Gregg Berhalter, Carl Yastrzemski’s Godson Reps Yankees In First Pitch

It would be a customary move to wear a Yankees jersey and hat when throwing a first pitch before a New York game, but the dynamics are probably different if your godfather is Boston Red Sox legend Carl Yastrzemski.

This was the situation United States men’s soccer head coach Gregg Berhalter found himself in before New York took on the Minnesota Twins at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday. Berhalter and the U.S. are preparing for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar in November, but the head coach took time to throw out the first pitch, and he did so sporting Yankees gear.

MLB.com reporter Bryan Hoch asked Berhalter what Yastrzemski would think if he saw him in a Yankees hat.

“He wouldn’t be too happy, but it would be rude of me to wear a Red Sox hat right now,” Berhalter told Hoch. “So, when in Rome.”

Berhalter and his brother Jay would having fishing trips with the Major League Baseball Hall of Famer, and while Yastrzemski has been gracious in his praise to fellow Red Sox legends like David Ortiz, Gregg Berhalter may not be so lucky the next time he and Yastrzemski meet up.