The Pinewood Prep junior varsity baseball team made an emotional return to the field after the death of their teammate Miller Gardner.
Miller, the 14-year-old son of former New York Yankees star Brett Gardner, died while vacationing with his family in Costa Rica on March 21. His cause of death is not yet determined.
Pinewood Prep, located in Summerville, South Carolina, traveled 112 miles to Trinity Collegiate School in Darlington, South Carolina last week, where they emerged with a 5-0 win in their first game since Miller’s sudden passing.
“It’s good to get back out here on the field,” Pinewood’s JV coach Phil Hartig told local Charleston paper The Post and Courier. “These boys need to get together and be together. It’s going to help the healing process.”
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Hartig said he’s optimistic baseball will give his players an opportunity to work through their emotions in the aftermath of Miller’s death.
“We’ve definitely got to be sensitive to their feelings right now,” the coach acknowledged. “They lost a dear, dear friend and teammate. And it’s awful for the Gardners, and it’s almost too much for these boys to be able to handle on their own. So we try to give them a place to get away and be together and try to honor Miller.”
The field at Trinity Collegiate College honored Miller’s legacy, with his No. 10 and the letters “MG” painted on the grass in front of the pitchers’ mound.
In addition to his baseball prowess, Miller was also a wide receiver and defensive back on the Pinewood football team. He also wore No. 10 on the football field in honor of his father’s Brett, who wore the number during all 14 seasons of his MLB career.
“Miller was fun-loving, he had a great smile, amazing athlete, but always goofing around,” his coach remembered. “He never took himself too seriously, but kind of brightened everybody’s spirits with his spirit.”
He added, “He was a special kid, and he’s made an impact on all of us. It’s a tragedy, obviously. But his spirit lives on, and that’s really all I can say about that. Yeah, he was a great kid, man.”
Miller and his family — including Brett, his mother, Jessica, and his older brother, Hunter — all became severely ill after dining at a restaurant outside of their resort’s premises on March 20.
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They were all administered medication by a doctor once back at the resort. Miller was found dead in his hotel room the following morning.
Brett and Jessica announced their son’s death in a statement released via the Yankees on March 23.
“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.”
