BRETT GARDNER: BIG DOESN'T MEAN BETTER

Brett Gardner is not a Bronx Bomber...he’s a New York Yankee and for a little guy to succeed in this franchise...well, it really is terrific. You know me by now, speed's my thing and Gardy has the tools to get on base and score every time he comes to the plate. Gardy has a keen baseball sense and once Kevin Long was able to tweak his swing and get him to use his legs more in the box, we saw a big difference. (Read HERE.) As Long has said before, the lower half is key when at the plate and it almost seemed as though Gardy was slapping rather than swinging, and not using his full body to drive the ball.

Breet Gardner doesn’t fit the mold of the Yankees…I mean they’re nicknamed the “Bronx Bombers” for a reason. Gardner’s little, like Andy Stankiewicz, Wayne Tolleson and Phil Rizzuto before him.

(In Photo: Wayne Tolleson)

But one thing all those guys had that allowed them to succeed in pinstripes was heart. Gardy has heart and can grind it out at the plate as well as in left field against any “big” guy any day of the week. No, it doesn’t come easy to Gardy, one swing of the bat rarely wins it all for his team, but advancing to third in a tight game will. He uses the tools that work for him, and you have to respect that. And not only that, he’s improving every day. His numbers since 2008 have made steady improvement with more playing time. True, in 2011, his average and OBP dipped a bit from .259 in 2011 from .277 in 2010, but look at the stolen bases. Do you know that Gardner has a total of 135 stolen bases in his 4 seasons as a New York Yankee? Do you know where that puts him on the list of the all-time Yankee greats? Number 14 and he’s only been playing for 4 years pro. By the way, that list is brought to you by Yankeenumbers.com.

And what about his defense? There is no doubt that Gardner was robbed of a Gold Glove this year. When the ball is hit to left, he’s there and if he can’t reach it, he’ll get there somehow… always.

Look, I’m drooling over this kid, you clearly can tell, but that’s because the stolen base isn’t utilized as much as when Rickey Henderson was tearing up the base paths. Gardner’s bringing it back, because he knows the others can’t. I look forward to a solid season for Brett this year, with GGS in full effect, the man can definitely propel himself into one of the more valuable Yankees… and it’s not so much because of his power at the plate, but instead, his keen instincts, speed and defense. Gardy does it his way and you gotta love it.

Please comment, we have DISQUS, it's easier than ever. Let me know what you think and follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and look for the hashtag #BYB. Also, join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook, just type it in.