Nothing about the Yankees left-fielder spells stardom in Pinstripes. And there will come a time when on Old Timer’s Day, Yankees fans will rise to their feet welcoming Brett Gardner back to Yankee Stadium.
The cheers will equal, or maybe even supersede the cheers reserved for role players of the past who rarely made the back pages and were never featured during the “Roll Call” at all Yankees home games.
He’ll be lumped in there with players like Graig Nettles, Charlie Hayes, Tino Martinez, Willie Randolph, and so many others who played an integral role in the team’s success, while not capturing the headlines reserved for Derek Jeter, Aaron Judge, and Reggie Jackson.