Brett Gardner

Brett Michael Gardner (born August 24, 1983) is an American former professional baseball outfielder who spent his entire 14-year Major League Baseball career with the New York Yankees.

Gardner was a walk-on for the College of Charleston's baseball team.

Gardner was also part of the Yankees' postseason run, appearing in all but one of the Yankees postseason games and starting the final two games of the World Series, as the team won the Series for the first time since 2000 by beating the Philadelphia Phillies.

Gardner attended walk-on tryouts for the baseball team at the College of Charleston in 2001.

Gardner made the team and became a three-year starter for the College of Charleston Cougars.

Gardner had a .397 batting average in 2004, his junior year, but he was not selected in the 2004 MLB draft.

Selected by the Yankees in the third round of the 2005 MLB draft, Gardner made his MLB debut with the Yankees in 2008 and was part of the Yankees' 2009 World Series championship team that beat the Philadelphia Phillies.

In 2005, his senior year, he batted .447, tied for the most hits in college baseball with 122, established a Cougars record with 85 runs scored, and led the Southern Conference with 38 stolen bases.

After his senior year in college, the New York Yankees selected Gardner in the third round, with the 109th overall selection, of the 2005 Major League Baseball draft.

Gardner received a $210,000 signing bonus.

Gardner finished the 2005 season in the New York–Penn League season ranking 268th in at bats (with 282), 54th in runs (62), and 78th in stolen bases (19).

He was a Florida State League All Star in 2006, batting .323 in 63 games with 22 runs batted in (RBIs) with the Tampa Yankees.

During this campaign he was third in the Florida State League in batting average and led the league in stolen bases with 30.

Gardner was also second in the league in walks with 47.

In 2007, he played 54 games for the Double-A Trenton Thunder, though he missed time with a broken bone in his hand.

In 203 at bats, he stole 18 bases (tied for fifth in the league; while being caught four times), hit five triples, and batted .300 with a .392 on-base percentage (OBP), before being promoted to the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees.

There, in 45 games, he batted .260 with a .343 OBP, and stole 21 bases while being caught only three times.

In fall 2007, he played in 26 games in the Arizona Fall League, leading it in runs (27) and stolen bases (16), while being caught stealing only once.

He batted .343 (fifth in the league) with a .433 OBP (third) and was third in the league in walks with 17.

In 2007, he was the 12th-best prospect in the Yankees minor league system according to Baseball America.

Playing for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in 2008, in 94 games Gardner was second in the International League with a .414 on-base percentage, 70 walks, 11 triples, and was sixth in the IL with 37 stolen bases, while being caught only nine times.

Through 2008 in the minor leagues, he had a .291 batting average and a .389 OBP.

He had stolen 153 bases, being caught only 31 times (an 83% success rate).

On June 30, 2008, Gardner was called up and made his major league debut, batting last and going 0-for-3 and grounding into a triple play.

On July 2, he earned both his first pop out and first hit by pitch, off fellow rookie Texas Rangers relief pitcher Warner Madrigal in the seventh inning.

On July 26, 2008, Gardner was optioned back to AAA after the acquisition of Xavier Nady in order to continue to receive playing time.

The Yankees again recalled Gardner in 25 days.

On September 21, 2008, Gardner scored the final run of Major League Baseball in Yankee Stadium history as a pinch runner for Jason Giambi, scoring on a sacrifice fly by Robinson Canó in the seventh inning of an eventual 7–3 win for the Yankees over the Baltimore Orioles.

Gardner finished his rookie season playing in 42 games, batting .228 with 16 RBI and 13 stolen bases.

Gardner was named the Yankees' starting center fielder for Opening Day of the 2009 season on March 29, beating out Melky Cabrera for the position, although Cabrera would eventually replace Gardner as the starting center fielder.

Gardner played 108 games during the 2009 season, batting .270 with three home runs, 23 RBI, and 26 stolen bases.

Gardner began the 2010 season as the Yankees' starting left fielder, taking over after Johnny Damon left in free agency, he finished the season with a .277 batting average and 47 stolen bases in 150 games, and had the highest number of pitches per plate appearance in the major leagues (4.61).

He also won the 2010 Fielding Bible Award as the best defensive left fielder in MLB.

Gardner led the American League in stolen bases in 2011 and in triples in 2013.

He was named an All-Star in 2015 and won a Gold Glove Award in 2016.

Gardner also won three Fielding Bible Awards.

Gardner was a major leader in the Yankees' clubhouse during his tenure and developed into a fan favorite due to his tenacity, grit, and blue-collar approach.

When top prospect Anthony Volpe made the Yankees' roster in 2023, he was offered the number 11 by the team, but he called Gardner for the veteran's blessing before accepting his old number, which Gardner happily obliged.

Gardner attended Holly Hill Academy in Holly Hill, South Carolina, where he played for the school's baseball team.

He also played American Legion Baseball for St. George Post 105.