Article: Dozier’s Days Numbered, Then What?

[Dozier's Glorious Hair]

 

He should have done it in May then. I think he feels the pressure when things aren't going well and tightens up. The worst team in ball and Polanco are what got this team going now Dozier can follow the leader

 

Dozier has a 1.016 OPS in July, Polanco just a .718. I'd say Dozier had more to do with "what got this team going" than Polanco. But if Polanco truly is responsible for Dozier finding his swing and the team playing better, that's awesome. Hopefully, he can sprinkle some of that magic "good baseball" dust on Buxton and Sano and we can really get back in the pennant race.    

[USAFChief]

Yeah, Chief, check tonight's box score.

I'm going to guess Levine will consider a larger sample size than last night's box score in making decisions. Feel free to do things your way though.

[wabene]

Dozier has a 1.016 OPS in July, Polanco just a .718. I'd say Dozier had more to do with "what got this team going" than Polanco. But if Polanco truly is responsible for Dozier finding his swing and the team playing better, that's awesome. Hopefully, he can sprinkle some of that magic "good baseball" dust on Buxton and Sano and we can really get back in the pennant race.

 

My first TD spanking...yeow. More is expected of a player who wants to be counted on to lead a team and produce. Brian came out of the box looking good then finished March/Apr with a sub-par but ok 728 OPS. Sinking to 689 and 645 in the succeeding months when the Twins lost steam. He will put up numbers, but as has been pointed out here he has an uncanny knack for piling it on in low leverage situations.

[Thrylos]

 

The Twins really needed someone to step up this year and set the tone. Dozier wasn't up to the task.

 

Don't you think that the Eddie's, especially Rosario, stepped up this season?

[old nurse]

 

Don't you think that the Eddie's, especially Rosario, stepped up this season?

The Eddies did do what Dozier did not.

[jun]

I can't wait for Dozier gone. He is way overrated. He might be a table setter. He hardly delivers when it really matters.

[Dozier's Glorious Hair]

The epitaph on Dozier's Twins career (assuming it's near its end) has to include him being a victim of his own surprising success. Here we have an 8th-round draft pick, never pegged to do much at the MLB level, becoming not only an everyday starter, but one that averaged more than 4 WAR per season during his prime years with the team (and at only $5 million per season). By any reasonable standard, a successful run.

 

Unfortunately for him, being a good player on a team that's been light on good players for years means the spotlight on you becomes that much more intense. For the more irrational fans, it's no longer enough for you just to be a good player, you must be a S-T-A-R. Anything less and you're a bum. Instead of these fans appreciating you for what you are, they curse you for what you are not. Grumblings about you being overrated or never being clutch enough become fashionable narratives, while your contributions to the team are simply disregarded. Joe Mauer knows all about this.

 

In the end, Dozier should be remembered as a somewhat limited player who got more out of his talent than anyone could have reasonably hoped. The best Twins 2nd baseman since Chuck Knoblauch. He'll be missed when he's on another team, even by the those who didn't think much of him.  

[Riverbrian]

 

I can't wait for Dozier gone. He is way overrated. He might be a table setter. He hardly delivers when it really matters.

 

Everybody is entitled to feel the way they feel but I really have a hard time understanding this sentiment. To each their own I guess. I would absolutely trade him for the best return before the deadline because of his pending free agent status but to express such disdain for him is beyond me. 

 

I have my list of concerns about Brian (everybody on the Twins roster for that matter) but after nearly a decade in the Twins organization, he's been a big part of my Twins experience and the thought of Brian Dozier playing elsewhere gives me a little bit of sadness. 

 

I think he plays too much... I've often stated that he could play less while he is one of those lengthy funks but on the other side of that is the fact that he shows up everyday to play. I assume he has played through some injuries to show up every day and play because nobody gets through unscathed. 

 

The Twins had a very disappointing start in 2016 and a disappointing start this year and when you look at those disappointing starts... Brian Dozier has been very disappointing at the same time. It is easy to blame Brian Dozier during those stretches and I do sometimes but on the other side of that coin is the consideration that maybe this shows the importance of Brian Dozier because team success seems to follow the same path as Brian Dozier success.

 

Then there is the important consideration of who will replace him in 2019? I haven't got an easy answer to that question and that takes the whole situation from not just sadness over the departure of one of my players to sadness plus concern because we don't know who comes next. 

 

 

[Kelly Vance]

 

I'm going to guess Levine will consider a larger sample size than last night's box score in making decisions. Feel free to do things your way though.

Well, my point, which you missed, is that you buried Joe before the funeral. As Mark Twain is rumored to have said "It appears that rumors of my death were slightly exaggerated" or words to that effect.

 

Joe is past his prime, sure, but he can still get it done. A leadoff batter driving in 4 runs should be appreciated.  As for sample size, did you forget that he has thousands of at bats and three batting titles and an MVP. So I think your comments were unfair. But I think there are a lot of unfair comments about Joe, because he commits the apparent sin of being himself and not Boog Powell, or Papi. I just don't understand that. Joe signed long term with us for many millions less than he could have made with another team. We have had many years of watching one of the all time greats play right here in Twin town. He showed loyalty to us. 

 

Loyalty is a two way street

 

 

Edited July 15, 2018 by Kelly Vance

[Kelly Vance]

 

My first TD spanking...yeow. More is expected of a player who wants to be counted on to lead a team and produce. Brian came out of the box looking good then finished March/Apr with a sub-par but ok 728 OPS. Sinking to 689 and 645 in the succeeding months when the Twins lost steam. He will put up numbers, but as has been pointed out here he has an uncanny knack for piling it on in low leverage situations.

Bert pointed out today that Doze is batting .294 in July.  You never woulda known it from all his "fans" on TD. 

[USAFChief]

Well, my point, which you missed, is that you buried Joe before the funeral. As Mark Twain is rumored to have said "It appears that rumors of my death were slightly exaggerated" or words to that effect.

 

Joe is past his prime, sure, but he can still get it done. A leadoff batter driving in 4 runs should be appreciated. As for sample size, did you forget that he has thousands of at bats and three batting titles and an MVP. So I think your comments were unfair. But I think there are a lot of unfair comments about Joe, because he commits the apparent sin of being himself and not Boog Powell, or Papi. I just don't understand that. Joe signed long term with us for many millions less than he could have made with another team. We have had many years of watching one of the all time greats play right here in Twin town. He showed loyalty to us.

 

Loyalty is a two way street

My point, which you missed, is that with 12 and 13 man pitching staffs, it's very difficult to carry a part time first baseman who plays no other position.

 

The rest of your post is nice, but his 2009 MVP has nothing to do with winning games in 2019.

 

And for the record, I disagree he signed for less than market value, but again, that's irrelevant to 2019.

[Kelly Vance]

 

Everybody is entitled to feel the way they feel but I really have a hard time understanding this sentiment. To each their own I guess. I would absolutely trade him for the best return before the deadline because of his pending free agent status but to express such disdain for him is beyond me. 

 

I have my list of concerns about Brian (everybody on the Twins roster for that matter) but after nearly a decade in the Twins organization, he's been a big part of my Twins experience and the thought of Brian Dozier playing elsewhere gives me a little bit of sadness. 

 

I think he plays too much... I've often stated that he could play less while he is one of those lengthy funks but on the other side of that is the fact that he shows up everyday to play. I assume he has played through some injuries to show up every day and play because nobody gets through unscathed. 

 

The Twins had a very disappointing start in 2016 and a disappointing start this year and when you look at those disappointing starts... Brian Dozier has been very disappointing at the same time. It is easy to blame Brian Dozier during those stretches and I do sometimes but on the other side of that coin is the consideration that maybe this shows the importance of Brian Dozier because team success seems to follow the same path as Brian Dozier success.

 

Then there is the important consideration of who will replace him in 2019? I haven't got an easy answer to that question and that takes the whole situation from not just sadness over the departure of one of my players to sadness plus concern because we don't know who comes next. 

 

There are times when a funk takes over a team for a while. Dozier is as human as those other guys who struggled. But the thing about him is he is always better in the second half. And Bert said today that Dozier is playing better and batting .294 in July.  I don't know if that is true or not, but I hate it when guys dump on one of our guys, for reasons that are not really reasons. .

 

NO Dozier does not suck

NO Dozier is not a bad leader.

NO. Dozier is not a me first player.

 

NO. Joe is NOT a bad baseball player.

NO. Joe does not suck. 

NO. Joe should not be forced to retire whether he wants to or not.

 

When I hear these things, I just shake my head. 

 

I appreciate something Riv.  You have a feel for the game. And baseball is not just about stats and metrics. When you rely on that stuff too much, you miss out on other stuff that matters. 

[Kelly Vance]

 

My point, which you missed, is that with 12 and 13 man pitching staffs, it's very difficult to carry a part time first baseman who plays no other position.

The rest of your post is nice, but his 2009 MVP has nothing to do with winning games in 2019.

And for the record, I disagree he signed for less than market value, but again, that's irrelevant to 2019.

I don't remember you saying anything about 12 and 13 man pitching staffs. But look. I think Joe fits next year's team.  Most every team has 3 players who play corner infield and DH. Those are three positions. Joe doesn't play 3b, but so what?  It is not a bad thing to have Joe around for a couple more years, playing and DHing.  Sano can rotate with him and we could maybe promise Eduardo 140 games (especially since he can play 2b and SS) with his being part of that 3 man rotation. Plus EE can spell the shortstop and 2b spots.  Add a 4th outfielder who can play 1b and DH, and we got enough guys to keep them all involved while giving them their fair amount of rest.

 

Joe makes sense to me. I hope they sign Eduardo too. I think they need to add a Morrison type guy who is actually good. Or give Cave a shot at playing some 1b.  Killer?  Rooker?  

 

Anyway, the idea that Joe is 1 dimensional is more from how they use him than it is what he can do.  This guy learned 1b and played gold glove caliber 1b last year.  You don't think he could play RF better than Grossman? .Joe is a great athlete, and was a stud quarterback. He is good enough of an athlete to still play outfield in a pinch and I suspect he would play RF better than Grossman.  But that is just a suspicion. 

 

So I am more of an optimist about Joe for a couple more years.. 

 

[Kelly Vance]

 

Unless I am reading the standings wrong, we are far below 500, we are out of the wild card and dreaming of catching a better team for the only opportunity that is available.  We have had a chance to move up on Cleveland many times, but it has been the Eddies that have carried us.  Dozier is batting 229 and occupied important slots in the lineup.  According to Baseball Reference in Close and Late hitting he has an OPS of 22 meaning he is way below average with a 140 Babip 422OPS, in these clutch situations he is below average on tOPS and at average in sOPS.  https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/split.fcgi?id=doziebr01&year=2018&t=b Only in low leverage is his tOPS and sOPS above average.  In High leverage he is 45 and 46 - that is abyssmal.  

 

Brian has been great for the half of each of the last few years, but this year when we needed him because we were missing other key batters he has been AWOL so I will stick with my harsh rating for him.  Yes he could turn it on the last half, but if we are out of it, who cares. 

Sorry, but I just shake my head at that.  You wanna double down on saying that Brian Dozier has contributed "Nothing of value" then I get to wonder about what you are seeing as opposed to what I am seeing.  Dozier is hitting almost 300 in July. Yeah, a little late, you'd say. So I have to challenge the bias.Because you seem to want to find fault.

 

Being 7.5 games back on July 13 is no worse than being 7.5 games behind in May.  They don't give trophies for mid season success. There is still a ways to go and the Twins could make a run. 

 

But I don't understand the hate for Doze. He plays hard, and he plays every day. He is more loyal than your trusted hunting dog. And I will tell you this.  He gives everything he has every day. He never dogs it on a ground out and we have all seen him dive for balls whenever.... well, whenever he needs to dive to make the play. 

 

Baseball at this level is hard. Failure is expected because it happens to most everyone 75 percent of the time.  The best only hit safely 3 out of 10 times.

 

Saying Doze is having a slow start or an off year is valid. Saying he has added nothing of value is not only unfair, but it is untrue. .    

Edited July 15, 2018 by Kelly Vance

[yarnivek1972]

I don't remember you saying anything about 12 and 13 man pitching staffs. But look. I think Joe fits next year's team. Most every team has 3 players who play corner infield and DH. Those are three positions. Joe doesn't play 3b, but so what? It is not a bad thing to have Joe around for a couple more years, playing and DHing. Sano can rotate with him and we could maybe promise Eduardo 140 games (especially since he can play 2b and SS) with his being part of that 3 man rotation. Plus EE can spell the shortstop and 2b spots. Add a 4th outfielder who can play 1b and DH, and we got enough guys to keep them all involved while giving them their fair amount of rest.

 

Joe makes sense to me. I hope they sign Eduardo too. I think they need to add a Morrison type guy who is actually good. Or give Cave a shot at playing some 1b. Killer? Rooker?

 

Anyway, the idea that Joe is 1 dimensional is more from how they use him than it is what he can do. This guy learned 1b and played gold glove caliber 1b last year. You don't think he could play RF better than Grossman? .Joe is a great athlete, and was a stud quarterback. He is good enough of an athlete to still play outfield in a pinch and I suspect he would play RF better than Grossman. But that is just a suspicion.

 

So I am more of an optimist about Joe for a couple more years..

Maybe Chief didn’t specifically mention 12 or 13 man pitching staffs, but I did. And the post you quoted was him replying to that.

 

You completely handcuff your manager if you plan on keeping a part time first baseman.

[Riverbrian]

 

There are times when a funk takes over a team for a while. Dozier is as human as those other guys who struggled. But the thing about him is he is always better in the second half. And Bert said today that Dozier is playing better and batting .294 in July.  I don't know if that is true or not, but I hate it when guys dump on one of our guys, for reasons that are not really reasons. .

 

NO Dozier does not suck

NO Dozier is not a bad leader.

NO. Dozier is not a me first player.

 

NO. Joe is NOT a bad baseball player.

NO. Joe does not suck. 

NO. Joe should not be forced to retire whether he wants to or not.

 

When I hear these things, I just shake my head. 

 

I appreciate something Riv.  You have a feel for the game. And baseball is not just about stats and metrics. When you rely on that stuff too much, you miss out on other stuff that matters. 

 

I appreciate that Kelly and I share your disgust over expressed hatred toward our guys although I'm not sure that hatred is the right word. 

 

Mauer and Dozier pair together quite well in my opinion because they balance each other out. 

 

It seems that those who criticize Mauer tend to criticize him because he isn't your typical power producing 1B prototype. Having Dozier on the roster negates that potential deficit because Dozier has more power than the typical 2B prototype. 

 

Some seem to be critical toward Mauer because he spends time on the DL every year and Molitor gives him scheduled time off in order to keep him as fresh as possible. Dozier is the opposite of that. 

 

Some seem to be critical toward Mauer because he never swing at the first strike and Dozier jumps all over that thing. 

 

Some seem to be critical toward Dozier because of his streakyness while Mauer tends to be more consistent. 

 

Dozier is dead pull and Joe is incredibly not. 

 

2019 is gonna be interesting if we have new people playing 1B and 2B after all of these years. I'll miss them both. 

 

 

[Champuckett]

Touch em all Brian Dozier!

 

Touch em all!

[Vanimal46]

*checks calendar*

 

Yep, right on time. Should be a fun few months for Dozier fans

[Doomtints]

It's the same as it always was. Dozier is a good player to build around, a good guy to have on a team with other solid players. However, he's not a star who can move the needle on his own. How many games did the Twins lose when he hit 42 home runs?

 

Another team will be thrilled to have him and he has more good games left in him, but he still won't be a star on his own. He will look *really* good on a player with some great players.

[Kelly Vance]

 

Maybe Chief didn’t specifically mention 12 or 13 man pitching staffs, but I did. And the post you quoted was him replying to that.

You completely handcuff your manager if you plan on keeping a part time first baseman.

Like hell. Its done all the time. And with less talented guys than Joe. 

[Kelly Vance]

 

Touch em all Brian Dozier!

 

Touch em all!

But, Doze,be quick about it. We'd hate to have those who say that you contribute nothing have to see you jog around the bases in front of God and everybody. . 

[Kelly Vance]

He hit a walk off grand slam tonight. If I am Doze and my days are numbered, that's how I'd like to go out. 

[USAFChief]

Like hell. Its done all the time. And with less talented guys than Joe.

 

No, it’s really not.

 

Find us two examples. First basemen who play no other position and get a couple days off per week.

[Kelly Vance]

 

No, it’s really not.

Find us two examples. First basemen who play no other position and get a couple days off per week.

I would think almost all of them. First base is not where you play your leaping gazelles.

 

But you are getting off track. Mauer has value beyond this year.  I think the FO signs him to two 1 year contracts innarow.

 

My bone with you is that you wanna throw a still good player and a Twins legend on the trash heap.

I say that is unwise, disloyal and I think the FO would add....Not gonna happen. 

[Kelly Vance]

I hope they find a way to keep Dozier, Gibby, Eduardo and Joe. 

[jokin]

I can't wait for Dozier gone. He is way overrated. He might be a table setter. He hardly delivers when it really matters.

Except today. He delivered when it mattered twice. And he appears to have started, yet again, his patented 2nd half surge.

 

Numbers for July suggest as such:

 

5 HR/~.300 BA/1.000+ OPS/~.420 wOBA/~170 OPS+

Edited July 16, 2018 by jokin

[Primetime82]

You need put the pipe down fellow!

 

This team is mediocre and nothing will change that, not Buxton or Sano.

 

And for that matter, Buxton and Sano are busts at this point. People need to quit pretending there suddenly going to be good. They've proven nothing yet consistently.

 

We dont even have a solid #2 pitcher at this point. Maybe Berrios. Gibson is having a career year but he's already 31 or so. SELL! Remember not trading Glen Perkins when we could have gotten a haul back?!

 

Dozier and Esco. should be traded . This team won't be competing until the next crop of youngsters, Lewis etc start coming up and having more top prospects and picks will hopefully help.

[jun]

This is why I like Escobar.

 

This season when RISP Escobar bats .367 with 5 HRs and 43 RBIs.

 

That's clutch.

 

Dozier is absolutely clutch in today's game.

[yarnivek1972]

I would think almost all of them. First base is not where you play your leaping gazelles.

 

But you are getting off track. Mauer has value beyond this year. I think the FO signs him to two 1 year contracts innarow.

 

My bone with you is that you wanna throw a still good player and a Twins legend on the trash heap.

I say that is unwise, disloyal and I think the FO would add....Not gonna happen.

Still waiting for you to name them.

 

Mauer ranks 26 th in MLB in innings at first base with 394. 27th is Logan Morrison. Five first basemen have over 800.

 

 

How different would this season be if instead of two below average first basemen they had one good one?

[wabene]

The epitaph on Dozier's Twins career (assuming it's near its end) has to include him being a victim of his own surprising success. Here we have an 8th-round draft pick, never pegged to do much at the MLB level, becoming not only an everyday starter, but one that averaged more than 4 WAR per season during his prime years with the team (and at only $5 million per season). By any reasonable standard, a successful run.

 

Unfortunately for him, being a good player on a team that's been light on good players for years means the spotlight on you becomes that much more intense. For the more irrational fans, it's no longer enough for you just to be a good player, you must be a S-T-A-R. Anything less and you're a bum. Instead of these fans appreciating you for what you are, they curse you for what you are not. Grumblings about you being overrated or never being clutch enough become fashionable narratives, while your contributions to the team are simply disregarded. Joe Mauer knows all about this.

 

In the end, Dozier should be remembered as a somewhat limited player who got more out of his talent than anyone could have reasonably hoped. The best Twins 2nd baseman since Chuck Knoblauch. He'll be missed when he's on another team, even by the those who didn't think much of him.

 

The irrational purveyor of fairy dust actually likes Dozier and has rooted for the guy. All you say, the surprising rise to a top MLB player, is true and commendable. When he came out of the gate playing well this year I thought now we might have something. A Dozier who plays well all year but then we were disappointed again. If you weren't disappointed by his first half performance you are delusional. As the events of the last couple days show he may lead us to postseason this year too. I just don't understand how someone can play so well and also appear so lost at times. If he can do it for months why not more consistently? That is the disappointment.

Polanco if he establishes himself won't have this problem. For crying out loud obviously he is not a better player than Dozier right now and obviously has not contributed more this month. Thanks for the help on that. What I do see with him is a great addition to the lineup who has the potential to be a better all around hitter than Dozier and a tougher out. That is where Dozier has trouble. There are holes in his swing that keep him from contributing more with RISP.