Twins manager Gardenhire to miss two games for funeral

Minneapolis, MN (SportsNetwork.com) - Minnesota Twins manager Ron Gardenhire will miss the team's games Friday and Saturday against the Kansas City Royals so he can attend the funeral of Michael Hirschbeck.

Hirschbeck, the 27-year-old son of Major League umpire John Hirschbeck, passed away Tuesday. He suffered from rare brain disorder called adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD) since he was a child.

This is the second son of John Hirschbeck to pass away from the same disease. His 8-year-old son, John Drew, died in 1993.

Bench coach Terry Steinbach will manage the Twins in Gardenhire's absence.

[SportsNetwork.com]