Article: Dozier, Mauer Approaching Milestones

[Cody Christie]

Joe Mauer and Brian Dozier are both playing in the last year of their contracts. If 2018 is their last season in a Twins uniform, there are still plenty of records in sight for each of them. Both players are two of the longest tenured members of the organization, so it make sense that some records could fall throughout the course of 2018.

 

What milestones are in reach? Let’s dive in…Mr. 2000

Mauer entered play on Saturday needing eight hits to reach the 2,000 hit mark for his career. He’s hit safely in 17 straight contests against Seattle so there is a good chance that number will shrink before the weekend is done. Kirby Puckett and Rod Carew are the only players in team history to reach the 2,000 hit mark. Puckett holds the franchise record with 2,304 hits, while Carew totaled 2,085 hits before heading to the Angels. Eleven active players have surpassed 2,000 hits with Adrian Gonzalez being the last player to accomplish the feat in August of 2017.

 

Double Trouble

Mauer would need to play a couple more seasons to pass Puckett on the franchise’s hit list. However, Mauer does have a chance to set the team record for doubles. Puckett finished his career with a franchise record 414 doubles over 12 seasons. Mauer is in the midst of his 15^th season and has 403 doubles. Over the last six seasons, Mauer has averaged 31 doubles so it seems likely for him to pass Puckett at some point during 2018.

 

Solo Homers

Mauer and Dozier are both moving up the ladder on the team’s all-time home run list. With 155 career home runs, Dozier needs eight to tie Tom Brunansky (163) for 9^th on the Twins all-time list. Mauer has 137 career long-balls and sits four behind Michael Cuddyer for 11^th in franchise history. Next in Dozier’s sights would be Gary Gaetti but he knocked 201 home runs during his Twins tenure. Dozier might be a man on a mission this season but 46 more home runs seems like a tough endeavor.

 

Speed, I Am Speed

Bryon Buxton has the kind of elite speed that could put him at the top of the team’s record books when it comes to stolen bases. For now, Dozier has made his way into the franchises top-10 list. His 91 career steals are one better than Denard Span for 10^th on the team’s all-time list. With his next steal, Dozier will tie Larry Hisle for ninth. Other players in his sights this year include Matt Lawton (96), Christian Guzman (102), and possibly Dan Gladden (116). To pass Gladden, he’d have to break his career best steal total of 21 from 2014.

 

Which record will drop first? How much longer would Mauer have to play to get to 3000 hits? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion.

 

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[highlander]

I doubt it will happen but, I would love to see Joe hit 3,000 in the Twins uniform. No doubt Buxton will jump up they stolen base list. Triples is another list Buxton should climb.

[Mr. Brooks]

I doubt it will happen but, I would love to see Joe hit 3,000 in the Twins uniform. No doubt Buxton will jump up they stolen base list. Triples is another list Buxton should climb.

Mauer has almost 0% chance of getting 3k hits.

[Brandon]

With a 4 or 5 year extention Dozier could hit over300 HR in a Twins uniform. That should get him to the top 2/3 all time Twins.

[Thrylos]

Mauer is close to reaching a milestone...

 

Dozier is not close to any milestones as far as HRs go.   Pushing it juuuuuuuuuust a tad on that respect...

 

On the other hand, Dozier is 157 hits away from 1000.  That, along with Mauer's 2000, might had made a better story.

Edited April 8, 2018 by Thrylos

[Seth Stohs]

 

Mauer has almost 0% chance of getting 3k hits.

 

Correct... too many walks to get there... also being a catcher and catchers only playing 120-130 games most years decreased the odds. 

[Brandon]

To get to 3000 hits Mauer would have to start for the next 5 season to get to 2700 -2750 hits and be a bench player PH/ DH / 1B for the next 4 -5 seasons after to get the other 250-300 hits needed.

[Benchwarmerjim]

If Mauer stays healthy/not be traded, he should finish the season 2nd on the all time Twins Games Played list, and also surpass the 1800 Games Played plateau. Also, Mauer should pass Puckett (7831) in Plate Apperances sometime late in the season, it'll be close but Mauer probably wont get to 8000 this season. Mauer will probably get to 1000 strikeouts by the All Star break,

 

Dozier should reach 500 RBI and 600 runs scored this season.

 

If all goes well, Sano (74) should reach 100 HRs this year

[Tom Froemming]

Mauer ranks fourth all-time among the franchise times on base leaders. The only guy ahead of him who actually played for the Twins is Harmon. I think Joe has a chance of catching Killebrew this year if we disclude his Washington years. 

 

Joe is at 2,907 times on base for his career. You wanna know who he just passed on that list? Yogi Berra. It's a very interesting list. Torii Hunter is 152nd all-time, one spot behind Larry Walker. Gary Gaetti is also among the 203 players to have reached 3,000 times on base in his career.

[Tommygun921]

Even with the lack of games played for Mauer as a catcher it's still hard to believe he's only now approaching 2000 hits.

[diehardtwinsfan]

 

To get to 3000 hits Mauer would have to start for the next 5 season to get to 2700 -2750 hits and be a bench player PH/ DH / 1B for the next 4 -5 seasons after to get the other 250-300 hits needed.

 

I haven't looked, but are 200 hit seasons rare now? He should finish the season with between 2100 and 2200 hits. I know due to walks that 3k hits would be hard to do as he has never had a 200 hit season, but if he starts another 5 seasons and is productive, he's going to be very close. 

[ashbury]

Even with the lack of games played for Mauer as a catcher it's still hard to believe he's only now approaching 2000 hits.

When he passed Hall of Famer Bill Dickey last year, Joe reached #10 all-time in Hits, among players who caught in at least 50% of their games. Playing catcher is hard! Except for Jason Kendall and A.J. Pierzynski, who were themselves very good in their own ways, everyone else in the top 10 is a no-doubter of a Hall of Famer. Getting base hits is the fundamental skill in baseball.

 

Let's appreciate 2000 for what it is.

[Mr. Brooks]

I haven't looked, but are 200 hit seasons rare now? He should finish the season with between 2100 and 2200 hits. I know due to walks that 3k hits would be hard to do as he has never had a 200 hit season, but if he starts another 5 seasons and is productive, he's going to be very close.

8 times the last 3 years combined.

[jkcarew]

 

Correct... too many walks to get there... also being a catcher and catchers only playing 120-130 games most years decreased the odds. 

Kinda.  Mostly, not enough games played.  Joe got to 120 games caught only twice in his career...but in the DH era/league, he should have (without injuries, etc.) been able to make up for a better portion of the missed catching plate appearances.  But he didn't.  In his first 10 season in the majors, Joe averaged 44 games missed (games without an appearance) per season.  If you throw out his first season (127 games missed), his next 10 seasons still average 36 missed games.

 

Hard to rack up milestone (totals) numbers that way.  Even his walks totals seem relatively pedestrian.  Has only had as many as 90 in a season one time, which seems bizarre.

[jkcarew]

 

When he passed Hall of Famer Bill Dickey last year, Joe reached #10 all-time in Hits, among players who caught in at least 50% of their games.

Joe will fall off this list by the end of the year, as he is 104 games played from having caught in less than 50% of his career games played.  (At least I hope he falls off that list.)

 

Nevertheless, 2000 hits is an accomplishment, to say the least.  Tony O never got there.  He will pass Carew this year if healthy, and still has a chance, if he continues beyond this year, to catch Kirby for most all time (Twins).

[Kelly Vance]

 

Mauer has almost 0% chance of getting 3k hits.

Don't be so optimistic. But imagine if he got to hit against Twins pitching all those years. His numbers would be way higher. I don't mean to be overly snarky, but don't you think he could have hit Hughes and company?  Anyway, I too was surprised to see his walk numbers so low, especially given what a picky hitter he is. But Mauer is a pure hitter at this point. If he hung on, he might get close to 3000, and I am hoping he makes it. It will all come down to how long he wants to play, and a little luck.

Edited April 8, 2018 by Kelly Vance

[Kelly Vance]

 

I haven't looked, but are 200 hit seasons rare now? He should finish the season with between 2100 and 2200 hits. I know due to walks that 3k hits would be hard to do as he has never had a 200 hit season, but if he starts another 5 seasons and is productive, he's going to be very close. 

From your lips to God's ears.

[Mr. Brooks]

Agree to disagree. Joe doesn't strike me as the kind of guy that is going to keep playing well into his 40's, which is what it would take.

Especially given the toll that he's put on his body already, and having made plenty of money already.