On a day filled with hope and excitement every year, Aaron Boone felt a heavy heart on Thursday, the first day of the Bronx.
A few days after the death of Miller Gardner, the 14-year-old son of former Yankees de facto captain Brett Gardner, the club was set to hold a moment of silence for him before facing the brewer.
“It was devastating,” Boone said Thursday morning, choking at Yankee Stadium. “Like today's excitement, there's no doubt we'll play with a heavy heart, with the intention of playing with the mirror in mind today and throughout the year.”
Miller Gardner passed away last Friday during a family holiday to Costa Rica. Brett and his wife, Jessica Gardner, said in a statement Sunday, “There are so many questions and few answers.”
When the Yankees returned home after spring workouts Tuesday night, Boone saw Bella, a teenage daughter who had an affair with Gardner's two sons.
“To see how it affects your child, I think we can all imagine how difficult it is for Gardner's family right now,” Boone said. “So it would be heartbreaking for us to take the field today and really all year round.
“We talk a lot about the perspective. This is very important to us, but it's our livelihood, but we put so much into this, a lot of people care about it, it's baseball. I think we reflect that when we consume this.
Gardner last played for the Yankees in 2021, with Boone managing the final four seasons of his career. The outfielders were the centre of many of those teams.
“We're taking the field with Heart today, with Miller in our hearts and certainly Gardner's family that's in our hearts,” Boone said. “Try supporting them from as far as possible.”
