When Clint Frazier was sizzling at the plate in the middle of this month and playing solid defense in the outfield, it wasn’t hard to envision a struggling Brett Gardner being relegated to a bench role in the postseason.
Yet, Aaron Boone predicted a time was coming when Gardner would be counted on to contribute.
During a seven-game stretch from Sept. 12-19 Frazier went 11-for-25 (.440) with three homers, eight RBIs and posted an obscene 1.451 OPS. The hot streak boosted Frazier’s average from .276 to .306 and he was a big reason the Yankees went 7-0 in that stretch.
Frazier’s tear followed a rough five-game period for Gardner in which he went hitless in 14 at-bats, had a .125 on-base percentage and the Yankees lost four of five from Sept. 4-9.
Maybe Boone was simply being himself, a guy who can find something positive in situations that others would believe are dire. Or Boone was seeing something from the 37-year-old Gardner not showing up to the untrained eye.
Either way, when Boone made out the Yankees’ lineup card for Game 1 of the Wild Card Series against likely AL Cy Young winner Shane Bieber and the Indians at Progressive Field on Tuesday night, Gardner and a hot bat were in left field batting eighth and Frazier, whose wood went cold, was on the bench.
“Something we discussed a lot and thought about here a lot the last couple of days which way I wanted to go. Really feel good either way I would have gone. I just feel like the way Gardy has started to swing the last few weeks and what he brings defensively in this ballpark,’’ Boone said when asked why he chose Gardner over Frazier. “And just to get a different look in there, with all our (right-handed hitters) against Bieber you get at least a second lefty in there little bit of a different look that was the way ultimately I wanted to go.’’
The only other lefty bat belonged to switch-hitter Aaron Hicks.
Gardner, whom the Yankees have a $10 million on option on for next year that has a $2 million buyout attached, finished with a subpar .223 batting average. However, he hit .385 (10-for-26) with a .500 on-base percentage in his last nine games.
Conversely, Frazier cooled off in his final six games, hitting .050 (1-for-20) and whiffed 11 times. He ended a solid season hitting .267 with eight homers and 26 RBIs in his final six games.
With the Indians planning to start right-handers Carlos Carrasco in Game 2 and Zach Plesac if there is a Game 3, Gardner could start in left for all three.
While Frazier has vastly improved in the outfield over last year, Boone said Gardner’s defense is always a factor when it comes to choosing the veteran.
“Anytime I am considering Gardy as an option or considering him in a matchup the defense always factors always into that decision because he is an elite defender,’’ Boone said. “As far as (Progressive Field) there is a big wall out there, a big left-center field as it moves toward center field. It is a little unique in how it is set up. It wasn’t an overwhelming factor in this. This was something that was very close to me and anytime I am considering Gardy the defense factors in.’’
Progressive Field’s left-field wall is 19 feet high (10 feet higher than the walls in center and right) and can cause some weird angles of balls hitting high off it. Obviously, Gardner has more experience playing the wall than Frazier.
What Frazier and Gardner didn’t have was experience against Bieber. Frazier had a single in one at-bat and Gardner was 1-for-3 with a homer.
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September 30, 2020 at 05:35AM
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Yankees go with Brett Gardner over Clint Frazier in intriguing Game 1 decision - New York Post
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