Zulgad: Dozier Has a Plan and A New Position

[East Coast Twin]

Dozier dedicated himself to becoming a second baseman this offseason because he knows if he's going to make the Minnesota Twins roster this spring it almost certainly will be at that position. . . Twins general manager Terry Ryan and manager Ron Gardenhire both talked to Dozier after the 2012 season about wanting to see him play second and Dozier ran with the idea. This despite the fact he only played the occasional game at second in the minors and did not play there in college at Southern Mississippi.

 

Zulgad: After a tough year, Brian Dozier has a plan and a new position

[Shane Wahl]

Well that's why they called him up in September to give him time at second base. Wait . . . that never happened.

[TheLeviathan]

So....everybody's got plans eh? From the looks of his plan, he intends to use a lot of GardySpeak to show he "gets it"

[diehardtwinsfan]

So....everybody's got plans eh? From the looks of his plan, he intends to use a lot of GardySpeak to show he "gets it"

 

He probably realizes from experience that hitting well certainly won't help him.

[jay]

Sometimes I wonder how guys mentally handle the shift from SS to 2B. I think any infielder would stick at SS if it were up to them and it's a bit of an ego blow to be told you have to take the 'easier' spot. That said... I'm sure he's willing to do what it takes to stick on the MLB roster.

[LaBombo]

So....everybody's got plans eh? From the looks of his plan, he intends to use a lot of GardySpeak to show he "gets it"

 

Yeah, more spinsanity, but less dreadful coming from a player, at least. That's been enough to keep players with less talent on the roster. In the absence of a worthwhile alternative, I'm all for Dozier going all Jedi mind trick on Gardy in order to hold his spot on the roster.

[TheLeviathan]

He keeps talking like this and adds a few head-first slides....he may be on A Drew Butera Memorial Scholarship in no time!

[LaBombo]

He keeps talking like this and adds a few head-first slides....he may be on A Drew Butera Memorial Scholarship in no time!

 

Yep, that and some huge turns around first on singles that are so not in any danger of being stretched into a double. We love fake hustle!

[Willihammer]

I think that 10th inning game against the Rays left an undeservedly sour taste in everyone's mouth, mine included. But if you look at Dozier's performance as a whole, defensively, he really didn't do anything to lose the SS job (neither did Carroll). He was exceedlingly average by just about any metric you care to look at.

[TheLeviathan]

I remember Dozier leading the league in errors for much of his stint....is that not correct? I remember a lot of routine plays bobbled.

[Willihammer]

As far as scoring games, yes, he made a lot of errors compared to Florimon or Carroll. He also made played more innings than the other two combined. Overall, his fielding percentage was .964 to FLorimon's .965 and Carroll's .989. I maintain that Dozier's mistakes were just higher profile.

[Chip Chipperson]

Well, now that he has a plan, I see this working out.

 

 

I wonder why the Twins always wait for someone to fail, go down to the minors and get another chance before they develop a cohesive plan for their success.

 

It's good we have it figured out now though.

[LoganJones]

The issue with Dozier had more to do with the 'eye' test after his mistakes. He would make a big E, and then slouch. Florimon makes an E and goes after the next play with the same energy. Dozier also was called out for poor positioning on cut offs and such repeatedly.

[ashbury]

he may be on A Drew Butera Memorial Scholarship in no time!

 

Usually a memorial is for someone "no longer with us". Do you have advance insight about that, to foster some hope?

[TheLeviathan]

No info....just the power of positive thinking?

[LaBombo]

The issue with Dozier had more to do with the 'eye' test after his mistakes. He would make a big E, and then slouch. Florimon makes an E and goes after the next play with the same energy. Dozier also was called out for poor positioning on cut offs and such repeatedly.

 

After its decade of near-epic failure to either develop or acquire (with one quickly rectified exception) a quality middle infielder, I'm inclined to regard this organization's tests, eye or otherwise, of talent in that position with skepticism, if not outright scorn.

[Seth Stohs]

So, just to clarify, everyone on this board has completely given up on Dozier's ability to be a competent middle infielder based on a half-season? Dozier gets it. He is a baseball player. Hopefully 2013 looks a lot more like 2011 than 2012.

[twinsnorth49]

So, just to clarify, everyone on this board has completely given up on Dozier's ability to be a competent middle infielder based on a half-season? Dozier gets it. He is a baseball player. Hopefully 2013 looks a lot more like 2011 than 2012.

 

I for one haven't but it's more than just half a season to me. I believed he was rushed up here in desperation, in reality his numbers in AAA at the time of his call- up were nothing special and if we had some kind of half-assed performance from 1/2 of the MI he wouldn't have been up, which would have been fine.

 

I very much want Dozier to succeed, he is the only thing that resembles pop from among anyone in the MI, although I'd settle for him just getting on base at regular clip and making the plays he should in the field.

 

Dozier representing our only real hope just isn't based on a whole lot of evidence, that's all.

[snepp]

I haven't given up on Dozier.

 

But I have all but given up on the team's ability to evaluate the middle infield.

[LaBombo]

So, just to clarify, everyone on this board has completely given up on Dozier's ability to be a competent middle infielder based on a half-season? Dozier gets it. He is a baseball player. Hopefully 2013 looks a lot more like 2011 than 2012.

 

No, more like salvaging a laugh from yet another grain of sand on the endless beach of sports BSOML articles. He's still got a realistic shot at sticking, although utility man seems more in his stars than regular.

[jorgenswest]

So, just to clarify, everyone on this board has completely given up on Dozier's ability to be a competent middle infielder based on a half-season? Dozier gets it. He is a baseball player. Hopefully 2013 looks a lot more like 2011 than 2012.

 

Sample size and the reliability of a partial season predicting the future is often misunderstood.

 

Dozier has an OPS of 603 after a sample of 340 plate appearances. That's not good, but not enough data to predict the future with any reliability.

 

If Dozier were later in his career, OPS would stabilize at 500 plate appearances. He has a few other factors working early in his career. His age still puts him in the growth phase. He limited time at the major league level still leaves room for growth.

 

For players like Dozier, the second 500 plate appearances will be the better indicator. The Twins invested those 1000 plate appearances in Valencia and Casilla without a pay off. Their patience with some others (like Bartlett, Hunter, Morneau, Gagne...) did pay off.

 

I don't know whether Dozier will be a solution at second base. I do know that his performance last year is not a reliable predictor of the future. The Twins are rebuilding. They should be investing plate appearances into players who can be part of the future solution. The decision the coaching and front office staff needs to make is whether the talent they have seen in Dozier merits the investment.

[ashbury]

So, just to clarify, everyone on this board has completely given up on Dozier's ability to be a competent middle infielder based on a half-season?

 

I went back and re-read the posts in this thread, and didn't see anything quite like *that*. Some pointed criticism, that could be taken as constructive if Brian can eliminate the mistakes. No one especially had "given up" on Dozier, certainly not everyone. I get the feeling that you're kind of bummed out about the whole tone on the board, and if I've contributed any to that, I'm sorry, my brother. (My bit of snark was directed toward Butera and/or carrying 3 catchers, take your pick.)

[ThePuck]

So, just to clarify, everyone on this board has completely given up on Dozier's ability to be a competent middle infielder based on a half-season? Dozier gets it. He is a baseball player. Hopefully 2013 looks a lot more like 2011 than 2012.

 

Not me...if given one spot to stay at to play regularly, I think he'll be a good MLB player. Problem is, what are the odds that happens under Gardy?

[johnnydakota]

So, just to clarify, everyone on this board has completely given up on Dozier's ability to be a competent middle infielder based on a half-season? Dozier gets it. He is a baseball player. Hopefully 2013 looks a lot more like 2011 than 2012.

 

Personally , Dozier is the only one of the 4 who could be anything useful in 2015 , asa for Brian making more errors then Florimon (with out looking it up ) i believe if you compare to the same number of games played they are within 1 or 2 errors, but Brian is a much better hitter and always will be , nothing in Florimons past suggests he will ever be any thing more then average at his best , while Dozier could exceede and eclispe any thing florimon hope to obtain hittting wise

[TheLeviathan]

I certainly haven't given up on Dozier, but I don't see why we have to pretend he played well last year. He was pretty brutal in the field and at the plate. If he's part of this team's future, it wasn't because he was impressive during his major league stint last year. I hope he gets another good, long look this year.

[drjim]

Not me...if given one spot to stay at to play regularly, I think he'll be a good MLB player. Problem is, what are the odds that happens under Gardy?

 

The same as any other manager. I never understand posts like this. Is it Gardy's fault that he barely hit and struggled with routine plays? I guarantee Gardy would love him to come up and seize a middle infield position but should he have a lower threshold than any other major league manager?

[drjim]

I certainly haven't given up on Dozier, but I don't see why we have to pretend he played well last year. He was pretty brutal in the field and at the plate. If he's part of this team's future, it wasn't because he was impressive during his major league stint last year. I hope he gets another good, long look this year.

 

He is a marginal major league regular. It is not uncommon to struggle the first go round, the key is the adjustments he makes this offseason. It might help that he is at an easier position.

[johnnydakota]

I certainly haven't given up on Dozier, but I don't see why we have to pretend he played well last year. He was pretty brutal in the field and at the plate. If he's part of this team's future, it wasn't because he was impressive during his major league stint last year. I hope he gets another good, long look this year.

 

And Florimon gives you more confedence in his ability? .219 compared to ? .236? im guessing since florimon was Ryans pickup , he is being spoon fed shortstop to appease Terry

[johnnydakota]

The same as any other manager. I never understand posts like this. Is it Gardy's fault that he barely hit and struggled with routine plays? I guarantee Gardy would love him to come up and seize a middle infield position but should he have a lower threshold than any other major league manager?

 

Im guessing he is refering to Rons urnning to have multipul positions per player and continued musical position game he plays .

[ThePuck]

We had, what, 18 or 19 different lineups in the first 20 games last year...and people were fairly healthy at that point. Wasn't out of necessity...wasn't because people were tired and needed a rest...