Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, February 20, 1991 TAG: 9102200141
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B4 EDITION: STATE
SOURCE: JOE SEXTON THE NEW YORK TIMES
DATELINE: PORT ST. LUCIE, FLA. LENGTH: Medium
The physical confirmed the obvious. In Dozier, the New York Mets possess an extraordinary athlete. As to whether they also own a baseball player, the results to date have been promising but inconclusive. Their further collection of relevant data began Tuesday, even before the routine physical.
Dozier, the former All-America running back at Penn State who has played parts of four seasons with the Minnesota Vikings in the National Football League, took part Tuesday in the initial drills of the organization's minicamp for its most advanced prospects. The instruction centered on offense, so Dozier took to it with an eager, easy facility.
"It's a tough game," Dozier insisted afterward. "And my performance in it is not as natural as it could be."
In his one sustained audition, though, there were more than enough encouraging flashes. Dozier, who had abandoned organized baseball for six years during his uneven pursuit of football glory, hit .297 last year for the St. Lucie Mets at the Class A level and was named to the All-Star team of the Florida State League.
As a left fielder, a position he had never before played, he committed an error in the opening game of the season and not another one after that.
Subsequently promoted to the organization's Class AA outfit in Jackson, Miss., Dozier hit .324, driving in 23 runs in 29 games and collecting seven triples in the single month of action. He was consequently extended a relatively rare invitation to the major league camp this spring as a nonroster guest.
"I think he surprised everyone, maybe even himself, with how quickly he got back in the groove," said Gerry Hunsicker, the director of player development for the Mets. "I'd have expected he'd have at least one prolonged slump, a genuine struggle of one kind or another. He never did."
The difficult deliberations of his heart and mind as a result are in the offing. Dozier, displeased with his secondary status and infrequent employment by the Vikings but mindful of the handsome income the sport has provided him with, has labeled the next several months as the pivotal point in his life.
"It's obvious I am arriving at a point where something has to be done," Dozier said. "I am technically a football free agent, and so I could sign with or be traded to a team other than the Vikings. And I have a love for football that's as great as the one I have for baseball. I am not satisfied with what I've accomplished in football."
"But it's essential that I make any decisions carefully," added Dozier, who has not yet signed a contract with the Mets for the coming season. "Right now, I am enjoying the ability to play both sports. But I didn't get in this organization to fizzle out in the minors."
The Mets, who plan to assign Dozier to Class AA to start the season, are genuine in their belief that he is an authentic prospect for the majors. The organization expects him to be elevated to its Class AAA affiliate in Tidewater before the summer is over.
"There are a lot of guys who made the All-Star team in the Florida State League who never got out of the minors," Hunsicker said. "D.J. has an arm that is less than average; he's 25 years old, and he's clearly got catching up to do elsewhere. But he hit 13 home runs with St. Lucie and against that competition that is an indication of potential for home runs in the major leagues.
"The financial sacrifice is a big one, and that is the issue for him right now. He's a very talented athlete, and we'll move him along as fast as his talent dictates. He can do it fairly quickly if he puts his mind to it."
by CNB