A couple days ago the New York Mets designated Brian Dozier for assignment. He is once again looking for a team, and just has not been the same player since leaving Minnesota. It sucks to see his career wind down this way, but it happens to everyone. With him struggling to stay in the majors it had me wondering if he could be a Twins Hall of Fame member when he retires.
To set the table for the rest of this article, let’s look where he ranks among all Twins players.
- 24th in WAR (22.5)
- 10th in home runs (167)
- 27th in runs scored (593)
- 28th in RBIs (491)
- 21st in stolen bases (98)
Career line: .248/.325/.447 (.772) with a 109 wRC+
He’s in the top 30 all time in those five main cumulative statistics. Being top ten in home runs also helps out a lot. The career numbers don’t exactly jump out at you, but if you watched him play you know how much he meant to the team.
Besides racking up a ton of noteworthy numbers, there is another huge reason I believe he belongs in the Twins HOF. He was the heart and soul of this team from 2014 until he was traded in 2018. For four miserable years of Twins baseball we were able to watch All Star second baseman Brian Dozier go out and perform every day.
Adding to his mystique, he had some of the most iconic home runs in Twins history—such as the walk off against Detroit, his All Star Game homer, or his 2017 Wild Card game home run. As Dick Bremer said, Dozier had “the most electric moment at Target Field in years!”
ON THIS DAY
— Twins Dingers (@TwinsDingers) July 10, 2020
July 10, 2015.
The #MNTwins score seven runs in the ninth inning, capped off by a Brian Dozier walk-off home run to beat the Detroit Tigers. pic.twitter.com/m6W5jr8HlC
ON THIS DAY
— Twins Dingers (@TwinsDingers) July 14, 2020
July 14, 2015.
Brian Dozier becomes the third #MNTwins player to homer in the All-Star Game with his eighth inning blast off Mark Melancon.
Harmon Killebrew (three times) and Kirby Puckett (1993) are the other Twins who homered in the Midsummer Classic. pic.twitter.com/Y6WxuXZdHB
Former #MNTwins second baseman Brian Dozier has signed a minor league deal with the Mets.
— Twins Dingers (@TwinsDingers) July 22, 2020
Dozier got MVP votes in three different seasons with the Twins and became the first player in MLB history to hit a leadoff home run in the Wild Card Game. pic.twitter.com/swkpGv5iwq
If you have a memory from the Twins during the 2014-2018 seasons, Brian Dozier is likely involved. Whether he was hitting a clutch home run or starting a dance party in the clubhouse with Torii Hunter, Dozier was always around.
It hurts to see him struggling, but at the end of his career I would love to see him get involved with the Twins once again. He deserves to be in the Twins Hall of Fame.
What do you think? Comment your opinions below!