Tag Archives: Brian Dozier

12 Jul

watch for it

The TV ratings in and around Fulton ought to be pretty good for Monday night’s MLB Home Run Derby. Itawamba Agricultural High School alum Brian Dozier, now with the Minnesota Twins, will be participating at Target Field, and he’ll be taking his hacks at pitches thrown by his brother Clay, another Itawamba AHS grad who also played at Itawamba Community College. Both the high school and the juco are located in Fulton, population about 4,000. Brian Dozier, who has 16 home runs for the Twins, is one of 10 players in the derby – and possibly the least heralded of the lot (see previous posts). He was a star shortstop at Southern Miss, while Clay, a left-handed pitcher and outfielder, spent two years at ICC and then went on to Delta State. … In the big leagues tonight, Paul Maholm, the former Mississippi State standout from Greenwood, will make his first start since May 14 when his Los Angeles Dodgers host San Diego. Maholm, in his first season in LA, was 1-4 with a 5.50 ERA in seven starts before being bumped to the bullpen. An injury to Josh Beckett has opened a spot. Maholm’s overall ERA this year is 5.18; his career number is 4.31, with the great majority of his work coming as a starter. He told mlb.com he still feels like starting is more in “my comfort zone.” Maholm, a left-hander, might not get to face ex-Ole Miss star and Jackson native Seth Smith, who is batting .281 with 10 homers for the Padres. Smith, a lefty hitter, doesn’t often face lefties and doesn’t hit them much when he does (4-for-24, no homers in 2014).

09 Jul

back, back, back …?

Even with a home-field advantage, the odds of Brian Dozier winning the MLB Home Run Derby would have to be pretty long. Of the eight players we know will be participating in the annual slugfest, former Southern Miss star Dozier has to be the biggest surprise. Yes, he’s got 16 home runs — but that ranks only 12th in the American League. Dozier is a 5-foot-11 second baseman who often bats leadoff for the Minnesota Twins. He has only hit 40 home runs in three big league seasons. Not exactly a basher. The bashers, for whatever reason, don’t seem to want to play anymore. Yes, Dozier’s selection does give Twins fans something to root for. And, yes, nine of his 16 homers this season have come at Target Field, so he knows what it takes to yank one out there. Heck, it could be great exposure for the unheralded Dozier, who has had an outstanding season (see previous posts). But one has to wonder if the derby, even in its reconfigured form, is losing its clout as an All-Star Game attraction.

25 Jun

under the radar

In a recent article posted on SI.com, Brian Dozier was tagged as “the most underrated and underappreciated player in baseball.” There is evidence to support that assertion in the voting at second base for the American League All-Star team. Dozier, the former Southern Miss standout from Tupelo, is a distant fifth in the latest numbers. Robinson Cano is the runaway winner, with over 2 million votes, but one would have thought Dozier would generate more than the 800,000 or so he has received. After all, the game will be played in his home ballpark — Target Field. And he is having a pretty terrific season for Minnesota. A recent hot streak — nine hits in his last five games — has boosted his average to a modest .252, but his other numbers are very impressive and speak to his versatility: .366 on-base percentage, 15 home runs, 38 RBIs, 59 runs and 15 steals in 74 games. He is a good glove man, and he has an excellent WAR rating, for whatever that’s worth. To the voting public, it must not be worth much. Dozier will have to find an alternate route to the All-Star Game, but he certainly deserves to be there.

04 May

it’s the big leagues

It’s a tough situation to walk into, but it’s also a safe bet Chris Coghlan isn’t concerned about the Chicago Cubs’ place in the standings. The former Ole Miss star is back in the big leagues, having been called up by the last-place Cubs to replace another outfielder, Ryan Sweeney, who went on the disabled list. Former National League rookie of the year Coghlan was hitting just .243 at Triple-A Iowa, but he is a career .270 hitter in the majors with 21 homers and 27 steals over parts of five years, all with the Florida/Miami Marlins. He signed a minor league deal with Chicago in the off-season. A left-handed hitter, Coghlan can play any of the outfield spots and even has experience at second and third base. With the Cubs facing St. Louis right-hander Lance Lynn, another Ole Miss product, at Wrigley Field tonight, Coghlan could be in the lineup. P.S. Brian Dozier is building a case for making the American League All-Star team. The ex-Southern Miss standout from Tupelo, now the Minnesota Twins’ second baseman, leads the league in runs (29) and has eight home runs and nine stolen bases. Dozier is batting just .246 but has a .365 on-base percentage and has reached in 11 straight games through Saturday. He is also playing great defense. Of course, the July 15 All-Star Game is at Minnesota’s Target Field, so Dozier would figure to get lots of support in the voting from hometown fans.

13 Apr

power switch

Check today’s American League home run leaders. Four players with four bombs: Veteran sluggers Melky Cabrera and Jose Bautista, Cuban rookie sensation Jose Abreu and … wait for it … Brian Dozier. The former Southern Miss star has just eight hits (in 44 at-bats) this season for Minnesota, but four of them have left the yard. He led off with a blast against Kansas City ace James Shields on Saturday, propelling the Twins to a 7-1 win. Dozier was not a power hitter at USM (16 homers in four years) or in the minors (16 in parts of four seasons). But the 5-foot-11, 190-pound second baseman found a power switch in Minnesota in 2013 and launched 18 homers. He has picked right up this spring. Including Saturday’s shot, Dozier has belted three homers in his last four games. “It is what it is,” he told mlb.com, adding that “my job is to get on base.” Circling them works pretty well, too.

08 Nov

grab bag

Southern Miss product Brian Dozier, shifted from shortstop to second base this season, was named the Minnesota Twins’ defensive player of the year by Wilson. Dozier committed just six errors and posted a .992 fielding percentage. … Brian McCann, the former Mississippi Braves star, reportedly is interested in the Texas Rangers. McCann, a free agent, got a qualifying offer from Atlanta but isn’t expected to return, which is sad. He was the first M-Braves alum to make the majors in 2005 and has been, when healthy, a standout in Atlanta. McCann, soon to turn 30, hit .256 with 20 home runs and 57 RBIs this season. … Jarrod Saltalamacchia, another ex-M-Braves catcher and free agent, wasn’t offered by Boston (though he might return there anyway). Wonder if Atlanta might have an interest in bringing Salty back? He batted .273 with 14 homers and 65 RBIs for the world champs. He is 28. … Tupelo native and former Jackson State star Dave Clark, recently cut loose from Houston’s field staff, was hired by Detroit as third base coach for new manager Brad Ausmus. … Belhaven left-hander Chris Good, 14-3 with a 2.18 ERA in 2013, has been named an NAIA Preseason All-American. … Mississippi College’s Mike Rice Baseball Field House is slated to open in March. Rice, an Alabama businessman who made a large donation toward construction of the 2,500-square foot facility, was a Choctaws star in the 1970s. … Billy Hamilton, the ex-Taylorsville High star, has four stolen bases in four Puerto Rican Winter League games. And two hits.