Twins' Dozier an All-Star after all

By Andy Greder

St. Paul Pioneer Press

MINNEAPOLIS - Brian Dozier made the All-Star Game after all.

After an unsuccessful campaign to vote Dozier in as a Final Vote candidate Friday, the Twins second baseman was named to the American League team Saturday as an injury reserve. AL manager Ned Yost and Major League Baseball named Dozier to the team after Toronto’s Jose Bautista had to pull out due to a sore shoulder.

“When I heard the news, it was unbelievable,” Dozier said. “I can’t thank everybody enough.”

Dozier heard the news about a half hour before Saturday’s game, and the news broke publicly on Target Field’s scoreboard after three innings in the afternoon game against Detroit. The announced 32,365 fans in attendance rose to their feet and roared in approval.

“I wasn’t expecting it then,” Dozier said. “I’m telling you, I get chills even thinking about it right now. It was pretty cool.”

Dozier, a fourth-year veteran, will make his first All-Star Game and will join teammate Glen Perkins at the midsummer classic in Cincinnati on Tuesday.

Dozier, who wasn’t voted in by fans as a starter Sunday, was again left off the reserve roster by Yost on Monday.

In the wake of that news, Dozier hit a two-run, game-winning home run in the 10th inning for a 4-2 win over Baltimore on Monday.

Then Dozier was one of five players included in the fan’s Final Vote, but he finished second to Kansas City third baseman Mike Moustakas on Friday.

With the opportunity of an All-Star Game seemingly gone, Dozier hit a three-run, walk-off homer in the ninth inning of Friday’s 8-6 win over Detroit.

“It kind of was a backwards way to get in there, but the good news is he is going to be out there, and he’s going to represent the Twins and his first half will be recognized,” Twins manager Paul Molitor said.

Molitor said Dozier would be have to be considered for AL Most Valuable Player based on his first half. Entering Saturday, Dozier’s 48 extra-base hits were most in the AL, and his 66 runs were best in MLB. That’s on top of 19 home runs and 49 runs batted in.

“For some people, top 5 and top 10 for most, I would think as far as contributions to a given team,” Molitor said.

For the Final Vote, the Twins used a heavy marketing campaign to get Dozier voted in with the slogan “No Bull. #VoteDozier.” They had a bulldozer parked outside Target Field and had video stump speeches from Brett Favre, Karl-Anthony Towns, Zach LaVine, Zach Parise, Maya Moore and others.

“Everybody, all the videos, all the tweets, everything, it’s just been overwhelming,” said Dozier, who had a single and a run Saturday. “I feel very, very thankful right now.”