Mother's Day tribute special for Dozier, Twins

ANAHEIM -- The Twins and the other 29 Major League clubs celebrated Mother's Day on Sunday, as players, coaches and uniformed personnel wore pink gear and used pink equipment to raise awareness for breast cancer as part of MLB's annual "Going To Bat Against Breast Cancer" initiative.
The Twins wore specially designed pink-accented caps with pink ribbons on their jerseys over their left chest. Several Twins players used pink bats and pink cleats, while catcher Bobby Wilson even had pink catching gear, including his chest protector and knee pads.
Twins second baseman Brian Dozier said he uses a pink bat and pink cleats every year to raise awareness for breast cancer, which hits close to home for him, as he lost his grandmother to the disease in 2008.
• Mother's Day gear in Twins shop
"The big thing is raising awareness for breast cancer, which is great," Dozier said. "It's good for the game and raising awareness. All in all, moms are the backbones of the family that keep everyone together. Any time you can give a little love to them, it's pretty special."

Additionally, each club selected an Honorary Bat Girl, with the Twins set to honor Jennifer McLaughlin of Wayzata, Minn., during the next homestand (Monday through May 23). McLaughlin works at the Hope Chest for Breast Cancer and was diagnosed with the disease on Dec. 26, changing her perspective from someone who works with survivors to becoming someone with breast cancer.
Her cancer was detected with a 3D mammogram, and she encourages others to do the same, as it likely wouldn't have been detected that early without one. Each honoree's story of fighting breast cancer can be found at HonoraryBatGirl.com.
The "Going To Bat Against Breast Cancer" initiative began in 2006, while the Honorary Bat Girl program started in 2009. The initiative is supported by MLB charitable partners, Stand Up To Cancer and Susan G. Komen.