Scoggins: Dozier received the message from Terry Ryan's phone call

FORT MYERS, FLA. – Brian Dozier's phone rang one day in September 2012. On the other end was Twins General Manager Terry Ryan with a message that Dozier believes changed his baseball career and, by extension, his life.

Dozier was playing for Class AAA Rochester after being handed a demotion after struggling at shortstop in the majors that season. Dozier thought he'd return to the Twins as part of their September call-ups.

The team had other plans. Ryan told Dozier bluntly that he didn't deserve a promotion and was staying in Rochester.

That reality check hit Dozier like a fastball between the eyes.

"Disappointed, ticked off," he recalled Tuesday.

Ryan didn't enjoy delivering that news, but he felt he had no choice. Dozier looked lost in the majors and didn't exactly rebound in Rochester. So why reward him when a promotion wasn't warranted?

"I didn't think he did enough down there, and I wanted to make sure that other players realize that we aren't going to give gifts out," Ryan said. "I just didn't think at that time that he was in a good frame of mind. You know they're going to teeter one way or the other when they get that type of news. He went the right direction."

Their conversation 2½ years ago served as a fitting backdrop Tuesday as the team rewarded Dozier with a four-year, $20 million contract extension.

In a quiet moment after his news conference, Dozier reflected on that phone call and where he's at now in his career and found gratitude in that professional gut punch, which ultimately led to a position switch and fresh start with the organization.

"It absolutely changed my career," he said. "I can tell you right now, this is the honest truth, I'm very happy that I didn't come back. Obviously, you look at the grand scheme of things and I wanted to be back. But now that you're older, you realize how much that played an effect on how you are mentally, how you are as a player, everything. It kind of revamped my whole career."

The second phone call from Ryan had an equally profound impact on him. Dozier flew back to Minnesota after the Rochester season to retrieve his car. On his drive home to Mississippi, Ryan and then-manager Ron Gardenhire called on three-way for a long pep talk and to ask Dozier about moving to second base.

His payoff came Tuesday.

"Usually the good ones figure it out," Ryan said.

Dozier steadily has become one of the team's best players, a leader in the clubhouse and emerging face of the franchise.

He's solid in the field. He hits for power. He gets on base, takes walks, scores a lot of runs. He steals bases. He plays every day and brings some competitive fire. He's also an engaging personality who is active in the team's community outreach.

He's precisely the type of player the organization should build around.

Ryan initially believed Dozier would make it at shortstop because he looked natural at that position in college and in the minors. But that plan stalled, and Gardenhire wisely suggested an alternative. To Dozier's credit, he swallowed his disappointment and didn't allow a setback to snowball into something that derailed his career.

"One of the biggest things when you get to the major leagues is trying to figure out what kind of player you are," Dozier said.

Dozier's strength lies in his versatility. He was the only player in baseball last season (and first in Twins history) to post 100 runs, 30 doubles, 20 home runs, 80 walks and 20 stolen bases.

His power has been something of a revelation. He led the team in home runs the past two seasons, and he celebrated his new contract by hitting a solo home run on the first pitch he saw Tuesday against the Toronto Blue Jays.

"I'm not going to tell you I thought he was ever going to appear in the home-run hitting contest at the All-Star Game," Ryan said.

"But he's strong. He can get a fastball, there's no doubt about that."

Dozier's signing is smart for both sides. He gets financial security, and the Twins lock up a key piece to their future at a reasonable cost.

In doing so, one can't help but wonder how things might have played out had Ryan invited Dozier back to Minnesota that September in 2012. Maybe Dozier would have changed positions and figured things out on this timeline anyway. Or maybe not. He's thankful for his path now.

"It taught me a lot," he said.

Chip Scoggins chip.scoggins@startribune.com