Player Style Files: Brian Dozier Enjoying Life Of Baseball, Hunting

By David Heim 

Everyone has a childhood hero. For Minnesota Twins second baseman Brian Dozier, Derek Jeter fit that role.

"My sports hero growing up was Derek Jeter; he was kind of my sports idol," Dozier said. "The first time I met Derek, I was so nervous like a little kid; finally got to meet your childhood hero. But then as the years progressed, the past few years, he knows me. It's that kind of thing and you develop a relationship and a friendship on the field, playing against each other. It's pretty surreal to be honest."

While Dozier sports the number two on his back as a token to Jeter, someone else had an influence on his passion for baseball.

"I got into baseball when I was about five years old," Dozier said. "My dad was my little league coach, tee-ball coach and we started then. "It was something I fell in love with ever since I was a little kid."

Fast-forward to today, Dozier is enjoying a professional career with the Twins. But he also enjoys something else when he isn't on the diamond.

"Big outdoorsman; I love to hunt, fish," Dozier said. "I feel like I got it made with what I do for a living, just from April to October and then hunting season starts, sure enough, in October. Once October hits, I'm full-blast duck hunting, bow hunting, anything really."

While Dozier certainly has talents on the baseball field and apparently in the woods as well, he claims to have a hidden talent also.

"I can solve the Rubik's Cube," Dozier said. "My fastest (time) is like a minute twenty (seconds). I was bored about three years ago or so and got on YouTube and said to myself, 'Hey I want to solve a Rubik's Cube.' It's kind of like a little thing that gets your brain going."

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David Heim is a fan of the New England Patriots and New York Yankees. He's also a contributor to CBS Local Sports and can be reached at david.heim@cbs.com or on Twitter @davidheim12.