Gardenhire To Miss 2 Games For Funeral

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Manager Ron Gardenhire will miss Minnesota's games on Friday and Saturday against Kansas City to attend Saturday's funeral of Michael Hirschbeck in Ohio.

Hirschbeck, the son of umpire John Hirschbeck, died Tuesday at age 27. He had battled adrenoleukodystrophy, a disease that affects the brain and nervous system.

Acting manager Terry Steinbach says: "There's a place in Gardy's heart for him. He was going to try and do everything he could to get there."

Once while in Minneapolis for medical tests at the University of Minnesota, former Twins manager Tom Kelly invited the younger Hirschbeck to be the team's batboy for a game. It was the beginning of a relationship between Michael and the Twins that continued when Gardenhire became manager.

(© Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)