Twins Tuesday: Players admire, take photos with visiting Ryder Cup
MINNEAPOLIS -- Aaron Hicks admired it, but didn't dare pick it up.
The Ryder Cup stood in a tall case inside the Twins' clubhouse Tuesday before Minnesota's game against Boston. Various players walked by it in awe. Others, like first baseman Joe Mauer, took their picture with it.
But Hicks, an avid golfer who was a top amateur in California before choosing baseball, was hesitant to pick it up, let alone touch it or pose with it for a photo.
"I was very nervous," said Hicks, who has hit five holes-in-one in his golf career. "I just know what it represents. It's awesome for those guys to be able to play for that."
The trophy was at Target Field on Tuesday in advance of the 2016 Ryder Cup, which is being held at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minn. The Minnesota course has hosted several of golf's major events, and it will play host to the Ryder Cup from Sept. 27-Oct. 2, 2016. Aside from being displayed in Minnesota's clubhouse before Tuesday's game, the Ryder Cup was also scheduled to be shown off at home plate just before first pitch Tuesday night.
Mauer, who was genuinely excited to see the trophy, said he's played at Hazeltine just once and doesn't remember what his score was but did recall how long the course's rough was. Hicks has yet to get out to Hazeltine but plans to if the opportunity arises.
"That's definitely a course I want to play at some point while I'm here," Hicks said. "For them to be playing there is pretty awesome."
No Twins make initial All-Star ballot: Major League Baseball unveiled the first round of voting for the 2015 All-Star Game, and Minnesota did not have a single player crack the top five among position players.
Though the Twins have several candidates arguably worthy of playing in this year's midsummer classic -- including second baseman Brian Dozier and closer Glen Perkins -- they didn't get the national attention to land on the initial wave of balloting.
Minnesota manager Paul Molitor didn't seem too concerned.
"I haven't thought about that one iota, to be honest with you," Molitor said Tuesday. "It's a big deal for players, especially guys that are maybe being considered for the first time. I get all that. I was there. I know what that feels like. I hope that those are the kind of things that we are learning to put on the very back burner."
Dozier currently is tied for the American League lead in runs scored with 35, and his nine home runs are tops among all AL second basemen. Dozier did participate in All-Star weekend last year as a Home Run Derby participant but was not voted to the All-Star Game.
Perkins leads the majors in saves and is on pace for his third straight All-Star appearance. Pitchers aren't included on the fan voting ballots, meaning Perkins and other pitchers would be selected by the AL manager.
The All-Star Game in Cincinnati isn't until July 14, and plenty can happen between now and then. But the Twins -- who are eight games above .500 -- believe they have several players worthy of at least being in the discussion for the All-Star Game.
"There's no sense spending a lot of energy thinking about it," Molitor said. "We've got something here that we're trying to keep going. If that happens, that would be great. Obviously we have some people playing well."
Molitor, Twins offer condolences after youth pitcher's death: On Sunday in Bemidji, Minn., 15-year-old pitcher Zach Schaubhut died after he was struck by a line drive during a pickup game. Schaubhut was taken to a hospital in Fargo, N.D., where he later died.
On Tuesday, the Twins offered their condolences to the family of the young pitcher who lost his life playing the game he loved.
"Obviously those things are very tragic to hear about," Molitor said. "As an organization, we're aware. Our prayer and support to the family go out. It's one of those things that it's kind of unfathomable for people who aren't there to imagine what those people are going through."
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