Message to Yankees Fans: Pray for Gardner’s Success

The Yankees need Brett Gardner to go on a tear over the next 15 days. Jeter is on the disabled list and if Gardner can have some success leading off in his absence maybe the Yankees can finally make the right decision and move Jeter down in the order. I know this has been written about over and over again but Jeter at this point of his career belongs nowhere near the top of the order and this is the time to move him down. I know he is close to 3,000 hits but winning and losing games are more important than personal milestones. (At least that’s what Jeter has always said)

The Yankees know at some point they have to do it and Girardi has already stated that it will happen eventually. Jeter has a slash line of .260/324/.324 which is pretty awful in its own right but even worse when you factor in he gets the most at bats on the team. I know he’s a double play machine and how could he not be hitting 66% of the balls he puts in play on the ground. However, this is no excuse to have the worst statistical hitter in your lineup getting the most at bats. This is not just some kind of trend because last year Jeter hit ground balls at the same rate and he obviously isn’t straightening himself out at the plate this year.

Let’s hope Gardner really tears it up and gives the Yankees no excuse but to continue to have him leading off. Gardner got off to an atrocious start but has picked it up over May and June to have a respectable .282/.362/.426 slash line. He’s also been red hot of late hitting .417 this June over 36 at bats. Gardner’s best attributes are his speed and ability to get on base so I feel like having him do anything but lead off is kind of a waste of his ability. Honestly at this point there is really nothing Brett Gardner will not give you that Derek Jeter does. He’s only 27 and I don’t quite think Gardner has reached his ceiling yet as a player.

I’m also in love the idea of pitchers having to worry about Gardner’s speed on base while pitching to the Granderson/Teixeira/A-Rod triumvirate. I know Gardner has been struggling running the bases but there’s no way he doesn’t put more pressure on opposing pitchers than 36 year old Jeter does at this point. He’s also seemingly too fast to continue to have these struggles. Hopefully Granderson will hit a few less solo shots with Gardner at the top of the order as well.

So let’s hope Gardner continues his hot hitting in June and gives the Yankees no option of putting him back down in the order. The Yankees need to put wins before legacies and milestones and I fail to see how it would be less special for Jeter to hit his 3,000^th batting 7^th rather than 1^st. I know ESPN and the New York media will play Jeter being moved down as some sort of insult to him just as they did with his overpriced contract in the off-season, but anyone who follows the Yankees knows this needs to happen. This is the time to do it. But hell, even if Jeter comes back to leadoff at least it makes more sense than this guy doing it.