Brian Dozier

Dozier played baseball for Itawamba Agricultural High School located in Fulton, Mississippi, becoming a local star in the town of 4,000. In baseball, he was selected All-State for two years and named "Player of the Year" in north Mississippi. He also received varsity letters in football, golf, and basketball. While playing in high school, he also played for American Legion Baseball's Post 49's Tupelo 49ers from 2002–2005. ==College career==

Dozier attended the University of Southern Mississippi and played college baseball for the Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles from 2006 through 2009. He was named a Freshman All-American and selected to the Conference USA All-Freshman Team. Dozier played for the Bethesda Big Train of the Cal Ripken Collegiate Baseball League in 2006. ==Professional career==

Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins selected Dozier in the eighth round of the 2009 Major League Baseball draft. He was chosen as the Twins' Minor League Player of the Year in 2011. In 2012, he batted .234/.271/.332 with six home runs in 316 at bats. In 2013, Dozier batted .244/.312/.414. In 2014, Dozier surpassed Hall of Famer Paul Molitor's Twins franchise record of 25 runs scored in the month of April, a record that had stood for 18 years. Dozier was not selected to the 2014 All-Star Game; however, he was selected by American League captain José Bautista to participate in the 2014 Home Run Derby. On August 20, Dozier became the first second baseman in Twins history and 13th in MLB history to hit 20 home runs and steal 20 bases in one season. Additionally, Dozier was the first Twins player since Torii Hunter did so in 2004. At season's end, Dozier scored the second most runs in a season (112) in Minnesota's history since Chuck Knoblauch tallied 117 runs in 1997. On defense, he led American League second basemen in errors (15) and assists (475). Dozier was named a finalist for the 2015 American League Second Baseman (2B) Rawlings Gold Glove Award, alongside fellow second basemen Astros Jose Altuve and Tigers Ian Kinsler. On September 12, 2016, Dozier became the first American League second baseman to hit 40 home runs in a season, with a third inning shot against Daniel Norris of the Detroit Tigers. He finished the season with 42 home runs, and again leading the majors in pull percentage (56.4%). Dozier set a new Twins record with a 16-game hitting streak to start off the 2018 season. In the 10th inning of the July 15 game against the Tampa Bay Rays, Dozier hit the first walk-off grand slam in the history of Target Field. It was Dozier's fourth walk-off home run and sixth walk-off hit at Target Field, both records for the ballpark. He also became only the second player (after Eddie Rosario) to have hit multiple grand slams at Target Field. Dozier batted .227/.307/.405 with 16 home runs in 410 at bats in 2018 for the Twins. In 47 games with the Dodgers he hit only .182/.300/.350 with 5 homers and 20 RBIs in 143 at bats, and was relegated to pinch-hitting duties in the playoffs. in 2019 Washington Nationals On January 13, 2019, Dozier signed a one-year, $9 million contract with the Washington Nationals. In 2019, he batted .238/.340/.430 with 20 home runs and 50 RBIs. Defensively, he had a -5 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) rating, the lowest in the National League among second basemen. The Nationals finished the season with a 93–69 record, clinching a wild card spot. They went on to win the World Series over the Astros, their first championship in franchise history. San Diego Padres On February 23, 2020, Dozier signed a minor league contract with the San Diego Padres, with an invitation to spring training. Dozier was released by the Padres organization on July 11, 2020. New York Mets On July 22, 2020, Dozier signed a minor league deal with the New York Mets. On July 30, the Mets selected Dozier's contract to the 40-man roster. He was designated for assignment August 16. On August 23, the Mets officially released Dozier. Dozier announced his retirement from professional baseball on February 18, 2021. ==Personal life==

Dozier is married to Renee Dozier. They reside in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Dozier is a Christian. Dozier has spoken about his faith saying, "I'm a Christian just playing baseball on the side. That's what I stand for...". In November 2013, Dozier went with the mission group Amigos for Christ to Nicaragua for a week. While on the trip, Dozier helped dig a new clean water system for a small community and helped deliver a cow and a pig to the community for food. ==References==