The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Yankees’ Gardner wants one more run to the World Series
TAMPA, Fla. — Brett Gardner did not know any better. A 26-year old rookie, Gardner enjoyed the Yankees’ 2009 World Series run and title, but the outfielder probably didn’t soak it in as much as he should have. Ten years later, he laughs about how naive he was back then, not realizing how hard it would be for him and the Yankees to get back.
“As a young player, being on that team in (2009), it’s the Yankees and you think that we’re gonna go to the World Series every single year — and obviously that’s been my mindset and that’s the expectation — but the longer you play and the more you learn and the smarter you get you realize how hard it is,” Gardner said this spring. “And I think that, now more than ever, we’ve got a lot of teams that are obviously very very competitive in both leagues and I think that the game now is harder than it’s ever been before. I think it’s harder. It’s harder to get there than it’s ever been.
“But that’s the only reason I came back,” Gardner said. “Because I am excited about this group and the opportunity we have.” Now 36 years old, Gardner was back for the 2020 season because he was coming off a surprising career year in 2019, one in which his leadership in the clubhouse on the field was sorely needed. It also helped that the Yankees had a very good chance to win a World Series before baseball and the world was stopped by the coronavirus pandemic.
But while MLB continues to try to navigate a way back to playing a 2020 season in some way, shape or form, Gardner and the Yankees’ window to win that first World Series since 2009 is closing. The Yankees loaded up this winter, signing ace Gerrit Cole to lead their rotation and bringing back Gardner on a one-year deal with an option to make a run at their 28th championship.
“I’m excited about the group of guys that we have. I do feel like we’ve got a really good chance and it’s important to us to all,” Gardner said right before spring training was shut down and the regular season was postponed indefinitely.
With a core of young, talented players the Yankees came into spring training as one of the teams to beat this season.
But no team is able to plan for a pandemic-shortened season with expanded playoffs and there is not even any certainty that governmental and public health officials will declare it safe enough for baseball to resume.
After 2020 — if a season is played or not — the Yankees will lose key parts of this team built to win. James Paxton, Masahiro Tanaka, J.A. Happ and DJ LeMahieu will also be free agents. The Yankees will have a team option on Gardner and if 2019 is any indication, Gardner could certainly play into 2021.
Going into the 2019 season, Gardner looked to be an extra outfielder entering 2019, with Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Hicks as starters, Clint Frazier looming and even Jacoby Ellsbury seemingly in the picture. He was coming off his worst season in 2018, but with injuries to Stanton — in the first weekend — Judge and Hicks, Gardner would up as the Yankees everyday centerfielder for most of the season. At age 35, Gardner hit .251 with a career-high .829 OPS and 28 home runs.
Gardner benefited from what he called “smarter” work as a veteran and being in a better spot in the lineup in 2019. Some wondered if he also benefited from what was an obviously more lively baseball, which resulted in record numbers for home runs in 2019.
This season would be a chance for Gardner to show that 2019 was not a fluke, but more importantly it was one of his last chances to win a World Series.
“You know anything short of anything short of the World Series is a disappointment, and the last few years, we’ve, we’ve come really really close,” Gardner said.