Brett Gardner Releases Touching Obituary to Late Son Miller
With the full analysis and results of Miller's autopsy report not expected to be complete for up two to three months due to a backlog in Costa Rica, the Gardner family released a touching obituary on Monday, 10 days after his passing.
"Miller [Mack Gardner] was the son of Jessica and Brett Gardner. Miller was an active 8th grade student at Pinewood Preparatory School, where he was a member of the middle school football team and junior varsity baseball team, as well as the school Honor Roll," the moving obituary read.
The Gardner's emotional tribute went on to describe the void that will be left with the sudden death of their 14-year-old son.
"The void Miller's passing leaves in the hearts of his family, friends, teammates, teachers, coaches and others will be felt for years. The Gardner family will forever cherish the places they visited, the people they met, the friends they made, and the memories they created together. Miller's time here with them was brief but his spirit will carry on forever through those who were impacted by the way he lived."
The Gardner family suggested that any memorial donation that's made in Miller's name be made out to The Make-A-Wish Foundation due to witnessing "the organization's impact firsthand on numerous occasions" and that the family has "always been deeply moved by the hope, strength, and inspiration each wish provides for children and families facing difficult times."
It was also noted that a private celebration of Miller's life would be held in his honor by the Gardner family at a date not yet confirmed.
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New York Times
2 hours ago
- New York Times
Yankees drafted player after he admitted he drew swastika on Jewish student's door in college. Why?
When the New York Yankees drafted University of Utah shortstop Core Jackson in the fifth round in July, they were aware that he had drawn a swastika on the dorm room door of a Jewish student in 2021, when he was a 17-year-old freshman at the University of Nebraska. Jackson voluntarily called teams to tell them about his actions before the 2024 draft. In a phone interview with The Athletic, Jackson said that he was 'blackout drunk' when he drew the swastika, and that he had no recollection of the incident or why he did it. He said he knows that he made a 'really stupid mistake,' and that he has learned and grown since that time and is no longer 'the person he was when it all happened.' Advertisement The University of Nebraska declined to discuss any specifics of the incident, and the university police did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Yankees amateur scouting director Damon Oppenheimer said the team's decision followed the most thorough 'due diligence' look into a player in his 23 years on the job, and that it was cleared directly with owner Hal Steinbrenner. The draft pick came after multiple members of the organization had conversations with Jackson and those close to him, and after discussing the situation with multiple high-ranking Jewish members of the club, including team president Randy Levine, who supported the decision to draft Jackson. The club, however, did not speak with anyone at Nebraska about the incident, according to Oppenheimer. Jackson also was charged with driving under the influence on Utah's campus in September 2024. According to his agent, Blake Corosky of True Gravity Baseball, the charge was later reduced to impaired driving, a misdemeanor. Corosky said Jackson had performed community service, received substance abuse training and paid fines. Jackson said he hasn't 'touched a drop of alcohol' in the months since. Oppenheimer said he thought the swastika incident 'affected (Jackson's) draft status' and was likely part of teams' calculus when he went undrafted in 2024. (Jackson transferred to a junior college for the 2023 season and played for Utah the past two seasons). 'I think that his tool set, his athleticism, his performance was definitely something that would have gone a lot higher in the draft,' the scouting director added. The Yankees drafted Jackson at No. 164 overall this July, signing him to a bonus of $147,500, well under the pick's $411,1000 slot value. 'I think it's important that it is part of my story,' said Jackson, now 21. 'I have this platform now that God has given me, and I can share my story about his forgiveness.' Advertisement The greater New York area was home to about 1.4 million people who identified as Jewish as of 2023, according to a study by the United Jewish Appeal-Federation of New York, making it the largest Jewish community in the world outside of Israel. The Yankees were 'looking to find the good in this,' Oppenheimer said. 'He's shown his accountability here,' Oppenheimer said. 'I think his actions have shown his remorse. He's acknowledged it. I think he's taken the right steps to continue to learn, to understand what he's done.' Jackson said he was so drunk the night he drew the swastika, in October 2021, that he blacked out and doesn't remember any of the incident. He claims that he didn't know who lived in the dorm room, and said that he 'broke down in tears' the next day when someone told him what he had done. 'I felt like the worst person in the world,' he said. 'I don't want there to be any excuses for my actions.' He said he wanted to apologize to the student, but that campus police told him to not contact them. He said the University of Nebraska fined him, had him undergo basic sensitivity training online and made him perform community service after the incident, but that there were 'no other repercussions.' He was not arrested, and he played on the university's baseball team the following spring. A Nebraska spokesperson declined to comment on the situation, but said that it 'takes discrimination and similar allegations very seriously and has policies and procedures in place to rapidly respond to student concerns.' The Athletic was not able to identify or speak with the victim, or to independently verify Jackson's version of events. A Freedom of Information Act request submitted to the University of Nebraska asking for documents pertaining to the incident had not received a response at the time of publication. Jackson played for the Nebraska baseball team in 2022, hitting .210 in 44 games, but left the school that summer. He described his freshman year as 'being in a dark place,' and said that he departed because he was not 'growing in my faith or getting better at baseball.' Jackson said he didn't have any Division I offers upon leaving Nebraska, so he played his sophomore year at South Mountain Community College in Phoenix, hitting .321 with four homers, 33 RBIs and a .907 OPS. He was eligible for the draft in 2023 but wasn't selected, and then enrolled at the University of Utah, where in 2024 he hit .363 with four home runs, 41 RBIs and a .979 OPS as a junior. That spring, he began attracting the attention of MLB teams intrigued by his arm strength, right-handed power and athleticism. Advertisement At the end of his first interview with a Boston Red Sox scout, Jackson was asked if there was anything else he wanted to talk about. Jackson told him about the swastika incident. 'Everybody found out about it (then),' said Corosky, Jackson's agent. 'Including us.' After hearing the story from Jackson, Corosky said he considered no longer advising the shortstop. Corosky also represented Jacob Steinmetz, an Arizona Diamondbacks pitching prospect and the first practicing Orthodox Jewish player ever drafted. As a courtesy, Corosky said that he called Jacob's father, Elliot, who is the head men's basketball coach at Yeshiva University, a Division III Orthodox Jewish school in New York City. He wanted Elliot to be aware of what had happened. Corosky told Elliot Steinmetz that Jackson appeared 'extremely remorseful,' but also 'doesn't (understand) exactly what he did.' After Steinmetz's initial anger faded, he suggested that Corosky consider trying to educate Jackson about antisemitism. A few hours later, Steinmetz called Jackson. 'Right away,' he said, 'you could tell (Jackson) was the nicest, sweetest kid in the world, (but) dumb as rocks when it came to these kinds of issues.' According to Steinmetz, Jackson hadn't seemed to fully grasp the dark history behind the swastika — the symbol that represented the German Nazi Party in the 20th century and is still being used by neo-Nazis worldwide. Jackson told Steinmetz that his education on the symbol was limited. Jackson grew up in a Christian household in Wyoming, Ontario, a rural town about 30 minutes from the Michigan border, and told The Athletic that he had hardly encountered Jewish people or learned about Jewish history in school. Steinmetz had a point he wanted to impress upon Jackson. 'If I walked into a hall and saw a swastika, I'd be pissed off,' Steinmetz said. 'My grandparents would be freaked out and terrified by it.' Advertisement Corosky ultimately told Jackson he would continue advising him, but under two conditions. First, Jackson would have to call a representative from each of the 30 teams in Major League Baseball and describe what he did. He told Jackson 'not to pull any punches' no matter how difficult it was to talk about. Second, Jackson would have to work with Steinmetz on 'some intense, gut-wrenching understanding of why what he did was so hurtful and awful.' Jackson agreed. 'Obviously,' he said of calling teams to inform them, 'it wasn't easy, but it was part of growing up and understanding to take ownership of my actions.' Most scouts told Jackson they appreciated his candidness. Steinmetz reached out to the head of Holocaust studies at Yeshiva, who put him in contact with Ann Squicciarini, then a graduate student at the school. Squicciarini, who is Christian, had enrolled in Yeshiva's Holocaust education program in the wake of two Jewish students being attacked in her native Brooklyn in May 2021. Squicciarini designed a five-week course for Jackson, including video and reading assignments, and the pair met for an hour each week. Squicciarini logged everything, and sent post-session reports to Steinmetz. 'He was attentive and engaged,' Squicciarini said. Neither she nor Steinmetz were paid to work with Jackson; both said they wanted to use education to fight hate. Ari Kohen, the director of the Harris Center for Judaic Studies at Nebraska, said that it's 'absolutely crucial' for society to learn how to teach antisemitism and preach awareness of 'all forms of bigotry, truthfully, to young people today.' 'I don't feel that we have fully figured it out at this point,' said Kohen, who was at the Harris Center when Jackson drew the swastika but had not been aware of the incident before being contacted by The Athletic. 'Especially with how quickly our culture changes, thanks to social media, thanks to the meme-ification of all these things.' Advertisement It's important to try to educate someone who commits an act of hate, Kohen said. 'If we drive to punish,' he said, 'that doesn't allow us to take that teachable opportunity. There's a lot that I think we miss.' Steinmetz agreed. 'It's not redeemable if you think it's just a joke,' he said. 'It's redeemable if you do the work, take the path back (and) prove to people you're not just doing it to get a job out of it.' Oppenheimer, the Yankees' scouting director, has known Utah head coach Gary Henderson for more than 40 years. Henderson called him about Jackson in the fall of 2024 — well after the Yankees were aware of what Jackson had done. Other teams had been 'very active in trying to understand the situation,' including the Houston Astros, Toronto Blue Jays and San Diego Padres, Corosky said. Jackson worked out for the Detroit Tigers and the Yankees. Henderson told Oppenheimer that Jackson was 'really playing well' and that 'he's turned a corner. He's been a good person, a good teammate.' That's when the Yankees' conversations began. Jackson met twice with Steve Nagy, the Yankees' scout who covers Utah as part of the Four Corners region, who 'heard the story for himself,' Oppenheimer said. Oppenheimer himself talked to Corosky, and then with Jackson and Steinmetz. Oppenheimer also met via video conference call with Jackson and Yankees director of mental conditioning Chris Passarella, who signed off on the decision. Yankees national cross checker Mike Wagner, who is Jewish, met with Steinmetz. Oppenheimer met with assistant director of player development Stephen Swindal Jr., who is also Jewish, to discuss Jackson. Oppenheimer also called general manager Brian Cashman and Steinbrenner, who rarely gets involved in player selection, and arranged a conference call that Oppenheimer attended with Steinmetz and Levine. The Yankees did not speak with anyone from the University of Nebraska, according to Oppenheimer, but they felt their process was thorough. 'I don't think we've ever done this,' Oppenheimer said regarding the breadth of their inquiry into a single draftee. '(Yankees brass) has knowledge of the players we think we're going to be involved in, but not to the degree that they needed to be aware of (this) situation.' Advertisement 'I feel that moving forward,' Oppenheimer said, 'we've got a good citizen and a good person and a good baseball player.' Minutes after the Yankees drafted Jackson on July 14, he called Steinmetz. 'He was thanking me for everything I did,' Steinmetz said, 'how much it means to him, how he's not going to let me down and how he's going to get to work.' Oppenheimer said he already made the player development staff aware of Jackson's history, and that Jackson has had no issues since joining the Yankees, who quickly promoted him to High-A Hudson Valley. Jackson said he understands that people may be upset by his past. 'I would ask for their forgiveness and let them know I'm not the same person I was when that happened,' he said. 'I've grown up. I've learned. I've reconciled. I've done the things I needed to do to learn about it.' (Top photo of Core Jackson: Tyler Tate / AP Photo) Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle
USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
Alabama football 2025 season preview, predictions: Jam Miller
You could certainly make an argument that few players on the Alabama Crimson Tide's 2025 offense are more key to the unit's success this fall than Jam Miller. Alabama's returning leading rusher, the Crimson Tide however will be without Miller to begin the 2025 season, as the running back recently suffered an injury that will likely result in missing time. Looking at the overall impact of Miller when healthy however, it's clear that the veteran running back will be a big part of Alabama's success in 2025, and should be among college football's best at the position when on the field. Here is a preview of the 2025 season for Alabama running back Jam Miller. Jam Miller player information Jam Miller career stats A senior, Miller is currently entering his fourth season of college football at Alabama, and has appeared in a total of 40 games from 2022-24. Over the past three seasons, Miller has rushed for a combined 1,092 yards and 10 scores on 219 attempts, while also hauling in 21 receptions for 227 yards and two more touchdowns. Jam Miller 2024 stats Miller's 2024 season was likely his best yet at Alabama, appearing in all 13 games for the Crimson Tide a year ago. During his junior campaign, Miller rushed for 668 yards and seven touchdowns on 145 attempts, while also hauling in 16 receptions for 155 yards and another score. Jam Miller recruiting ranking Coming out of high school, Miller was considered as the nation's No. 87 overall prospect in the 2022 class, as well as the No. 6 running back nationally, per the 247Sports Composite rankings. A four-star prospect, Miller was also ranked as the No. 15 prospect in the state of Texas where he attended Tyler Legacy High School, and committed to Alabama back in Nov. 2021 by flipping from Texas. Jam Miller 2025 season outlook While injured to start the season, Miller will be Alabama's starter and No. 1 option at running back when back to full health. Named to the preseason Doak Walker Award watch list, Miller is coming off a career-year, and even despite injury to start the season, could still eclipse those totals in 2025. An experienced player, Miller should make a significant impact in both the rushing and receiving game, and will also be running behind one of college football's top offensive lines, something that should benefit the senior. A potential 1,000-yard back option, expect a strong season from Miller once again, and for the Alabama running back to potentially receive honors at seasons end such as All-SEC. Jam Miller 2025 season prediction Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion.
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
Yankees bash 9 home runs vs. Rays, tying franchise record from start of the season
The New York Yankees have had their issues this season, but power isn't one of them. With nine homers in a 13-3 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday, New York tied a franchise record set earlier this year. They also finished just one long ball shy of the MLB record of 10, held by the 1987 Toronto Blue Jays. There have been only four times in MLB history in which a team has hit at least nine homers in a game. The 2025 Yankees have half of them. Like in their first nine-homer game, the Yankees got started with three consecutive homers in the first inning. Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger and Giancarlo Stanton all took Rays starter Shane Baz deep, with Judge recording his 40th homer of the season. The Yankees got that hot start after a two-hour rain delay at their leased-out home away from home at Steinbrenner Field. Bellinger and Stanton both went on to add another homer later in the game. Jazz Chisholm Jr., Ben Rice and Jose Caballero all chipped in as well, with Caballero hitting a second in the ninth to make history. Across MLB history, there has been only once instance of a team hitting 10 homers in a game, three in which a team hit nine and 23 in which they hit eight. Funnily enough, as Sarah Langs notes, Yankees manager Aaron Boone was involved in all three of those nine-homer games. He managed the Yankees' two this year and hit the first homer in the third game for the Cincinnati Reds in 1999. The Yankees had that other nine-homer game in their second game of the season, which you may recall because a) poor Nestor Cortes allowed homers on his first three pitches against his old team and b) that's when the world first started to learn about New York's torpedo bats. The craze around the torpedo bats quickly faded after the first couple weeks of the season, but they've still helped the Yankees enough that they lead MLB in homers by a healthy margin, with 204 to the second-place Dodgers 187. The vibes for the Yankees are a bit worse with this power surge, as they remain five games back from the Toronto Blue Jays for first place in an AL East division they were once strongly favored to win. The Blue Jays won 7-3 against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday to maintain their lead. There have been signs the Yankees are turning things around after a brutal month and a half, though, with wins in five of their past six games. They can't redistribute some of Tuesday's homers to other games, but they're certainly a good omen the team is back on the right track.
