KHI's Yastrzemski views Sox-Yanks in different light (cont'd)

Yastrzemski landed at KHI a little under two months ago from Braun Racing -- and immediately learned that his new employer was a Yankees fan.

"I wear my Red Sox hat around the shop all the time, so he gives me a little bit of grief," Yastrzemski said, referring to Harvick. "The last series the Red Sox and Yankees had, we made a bet with each other. If the Red Sox win the series, he had to wear a Red Sox hat for a week and if the Yankees won, I would wear a Yankees hat for a week."

Well, the Yankees swept the series, so guess who had to sport the "NY" for seven days?

"It's been pretty tough since then," Yastrzemski admitted.

If Harvick presses the issue, Yastrzemski can always point to 2004, when the Red Sox finally ended decades of frustration by mounting a four-game comeback to beat their rivals. Of course, the heartache of all the those near-misses is rarely far away for a dyed-in-the-wool Sox fan.

"I was there in '86 when the ball rolled through [Bill] Buckner's legs and we lost to the Mets," Yastrzemski said. "If you ever watch that movie, Fever Pitch, that movie's basically like me. I'm like the biggest Red Sox fan you've ever met."

And there was an Uncle Carl in that film, too. Speaking of Carl Yastrzemski, Jeff says it's hard to find him, mainly because he keeps on the go in his retirement, either at his place on Cape Cod or at his winter home in Florida.

"He fishes every morning," Yaz said. "He goes striper fishing every morning, so you just can't catch him."

His favorite memory -- other than the 2004 World Series -- not surprisingly revolves around his uncle.

"Yaz Day, when he retired," Yastrzemski said. "When they brought out the rocking chair for his birthday, that was pretty cool."

Even though the NASCAR schedule has been hectic, and Yastrzemki is in the middle of moving from one house to another, he couldn't pass up the chance to see the Sox live.

"That's the only reason I'm going up there," he said. "They needed somebody, so I just kind of volunteered to go up there for them because I knew I could sneak down to Fenway and watch a ballgame. To play the Yankees is kind of a no-lose situation.

"We've been on the road 17 weekends in a row, but to have a chance to watch the Red Sox and Yankees, that'll work."