"I think you have to sit down and figure out exactly what works for me and what didn't work for me," Gardner said. "To be honest, I say it every year, it's one of those things that I've got to get over the hump. I've got to get more aggressive. I can't fall behind. Mentally, as far as my approach at the plate, I just need to be more aggressive and put some balls in play."Gardner also said why he can't win the starting job since they "don't have many guys" compared to last year, when "it seemed like we had 10 outfielders; now we only have a couple."
Gardner also acknowledged a need to improve his bunting. Much of Gardner's offensive value comes from his speed. Bunting should be a legitimate weapon, but he wasn't an especially good bunter in his rookie season. Gardner had 18 bunt hits in just 55 Double-A games in 2006, but he stopped bunting as he began to develop his swing in the upper levels of the minors. Along the way, he lost his feel and his confidence laying down bunts.
"There are days when I bunt more than 100 balls (this winter)," Gardner said.
...
"They're going to put their best nine guys on the field," Gardner said. "And hopefully I'll be one of them."
It's good to hear that Gardner is working on the holes in his game. And I'm sure you feel the same when I say that if Gardner can become a great bunter he could be a very dangerous player for this team, so it's great to see that he's working on it.
I also agree his approach at the plate should be improved, but really I don't think any of us would complain about another year where he hits in the .270's and gets on base around 35% of the time.
