New York Yankees manager, Aaron Boone, shared his reaction to the sudden death of 14-year-old Miller Gardner, the son of Boone’s friend and former player, Brett Gardner.
“We talk about being family all the time and even though Brett’s been gone for a few years, that doesn’t stop,” Boone, 52, told reporters on Sunday, March 23, per the New York Post. “A lot of people in there [the clubhouse] know that family intimately. It’s a very tough day and very tough news.”
Boone added, “As best we can, we’ll be praying for the Gardner family and where we can, offering support. That’s kind of the unimaginable that unfortunately that’s where we are with it. Very sad. Very tough.”
Gardner, 41, played all 14 of his MLB seasons with the Yankees before retiring after the 2021 season. The outfielder’s final four seasons came with Boone as the team’s manager, who took over duties in 2018.
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Earlier in the day on Sunday, Gardner and his wife, Jessica, announced Miller had died in a statement released by the Yankees.
“With heavy hearts we are saddened to announce the passing of our youngest son, Miller,” the statement read. “He was 14 years old and has left us far too soon after falling ill along with several other family members while on vacation. We have so many questions and so few answers at this point, but we do know that he passed away peacefully in his sleep on the morning of Friday, March 21st.”
The statement continued, “Miller was a beloved son and brother and we cannot yet comprehend our life without his infectious smile. He loved football, baseball, golf, hunting, fishing, his family and his friends. He lived life to the fullest every single day.”
The Yankees organization also released their own statement on Miller’s passing on Sunday.
“Our love for the Gardner family is unconditional and absolute, and we will offer our enduring support while understanding their desire for privacy at this time,” the statement read in part. “May Miller rest in peace.”
Miller’s death was felt around the baseball community, including by New York Mets manager, Carlos Mendoza.
“I’d like to start by sending my thoughts and prayers to Jessica and Brett Gardner on the loss of his son,” Mendoza, 45, said during a press conference on Sunday. “Obviously, I had a really, really good relationship with him. I’m thinking about him and the whole Mets organization are thinking about the Gardner family.”
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Mendoza and Brett, 41, played together in the Yankees’ minor league organization from 2006 to 2007. Mendoza later managed Brett during Mendoza’s time as bench coach for the Yankees. Mendoza was hired as Mets manager in November 2023.
“I got two boys, too, and they were pretty close,” Mendoza added.
Brett and Jessica also share an older son, Hunter. Meanwhile, Mendoza and his wife, Frances Mendoza, share sons Adrian, 13, and Andres, 11.
No cause of death for Miller has been announced.
