MINNEAPOLIS — Brian Dozier, a favorite among both Twins fans and teammates, announced Thursday that he is hanging up his cleats and retiring from Major League Baseball.
Dozier, just 33 years old, spent nine seasons in the major leagues, seven of them with the Twins. In that time he hit .248 (928-for-3742) with 593 runs scored, 202 doubles, 21 triples, 167 home runs, 491 RBI and 98 stolen bases in 955 games played. Dozier participated in the 2014 Gillette Home Run Derby at Target Field, was an All-Star in 2015 and won the Rawlings Gold Glove Award in 2017 for fielding excellence.
It is off the field where Brian Dozier may have made the most impact. He and his wife were active in a number of community causes, he was recognized as the "Media Good Guy" as voted by local baseball writers, and was valued for his leadership in the clubhouse. Among the honors Dozier was awarded during his time in Minnesota were the Twins’ 2014 Heart and Hustle Award by the MLB Players Alumni Association, the 2015 Carl R. Pohlad Award for Twins Outstanding Community Service and the 2016-17 Bob Allison Award for Twins leadership.
He was very pubic with his Christian faith, and noted regularly that while he loved baseball it was not the most important thing in his life.
Dozier was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers in July 31, 2018, and spent the final years of his career in the National League with the Dodgers, Washington Nationals (2019), San Diego Padres (2020) and New York Mets (2020). He earned a World Series ring in 2019 with the Nationals, after hitting .238 (99-for-416) with 54 runs scored, 20 doubles, 20 homers and 50 RBI in 135 regular-season games for the club.