The Secret Gardner

(The Voice of Yankees Universe) by John Bonini

“We play today, win we today, ‘das it.” Chances are only the diehard Yankee fan will remember who and when this rally cry stemmed from.

Mariano Duncan, a career .267 hitter who hit only eight home runs for the 1996 Yankees, is often forgotten among baseball fans, yet his gritty work ethic, persistence and knack for making the big play is the reason guys like Paul O’Neill and Tino Martinez often refer to Duncan as a catalyst for that ‘96 team, much in the same way  they refer to Homer Bush of the famed ‘98 squad. 

Duncan and Bush were not stars, and a Yankeeography  featuring either of these two may never see the light of day, but on teams with an abundance of good hitters and more importantly, good pitching, the Yankees could afford to carry such playmakers on the championship squads. 

Brett Gardner could be all that Duncan and Bush were, and perhaps even more. Forget his .228 average in only 127 plate appearances (even Bernie Williams looked like garbage early on), and notice the fact that not only is he blessed with a great eye (70 walks in under 350 AB’s in AAA Scranton in 2008), the guy is grease lightning in pinstripes. A single or walk will be an automatic double and a sure-fire headache on the base paths for any opposing pitcher (think Jose Reyes).

Gardner hit .296 with an OBP of .414 in AAA Scranton, hitting three home runs while driving in 37. Another player of similar stature hit .298 in AAA, with an OBP of .360 while hitting 2 home runs and driving in 28. This mystery other player? Jacoby Ellsbury. As you can see, the numbers are quite similar if not favorable toward Gardner. The difference? Ellsbury has been given the at bats at the major league level to succeed, and now he is the new poster boy for the Red Sos farm system and a player Theo Epstein would not include kin a trade to attain Johan Santana in 2007. 

Yet Yankee fans feel nauseous any time the thought of Gardner as a full time center fielder is entertained. Yes I know, center field in Yankee Stadium  is hollowed ground, but unless the Mick is resurrected, Bernie finds the fountain of youth or we get other major league GM’s drunk enough to hand us there Nate McLouths, this is the Yankees best option, and not a bad one at that. 

He’s a character guy who loves getting his uniform dirty, has a history of hitting for average and high on base in the minors, and on top of all that, is a stellar defensive center fielder. 

Let the Mark Teixeira’s and A-Rod’s of the lineup do the mashing. Sure he likely won’t end up on the All-Star ballot, but give Gardner the amount of at bats needed and he just may be the next Mariano Duncan. Passed over by the casual baseball fan, but forever linked to greatness amongst Yankees fans. ‘Das it.