Old Reliable

The Yankees applied that nickname to mid-20th century star Tommy Henrich. But it could as easily be given to Brett Gardner. The only current member of the team who played in the original Yankee Stadium, he's not only the leader in tenure, but remains a leader in other ways.

Always intense, the speedy outfielder is often overlooked by more powerful teammates such as Judge, Stanton and Sanchez, and recent arrivals who've captured the fancy of the fans -- think Urshela and Tauchman.

But make no mistake, Gardner makes himself heard. Not only when he smacks a bat on the inside of the dugout roof or jaws with umpires. Sunday, he was the one player who stood between a win and the Yankees being shut out. Brett's ground rule double drove home Gio Urshela for the only run of the game to back Masahiro Tanaka in a 1-0 victory at Toronto.

Less than two weeks from turning 36, Gardner is having another productive season. A free agent at season's end, he could be in the final months of his Yankees tenure. Other than stolen bases, you won't find name among the all-time franchise leaders in any offensive category. Yet, the determination and effort of Brett Gardner could be very hard to replace -- much like Henrich's was released by the Yankees at the end of 1950.

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