Yankees Brett Gardner Welcomes New Role As A Leader And Mentor

Yankees left-fielder Brett Gardner is entering his tenth season with the organization. He now has the most seniority of anyone on the team. With that, he is reflecting on a more significant role as a team leader in the clubhouse.

Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner now owns a corner locker in the clubhouse. That speaks volumes about where he has been and where he is now as a veteran on a team of youngsters who are trying to find their way in “The Show.”

Reflecting back and relaxing at his new and roomier post in the clubhouse, Gardner told the New York Post:

“My first spring training, maybe my first two spring training, I was No. 91, and my locker was between A-Rod and Robby Cano, so I got thrown right into the fire. I remember praying I didn’t get sent across the street to minor league [camp],’’

But, it goes beyond that. As a player who seemingly was listed in the MLB Rumors section every day over the last two seasons as someone likely to be traded, Gardner is still in a Yankees uniform. And while a number of teams at one time or another were interested, Brian Cashman never pulled the plug completing a swap. And, there might be a good reason for that.

Gardner has all the makings of what it takes to be a coach in the big leagues, and possibly even a manager

Brett Gardner is a gritty kind of guy. In many ways, he is a throwback to the players of yesteryear like, for instance, Pete Rose or Derek Jeter, who, while they didn’t impress with their size, still managed to do their job in spectacular fashion.

The litany of all the reasons why Gardner should have been traded is well known. And at 33, he is entering the final season of what is considered a player’s prime years. He is no longer a threat to steal 30 or more bases, but he might hit fifteen or twenty. And if those steals come about in the right situations, they will be more valuable to the team than if he stole 50.

Gardner, who now has the most seniority of any Yankees player, sees his role expanding as a mentor for the younger guys, and he went on to tell the New York Post:

“Don’t ever be complacent, and the biggest thing for me was as a young guy coming up, I had so many veterans to look to, so many future Hall of Famers, and guys like Johnny Damon and Jason Giambi,’’ Gardner said. “They took me under their wing, and I’m forever grateful to those guys for treating me the way they did. As an older guy now, you try to remember that and remember how to treat the younger guys, what they need and the direction they need.’’

The tandem of Gardner and Jacoby Ellsbury is vital to the Yankees offensive thrust this season. Last year, their performance noticeably dipped, and that created a problem for the team and was a major reason for the Yankees dismal ability to score runs. Indications are that Joe Girardi may juggle the lineup this season so that the two do not hit back-to-back.

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The Yankees outfield is set for the upcoming season with Gardner manning left, Ellsbury in center, and Aaron Judge in right field. How much playing time each of them gets is dependent on the development of Clint Frazier when he starts the season at Triple-A and how soon Tyler Austin can bounce back from a foot injury (minimum six weeks). Aaron Hicks is a wild card in the mix.

In any event, the 2017 season is destined to be a different kind of year for Brett Gardner. Now a seasoned veteran, most of his career is behind him, and he is cognizant of the fact that there is a beginning and an end to every player’s career. And time creeps up on you. In that respect, Gardner only has to look at Nick Swisher as an example of how hard it is to break away, and how precious each day is in a big league uniform.

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Gardner has all the makings of what it takes to be a coach in the big leagues, and possibly even a manager. But his first test in reaching that level will come this season when he assumes a bigger role with the Yankees as a mentor and leader. Apparently, he welcomes that new role and for the Yankees, that can only be good news.