TAMPA — It happened because Brett Gardner, ninth-year veteran and owner of a long-term contract, decided to do some extra work on Tuesday, a day when — with manager Joe Girardi and his coaches across the state on a two-day road trip — he could have entered and exited George M. Steinbrenner Field in less than two hours.
It happened because Alex Rodriguez and Carlos Beltran, entering their 22nd and 19th big-league seasons, respectively, came upon Gardner and Yankees outfield/baserunning coordinator Reggie Willits en route to some end-of-day conditioning.