On a day that’s yearly stuffed with hope and pleasure, Aaron Boone was additionally feeling a heavy coronary heart Thursday on Opening Day in The Bronx.
Simply days after the loss of life of Miller Gardner, the 14-year-old son of former Yankees de facto captain Brett Gardner, the membership was set to carry a second of silence for him earlier than dealing with the Brewers.
“It’s been devastating,” Boone stated whereas getting choked up on Thursday morning at Yankee Stadium. “As a lot as the joy of right this moment, there’s no query we’ll be enjoying with heavy hearts right this moment, and all year long and enjoying with Miller in thoughts.”
Miller Gardner died final Friday throughout a household trip to Costa Rica, with Brett and his spouse Jessica Gardner saying in an announcement Sunday they’d “so many questions and so few solutions.”
When the Yankees returned residence on Tuesday night time after spring coaching, Boone noticed his teenage daughter Bella, who had a relationship with Gardner’s two sons.
“To see the way it impacts your youngsters, I believe we will all think about how troublesome that’s proper now for the Gardner household,” Boone stated. “So it’ll be with heavy hearts that we take the sphere right this moment, and actually all 12 months.
“I speak to our guys lots about perspective. Whereas this issues a lot to us, it’s our livelihood, we pour a lot into this, so many individuals care about it, it’s baseball. I actually assume it’s vital we replicate on that every so often after we get consumed with this. Whether or not we’re flying excessive, whether or not we’re going by means of some robust moments, like, man, there’s much more vital issues happening and significant issues. It’s vital to maintain that perspective.”
Gardner final performed for the Yankees in 2021, with Boone managing the ultimate 4 seasons of his profession. The outfielder was the guts of a lot of these groups.
“We’ll take the sphere with heavy hearts right this moment with Miller on our minds and definitely the Gardner household on our minds,” Boone stated. “As greatest we will, attempt to help them from afar.”
