Brian Dozier: I feel great

[Nick Nelson]

A new article in the Pioneer Press from Mike Berardino offers differing opinions from Brian Dozier and Twins GM Terry Ryan on the second baseman's diminished production, which dates back to the second half of last year.

 

In short, Ryan thinks there's a significant underlying problem at play. Dozier doesn't. When told that the GM believes he needs to be fixed, Dozier reportedly "smiled and shook his head," insisting that he feels better than he has in his entire career.

 

This isn't really a new thing from Dozier. When I asked him in spring training for his views on the second-half decline in 2015, he said he thought the narrative was overblown and didn't understand why people kept dwelling on it. Now he is claiming that his ongoing struggles are essentially the result of bad bounces.

 

In Dozier's defense, that probably is the case to some extent. He hasn't been striking out to a crazy degree and has been hampered by a .218 BABIP this year, suggesting poor luck. He had an XBH stolen away on a fantastic defensive play by Jays CF Kevin Pillar over the weekend -- symptomatic of how things have been going.

 

But we're talking about a guy who has a .206 batting average and 626 OPS since last year's All-Star break. It's getting tougher and tougher to hear a self-described team leader continually shrugging his shoulders and saying "them's the breaks" when discussing his lengthy slump at the plate.

 

What do you think is the best approach with Dozier at this point? Bump him down in the lineup? Bench him for a week in favor of Jorge Polanco or Eduardo Nunez? Take the more drastic step of demoting him to Triple-A (he has options left)? Or let him keep fighting through this with hopes that he can get rolling on another hot streak as he did in late April?

[Mike Sixel]

If you aren't going to play Polanco nearly every day, with the way everyone else is hitting, send Polanco down, and just keep playing Dozier.

 

This year should be all about next year now......imo.

[d-mac]

I have no idea. I just know I wouldn't keep batting him leadoff! @%&$!!!

[alarp33]

 

 

What do you think is the best approach with Dozier at this point? Bump him down in the lineup? Bench him for a week in favor of Jorge Polanco or Eduardo Nunez? Take the more drastic step of demoting him to Triple-A (he has options left)? Or let him keep fighting through this with hopes that he can get rolling on another hot streak as he did in late April?

 

Well I imagine Polanco is headed back to Rochester today or tomorrow when Escobar returns, I would've liked to seen him play the last week but the manager has no time for that.  For now, if you want to keep Nunez in the lineup, I think at least a few times a week should be at 2B.  And Dozier should be hitting 7th, but that's been the case for awhile now

[KGB]

 

 

 

In short, Ryan thinks there's a significant underlying problem at play. Dozier doesn't. When told that the GM believes he needs to be fixed, Dozier reportedly "smiled and shook his head," insisting that he feels better than he has in his entire career.

 

This isn't really a new thing from Dozier. When I asked him in spring training for his views on the second-half decline in 2015, he said he thought the narrative was overblown and didn't understand why people kept dwelling on it. Now he is claiming that his ongoing struggles are essentially the result of bad bounces.

 

Even at .199, he can't see a problem.  I think we might have discovered the problem.

[Shane Wahl]

Even a solid batting Dozier shouldn't be higher than 5 in the lineup. But he also has be play a bit less, and Polanco needs to be playing more.

[Mr. Brooks]

Babip doesn't tell a lot alone.

He's hitting more fly balls and less line drives than he has in the past

Those two things are going to naturally bring down his babip, independent of luck, though probably not quite this much.

[alarp33]

His obliviousness to his struggles, especially the comments made to you over the Spring certainly lead him to believe if the Blyleven / unnamed player story really happened, Dozier is candidate #1.  

[d-mac]

But ultimately, he and this team needs to be sent a message. I don't doubt that he is perfectly healthy, but that's not the problem. The problem is the league has figured him out and he denies that he needs to make an adjustment. So bench him for a week, or send him down. There are supposed to be no more scholarships. He and this team need to be sent a message that is loud and clear: "shape up or we'll ship you out." 

[Thrylos]

I am with Ryan on this one (G*d forbid)

 

Quick look at fangraphs, shows that he cannot quite hit fastballs the way he did each of the past season.  Likely an indication that he could not turn quickly enough, which can either mean that there are some wrist/forearm/hand issues, or he is trying to go the other way too much, which makes him vulnerable on the inside fastball.   Or both.

 

One can check to see whether he had any wrist injuries (I cannot remember.)  He does go awfully lot the other way this season compared to previous seasons.  

[Thrylos]

 

If you aren't going to play Polanco nearly every day, with the way everyone else is hitting, send Polanco down, and just keep playing Dozier.

 

 

Your wish was TR's command.  He just demoted Polanco for Escobar

[MileHighTwinsFan]

He needs to be benched, but now that Polanco has gone down it has to be Nunez at second and Escobar at short. Adding Escobar's high strikeout rate does not equal improvement.

 

I would rather had Polanco get the at bats. He profiles as a contact hitting second baseman who can move runners and still has pop in his bat. A much better alternative to Escobar and Dozier at this point.

[Mike Sixel]

 

Your wish was TR's command.  He just demoted Polanco for Escobar

 

As long as Molitor is the manager.....that's probably a good think for Polanco. 

[TheLeviathan]

Dozier doesn't get it.  Hit him 7th.

[lukeduke1980]

You can hit line drives, but if the other team can position the majority of their players to the left side of the diamond, there's an increased likelihood that they'll be caught.  

 

If you can't even try to hit the the occasional turbo-sinker to the right side of the diamond when there's runners at first and second, then you just don't get it.  

[Mr. Brooks]

As long as Molitor is the manager.....that's probably a good think for Polanco.

Yep for whatever reason, Mollie has shown he simply will not play Polanco.

He needs to play every day in AAA so that he can establish some trade value before the off season.

[Thrylos]

 

Dozier doesn't get it.  Hit him 7th.

 

In Rochester.  Has 2 options.

[mickeymental]

this team needs to figure out who's hiding joe's magic glasses.

[dxpavelka]

I feel good too.  Can't hit either.

[ShouldaCouldaWoulda]

I will at least give him credit for not using being less than 100% as an excuse, as it would be an easy out for him to use.  

[Halsey Hall]

Dozier's major problem is that guys can catch pop ups and fly balls.  That's unlucky for him.  There's only 2 things to do:  down in the lineup or down to AAA.

[twinsnorth49]

Criminy, if this is Dozier feeling great, I shudder to think what he'll look like when he's not.

[Platoon]

Dozier spent two years sitting on up and in FB. Now they started pitching him away, relentlessly. So when he does get something up, he is caught leaning in a little. But the bottom line, if you replay his AB's and watch him swing at the outside stuff, he still tries to pull it all. Why? Ego and money. BD liked being BD the big bat, and it ended up being a well playing gig. Dozier could hit to RF if he wanted, he has in SSS in the past. He doesn't want to or he would try. What's sometimes lost in the discussion is why Molitor puts up with it. He has Bud Grants stone face, but if Bud was his coach Dozier wouldn't be in Rochester, he would be lucky to be in Cedar Rapids.

[Riverbrian]

Apparently Brian hasn't reached rock bottom yet. 

 

Bench time might help that along. 

[twinsnorth49]

 

Dozier spent two years sitting on up and in FB. Now they started pitching him away, relentlessly. So when he does get something up, he is caught leaning in a little. But the bottom line, if you replay his AB's and watch him swing at the outside stuff, he still tries to pull it all. Why? Ego and money. BD liked being BD the big bat, and it ended up being a well playing gig. Dozier could hit to RF if he wanted, he has in SSS in the past. He doesn't want to or he would try. What's sometimes lost in the discussion is why Molitor puts up with it. He has Bud Grants stone face, but if Bud was his coach Dozier wouldn't be in Rochester, he would be lucky to be in Cedar Rapids.

Is anyone lucky to be in Cedar Rapids though? I mean, we're talking Iowa here.

[Dr. Evil]

With Escobar back, I can't imagine Dozier starting at 2b over Nunez.

[Halsey Hall]

With a 20 million dollar contract what does he care?

[Vanimal46]

CC to Brian Dozier:

 

[Otto von Ballpark]

From the article:

 

 

“I don’t want to get too open to the media on this thing,” [Ryan] added. “There’s nobody that doesn’t recognize he’s going through a tough time.”

 

Apparently Dozier doesn't recognize the extent or cause of his "tough time."  Molitor has given little indication that he recognizes it either -- he's sat, what, twice all year, outside his injury?  He batted 7th for a week, went 3-for-21 with 2 BB and no XBH, and was back at leadoff after his team meeting Thursday.

[nicksaviking]

 

Now he is claiming that his ongoing struggles are essentially the result of bad bounces.

 

In Dozier's defense, that probably is the case to some extent. He hasn't been striking out to a crazy degree and has been hampered by a .218 BABIP this year, suggesting poor luck.

 

 

Yeah, I bet no righty has a very good BABIP if they try to hit every pitch down and away over the left field fence.

 

And the book is out and all he sees is low and away.

 

And a little bit up and a way.