Brett Gardner: Player, leader… Yankees first base coach?

Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY SportsBrett Gardner should be a serious candidate for the New York Yankees’ first-base coach vacancy.

Let’s have a chat about Brett Gardner, shall we?

He’s small, scrappy, has a signature shaved head, and is a fan among New York Yankees fans despite his not being a true star. In a sense, he’s the epitome of a real hard-working ballplayer.

Which, in turn, made me remember something I mentioned about him to some friends a few years ago. Granted, it was at a Christmas party and I was maybe four rum-and-nogs deep, but hear me out.

“You know what’d be great?” I queried some fellow sports nuts, “If Brett Gardner retired and then became the Yankees’ first base coach. Think about…