Time to rest Dozier?

[curt1965]

When your favorite team has a slow start, everyone has suggestions. Everyone is an expert. Fire Molly, bring up

Berrios, bench (take your pick!). It's a long season, and we all need to be patient, right?

So it's time for an old fart from SW Minnesota to weigh in. How about giving Mr. Dozier a couple days off, and see what Polanco can do.

I know Brian is a fan favorite and one of the team's leaders (?). But his last AB tonight (line out to LF) was, IMO, his best AB in a week. Yes, I know he hit a HR yesterday, but his production- and most of his recent AB's-have been abysmal.

For a lead off or number 2 hitter, he doesn't make enough contact to warrant his placement there. It is very discouraging that he refuses to use the whole field, especially in RBI situations. Most of his outs are in the air-infield pop outs or short fly balls, which is what you'd expect for someone trying to hit home runs. Since he is a relatively experienced veteran, I would imagine he is not interested in changing that approach. OK- I get that. But I don't think it would hurt him to sit for a couple days, to try to get his head straight. I would also like to have Molly try him in a different spot in the order, but I have no idea where.

Home runs are great, but not so much when you are ahead or behind by 5 runs. Great is hitting a deep fly to the outfield with less than 2 outs! Great is moving runners over in a close game.

I think Dozier can be an integral part of the team, but in the end, it is a TEAM game, and eventually everyone needs to be on the same page if you want any success. IMHO!

[glunn]

I don't agree with all of this, but would not mind Dozier getting some rest.  Like you said, it's a long season.

[ScrapTheNickname]

I also would like to see Polanco play every day for a week or two or a month. This is the third year in a row he has got a cup of coffee. The guy is buzzed on coffee! Give him a break, and start him at second or third or SS.

[mudcat14]

I am convinced Polanco would outhit and out-OBP Dozier over a full season.  Defense would be down some over the short-term, but Jorge will be at least league average over time.  HR's would certainly be down, but Polanco would still flirt with double figures.

 

I think the Twins blew an opportunity to deal Dozier in the off-season and will waste the next year and a half before they realize Polanco is the man. 

[Platoon]

Some Twins players seem to attain a mythical status. Others obviously don't. Some are banished to Rochester for an entire season and some are left to retain their top of the order status, regardless. I am a believer in riding through slumps. But a slump is not 3-4 months of pop ups and dribblers to SS. Some argue that you cannot connect the last half of last year, to this year. I imagine the same could be said for all of Drew Buteras seasons. I wouldn't necessarily sit him down, but a few games batting 8th might send a message, as would a few on the bench. Maybe if he finds out he is not irreplaceable, he will put in the effort to become so.

[twinsnorth49]

I think resting Dozier or dropping him down the batting order might be good ideas, the latter if only until he gets his mojo back.

 

Getting his mojo back is going to require not trying to pull everything over the LF wall however. To be sure I think he's suffered from a bit of bad luck on some hard hit balls but his discipline and approach right now need a reset, trying to constantly pull low and away breaking pitches just ain't a recipe for improvement.

[bluechipper]

I agree. Stick Polanco in the leadoff spot. Rotate his playing time between 2nd and 3rd base.

[Riverbrian]

No idea if this is a continuation of last year or if this year is a small sample size. 

 

However... July 1 of 2015 was his high water mark. Since then... he has hit at a level that would cost most players a starting job. 

 

If Dozier is going to find his way out of this... I'd strongly suggest he do it now. 

 

He has not been a 162 game player talent since July and he should not be treated as such in my opinion. 

 

And I would love to know why Paul feels he is a top of the order guy. 

 

And... And... I would love to know how Brian Dozier is better than Nunez at this exact moment in time. 

 

Even if it's just a slump... How is Brian Dozier better than Nunez at this exact moment in time. 

[Jham]

Dozier is approaching Lew Ford Territory.  No one's coming up and in on Doz anymore.  He's not adjusting.  Pretty soon he's going burn himself trying to iron a shirt while wearing it.

On an aside I always wonder if the "going with the pitch" approach is a tad overrated.  Two of the best and handsiest hitters I've ever seen, Derrick Jeter and Dustin Pedroia had 20 HR power and ability to go to all fields.  Neither really went with a pitch unless fooled.  Instead, each would pull their hands in on inside pitches and allow their barrel to trail.  This keeps the bat in the hitting zone, allows the hitter to contact the ball a little deeper and not have to guess or open up in order to catch up.  

 

The result is solid contact to the opposite field.  This allows Pedroia to dive over the plate to pull middle and away pitches over the Monster.  This allowed Jeter to drive middle and away pitches out to center and right.  

Joe Mauer in his prime had this too.  Remember when he'd take the inside pitch up the middle or over short with that wicked reverse spin?  That was him pulling in his hands to barrel up a ball.  Now he's been taught to pull that pitch and he roles it over to 2nd.  

That said, I think Dozier's biggest problem is the K's and BB's.  He's not being patient enough to get his pitch, and he's not good enough to hit theirs.

[Riverbrian]

Tony Blengino wrote this about Dozier March 5th, 2015

 

"To become a starter at that level and have some success, he has had to totally sell out to the short term fruits of extreme pulling. Pitchers are now likely to have the last word".

 

I'm very worried that he may be right

[bluechipper]

Another bad game for Dozier today. Hopefully we see Polanco start tomorrow and then get some consistent playing time.

[TheLeviathan]

I thinkwe need to keep playing him but for gods sake stop htting him first drop his butt to 6th or 7th.

[bluechipper]

 

I thinkwe need to keep playing him but for gods sake stop htting him first drop his butt to 6th or 7th.

Well since Polanco just got sent down, I agree with this.

[HitInAPinch]

 

I thinkwe need to keep playing him but for gods sake stop htting him first drop his butt to 6th or 7th.

 

Yes.

[Platoon]

Tony Blengino wrote this about Dozier March 5th, 2015

 

"To become a starter at that level and have some success, he has had to totally sell out to the short term fruits of extreme pulling. Pitchers are now likely to have the last word".

 

I'm very worried that he may be right

I also saw this article. Everyone has a hole in their strike zone, but his pulliness has made his fairly easy for a pitcher to hit. Also I have noticed when they go up and in, it's way up, where even he can't reach it.