Aaron Judge shares Brett Gardner thoughts as ex-Yankee deals with death of son Miller

After Brett and Jessica Gardner announced the death of their 14-year-old son Miller last weekend, Aaron Judge began getting calls and texts from players who came up through the Yankees organization with him. 

They all wanted to know what to do, whether to reach out to Gardner given the unimaginable circumstances, and how they could show support for the former outfielder who meant so much to them. 

“Just because of the way Brett impacted all our lives,” Judge said Thursday after an Opening Day win over the Brewers at Yankee Stadium. 

On a mostly happy and exciting day in The Bronx, there also was a tinge of sadness.

The Yankees held a moment of silence before the game for Miller, who grew up in the organization with his dad playing in pinstripes through 2021, making for an emotional scene on the field as the Yankees stood on the first base line. 

“He’s been on my mind,” Judge said of Gardner. 

Gardner, who was the club’s de facto captain before Judge took on the official title, served as a mentor for many in the organization. 

“He may not have been the big superstar with all the All-Stars and MVPs and this and that,” Judge said. “But this guy was a leader of all of us. A second dad to some guys. He poured everything into every single guy. If we were having a tough time, he was always there for you to be someone to lean on, someone to joke on. 

“So his family, they’ve all been on my mind.” 

Aaron Boone echoed Judge’s sentiment before the game, getting choked up talking about the loss, particularly after seeing how it impacted his own daughter, Bella. 

“It’s been devastating,” Boone said. “As much as the excitement of today, there’s no question we’ll be playing with heavy hearts today and throughout the year and playing with Miller in mind. Especially with us coming back home to New York, getting to see Bella, who had a relationship with their boys, to see how it impacts your kids, I think we can all imagine how difficult that is right now for the Gardner family.”