Brett Gardner

Brett Gardner is an American Professional Baseball Player who is a free agent. Brett Gardner used to play as an outfielder for New York Yankees in Major League Baseball. He was selected in the third round by the Yankees in 2005. Eventually, he made his MLB debut with the Yankees in 2008.

Early Life

Brett Gardner(Brett Michael Gardner) was born on August 24, 1983, in Holly Hill, South Carolina, USA. Likwise, he is 38 years old. He was the firstborn of parents Jerry Gardner and Faye Gardner. He also has a younger sibling named Glen Gardner. The Gardner brothers were raised on a farm. Their father owns a 2600-acre farm in Holly Hill. Baseball was a familiar thing for Brett. His father used to baseball professionally for Philadelphia Phillies minor league team. He was inspired by his father and later he also became a professional baseball player.

Brett attended Holly Hill Academy in Holly Hill, South Carolina. He played baseball for the school’s team. Brett attended the College of Charleston in 2001. He tried walk-on tryouts and made the team. He was a three-year starter for the College of Charleston Cougars. In his junior year, he averaged a batting rate of .397. In his senior year, Brett averaged .447 which was tied for the most hits in the college baseball with 122. He stole 38 bases which was the highest in Southern Conference.

Professional Life

Brett Gardner is also known as one of the fastest players in MLB  known for stealing the bases and being disciplined at the plate. Brett was selected 119th overall in the third round by the New York Yankees in the 2005 MLB Draft. He received a huge sum of $210000 as a bonus.

Brett made his debut in MLB for New York only on June 30, 2008. He used to play in the minor league for New York Penn. He got his first hit and RBI in the seventh inning against fellow rookie Texas Rangers relief pitcher Warner Madrigal. Brett finished his rookie season, batting .228 with 16 RBI and 13 stolen bases. He played 42 games that season.

Brett was named starting center fielder of the Yankees for the 2009 season replacing Melky Cabrera on March 29, 2009. Melky Cabrera reclaimed his starting position during the season. He finished the season playing 108 games. He hit .270 with three home runs, 23 RBI, and 26 stolen bases. The Yankees beat the Philadelphia Phillies to win the series that same season.

In 2010, brett was the Yankee’s starting left fielder replacing Johnny Damon after he left in free agency. He finished the season playing in 150 games, batting .277 and stole 47 bases. He contributed the highest number of pitches per plate appearance in the league. Brett won the 2010 Fielding Bible Award as the best defensive left fielder in MLB.

ALLSTAR

He was named AL Player of the Week on June 28, 2015. Brett was also one of the five candidates that were nominated for the All-Star Final Vote for the 2015 MLB All-Star Game. He was removed from the ballot. Brett replaced the injured Alex Gordon on the All-Star team. He averaged .302 before the All-Star. Brett lost his hot form after the all-star break as he struggled for the rest of the season and only averaged .206 in the second half.  He finished the season batting .259 with 16 home runs, 66 RBI, and 20 stolen bases.

Golden Glove

Brett moved back into the Yankees’ leadoff spot midseason in 2016. He won Golden Glove Award for American League Left Fielders but his overall performance took a great hit. He averaged .261, 7 runs, 41 RBI and stole 16 bases in 2016. Brett finished his 2017 season with 21 home runs, 23 stolen bases and a .264 batting average. He lost to Alex Gordon for Golden Glove.

Brett was just a member of the Yankee’s crowded outfield in 2018. He saw more playing than expected after other members of the outfield suffered injuries. He averaged .236 which was his lowest since debuting in MLB. The New York Yankees declined his $12.5 option but resigned him for 1 year $7.5 Million Contract. He hit his 100th career home run on April 17, 2019. He finished the season batting .251 with a career-high 28 home runs and 74 RBIs.

The Yankees signed him for one more season. He finished his 2020 season playing 43 games and batting .223 with five home runs and 15 RBI. Brett signed a $4 million contract with the Yankees for one more season which included an option for 2022. Brett played a total of 140 games and averaged .222 with 10 home runs and 39 RBI. The Yankees did not exercise their option making brett a free agent.

Personal Life

Brett Gardner married his longtime girlfriend Jessica Clendenin. They married on December 1st, 2007 after he proposed to her. Brett proposed to Jessica during the spring training on the beach in Clearwater, Florida. They married each other in the presence of their loved ones. The couple tied the knot at 1st  Presbyterian Church on Peachtree while their reception took place at the Piedmont Driving Club in Atlanta.

The couple also shares two sons – Hunter Gardner and Miller Gardner.  The duo still loves and cares for each other even after 15 years of marriage.  During the offseason, they live in Summerville, South Carolin. The couple is active philanthropists, they connect with the Foundation Turn 2, The couple engages in different social activities and donates money and other necessary items to the helping foundation.

Body Measurement

Brett stands tall at a height of 5 feet 9 inches. He weighs about 88 kg. His eyes are of blue colour and he is bald.

Social Media and Networth

Brett is not active on any social platform. He enjoys time with his family and leads a very private life.

Brett was Allstar in 2015 and also won Golden Glove in 2016. He earned his career earnings from New York Yankees. Brett’s net worth is around $25 million.

Source: Biography Mask