves chaplain. The group consisted of athletes and entertainers who were in the public eye, and centered on how to handle that pressure.

Foxworthy and Yost talked about their common interest in hunting, and decided to get together to chase deer. After Foxworthy bought land south of Atlanta, Yost followed suit and bought some land of his own.

From there, they became close friends, hunting almost every day during the season.

"We have what we call 'hunt week,' during the heart of the season," Foxworthy said. "We get together and have special meals assigned to different people.

"Everyone looks forward to 'hot dog night' because that's what Ned is in charge of. We're not talking ordinary hot dogs here. He'll fly in Casper's hot dogs from Oakland, brats from Milwaukee and Cajun sausage from New Orleans."

By November, no matter how the Royals do, Foxworthy and Yost will be in the woods, hunting and probably talking baseball.

"I have it written into my contract: no filming during November. That's the rut," Foxworthy said. "My attorney said, 'What's the rut?' I started to give him this long explanation about how that's when the deer mate and they are active, but I gave up.

"I just said, 'That's when I'm going hunting with my buddies.' "

This story was originally published October 25, 2015 at 10:47 AM with the headline "Comedian Jeff Foxworthy says Royals manager Ned Yost is funny."