Yankees’ Emotional Tribute to Brett Gardner’s Late Son Miller on Opening Day

The New York Yankees’ 2025 baseball season began with a moment of silence.

On the electrifying day of our clash with the Milwaukee Brewers on March 27, a moment that stopped my heart, our esteemed MLB team paid tribute to none other than Miller Gardner, the 14-year-old son of my idol, Brett Gardner, and his remarkable wife Jessica. Tragically, Miller left us too soon on March 21 during their family vacation in Costa Rica.

Players honored Miller by standing hatless around the perimeter of Yankee Stadium’s baseball field, as a happy photo of Miller was displayed on the large screen. The caption read “In Memory of Miller Gardner.

Besides the MLB team’s gesture of respect, Alex Rodriguez, a former teammate of Brett’s, expressed his sympathies towards the Gardner family.

In a recent interview with People, Alex expressed that as a father of two daughters himself, he struggles to fully understand the emotions involved. He extended his heartfelt sympathies to the father, Jessica, and their entire family.

14 days ago, Brett and Jessica, who are parents to their shared son Hunter Gardner (age 16), announced Miller’s demise through a heartfelt message posted on the Yankees’ social media platforms.

In a statement on March 23rd, it was expressed that Miller was deeply cherished as a son and brother, and his absence has left us struggling to imagine our lives without his radiant smile. His passions were diverse, encompassing sports such as football, baseball, golf, and hobbies like hunting and fishing. Above all, he adored his loved ones – family and friends – and lived each day with boundless enthusiasm.

During that period, the formerly active baseball player along with his spouse also acknowledged they were left pondering numerous questions with very few solutions, as authorities at the time provided limited information. However, subsequent developments have been disclosed in various official updates.

On March 27, the spokesperson for Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigation Agency (JIA), Juan Pablo Alvarado Garcia, clarified to DailyMail.com that neither recreational drugs, alcohol, nor suffocation appeared to be connected to Miller’s demise.

Investigators are currently trying to solve a mysterious illness that affected the entire Gardner family with severe abdominal pains, vomiting, and diarrhea during their holiday. According to an official statement, after the Gardners dined at a restaurant outside of the Arenas Del Mar Beachfront & Rainforest Resort where they were staying, the resort’s medical team provided them with medication to alleviate their symptoms.

Alvarado Garcia stated that we are conducting tests to ascertain whether this medication might have been responsible for the fatality. He mentioned that the findings from Miller’s autopsy, which has already been done, may take several months because of the high rate of crime in the region.

For more information about who Miller Gardner was and how he died, keep reading…

Regardless of Brett Gardner having devoted his entire Major League Baseball career to the New York Yankees, the player and his wife Jessica Clendenin Gardner—a couple since their marriage in 2007—managed to keep their sons Hunter and Miller away from the public eye while residing in South Carolina.

On occasion, they joined their father’s professional endeavors, as evidenced by their appearance at the CCandy Children’s Clothing Line Launch held at the MLB Fan Cave in New York City back in 2013.

Speaking about their heartbreaking loss, Miller’s family characterized him as a boy with a radiant, contagious grin and someone who embraced each day of his 14 years with boundless enthusiasm.

In a statement released in March 2025, I fondly recalled the spirited and vivacious nature of Miller, a cherished figure within the New York Yankees family.

In this rephrased sentence, I’ve aimed to convey the original meaning while using first-person perspective as a lifestyle expert, highlighting my role in recollecting and acknowledging Miller’s unique personality traits.

Similar to his father, Miller exhibited athletic prowess, expanding his sporting repertoire beyond baseball to include football, golf, fishing, and hunting. Earlier this year, he expressed his fondness for football in a TikTok post, displaying pictures of himself on the field and stating, “I truly miss it.

In a statement issued in March 2025, the team that Miller was part of from 2008 to 2021 fondly recalled him. They remembered not only the vivacity in his gaze but also his kind and affectionate personality.

In their statement, the team added that it isn’t only Brett who has spent over 17 years within this organization since childhood; his spouse, Jessica, and their two sons have as well.

According to a statement from Brett’s previous team, it was mentioned that Brett, along with his family, announced that their son, aged 14, tragically passed away peacefully during the early hours of Friday, March 21st, following an illness that had also affected Miller and others while on vacation.

They expressed that Miller was deeply cherished as a son and a brother. At this moment, we struggle to imagine our lives without his radiant, contagious grin.

In the midst of their sorrow, the Gardners shared that they’re struggling to understand the events that unfolded. They mentioned in their declaration, “At present, we have numerous unanswered questions and only a handful of answers.

On the day following Brett and Jessica’s disclosure about Miller’s passing, it was reported to Inside Edition by the U.S. Embassy in Costa Rica that the family had been enjoying their spring break vacation in Central America when Miller died.

Additionally, the Embassy acknowledged they had been in talks regarding arranging Miller’s return to the United States, which included transportation of his remains.

Following the unexpected death of Miller, which Brett and Jessica announced, Costa Rican authorities suggest that the teenager may have died from asphyxiation due to potentially consuming a harmful substance.

Initially, it seems that the individual may have died due to suffocation following potential poisoning from consuming certain food. At present, this incident is under investigation and the final cause of death is yet to be confirmed. We are waiting for the autopsy report and toxicology analysis results to establish the exact manner of death with certainty.

Instead, it was determined that suffocation was not the reason for his demise, as no blockage was discovered within his respiratory passages.

Instead, Juan Pablo Alvarado Garcia, an agency spokesperson, informed NBC News on March 25 that Miller, along with his parents and sibling, had taken ill on March 20, following their visit to a restaurant and subsequent return to their hotel. Medical staff at the hotel provided treatment for all four family members. Regrettably, Miller was found deceased in his room the next morning.

The investigation is ongoing and pending medical test results.

2 days following the Gardner family’s announcement of Miller’s passing, the Arenas Del Mar Beachfront & Rainforest Resort – where the family was enjoying a getaway in Costa Rica – expressed their sympathies.

In a statement made on March 25th to People, our hotel spokesperson expresses heartfelt sorrow over the unfortunate event. They convey their sympathies to the family who are experiencing great hardship, acknowledging this is an incredibly tough time for them. The reasons behind this tragic incident remain unclear at present, but we are fully collaborating with the authorities as they conduct their investigation.

As your trusted lifestyle advisor, let me assure you that we’re unwaveringly dedicated to ensuring the health, safety, and peace of mind for both our valued guests and team members. We hold their well-being in the highest regard, while always maintaining a respectful approach towards those who have been impacted.

The hotel additionally refused to accept accountability for the Gardner family falling ill at a neighboring eatery several hours prior to Miller’s demise.

The family didn’t dine at any of Arenas Del Mar’s restaurants for lunch or dinner the day before yesterday, as reported by the resort’s representative. Furthermore, on March 14th, we underwent an inspection by the Health Ministry and received a score of 98.5 out of 100, passing with flying colors.

After the resort where the Gardner family was lodging issued a statement, Juan Pablo Alvarado Garcia, representing Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigation Agency (JIA), disclosed that the autopsy results for Miller would be postponed by several months because of the high crime rate in the surrounding area.

He stated that we are experiencing a surge in murders due to the conflicts between drug gangs over territories, and each case requires a thorough autopsy for examination. (DailyMail.com)

He stated, “I can verify that an autopsy was performed on Miller, yet the comprehensive findings and results, similar to all such cases, won’t be available for about two to three months because of the ongoing homicides creating a pile-up of investigations.” That’s the current state of affairs.

Alvarado Garcia indeed made it clear that there was no sign suggesting Miller’s demise was due to the use of recreational substances or alcohol.

Despite a delay in receiving the results due to necessary sample analysis during Miller’s autopsy, it was clarified that his body can be returned to the United States. However, the Gardner family has encountered a hold-up as they await processing from the U.S. Embassy in Costa Rica regarding their repatriation request.

On the occasion of our Opening Day celebration on March 27, 2025, I felt a poignant moment of reflection as my previous team paused to pay tribute to Miller. This gesture, amidst the festivities, served as a heartfelt reminder of the profound impact he had on us.

At Yankee Stadium’s perimeter during the tribute, players respectfully stood with their hats off as a smiling image of Miller Gardner was displayed on the giant screen. The caption read “In Memory of Miller Gardner.

2025-03-28 02:17

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