They say you always remember your first. Whether it's your first kiss, first love or in the case of Dee Gordon, your first team. Gordon returns to Dodger Stadium on Monday to face the team that drafted him for the first time since being traded to the Miami Marlins in the offseason.
The Dodgers host the Marlins for a three-game series that centers around a handful of players who have played for both teams. The Dodgers shipped Gordon, Dan Haren and Miguel Rojas to Miami last December, and received relief pitcher Chris Hatcher, Kike Hernandez, Austin Barnes and Andrew Heaney (who was immediately sent to the Angels in exchange for Howie Kendrick) in return.
Despite the bevy of players playing against their former teams, all eyes will be on Gordon who comes into the game as the hottest hitter in baseball. Gordon is riding a 13-game hitting streak and is leading the league in batting average at an eye-popping .439. Gordon also is second in the league in stolen bases with 12.
"I don't like the thought of Dee Gordon on base, once he gets on base we know he creates a lot of havoc," said Dodgers manager Don Mattingly of facing his former second baseman. "It will be good to see Dee, I know he's off to a great start, but we need to focus on keeping him off the base."
Gordon was selected by the Dodgers in the fourth round of the 2008 Major League Baseball Draft. He was named MVP of the Midwest League, Prospect of the Year and Minor League Player of the Year that summer and immediately rose through the minor league ranks. He made his debut as a pinch-runner on June 6, 2011, and after multiple stints in the minors, he won the starting second base job before the 2014 season. That year, Gordon hit .289 with a league-leading 12 triples and 64 stolen bases. He was named to the National League All-Star team for the first time in his career.
The Dodgers are happy to have Howie Kendrick, but might regret moving the 27-year-old leadoff man known as "The Flash." Kendrick is ranked No. 112 in the ever-import WAR stat – "Wins Above Replacement." Joc Pederson and Adrian Gonzalez are third and fourth respectively, but guess who is number one on the list? You guessed it, Gordon.
"He's been everything we could have imagined and could have hoped for," said Marlins General Manager Michael Hill before Monday's game. "We knew that the speed was a game-changer. We knew that his speed would affect the defense. That was something we wanted to inject into our lineup."
To top it off, the Dodgers are paying Gordon AND Haren's nearly $12.5 million in salary this season. So not only did you trade away an All-Star second baseman and starting pitcher, you are paying them to play against you and light the league on fire.
As for Gordon himself, he's more focused on the reaction he's going to get from the fans and how many bases he's going to steal.
"Five or six, I think," said Gordon when asked how many bags he'd take in the series. "If they give me a good ovation, I would appreciate it."
Gordon reunited with teammates Clayton Kershaw, Adrian Gonzalez and coaches Tim Wallach, Davey Lopes and Mattingly before the game and talked about how good it felt to be back in LA. But if you're a Dodgers fan, don't let Gordon's 170-pound frame and big smile fool you. Once play starts and the first pitch is thrown, he'll be looking for retribution.
"It's human nature," said Marlins manager Mike Redmond. "Dee wants to come out here and have a monster night, a monster series. He wants to prove to be people that they [The Dodgers] made a mistake. That's what motivates a lot of guys."
And that's the last thing the hottest hitter in the league needs, more motivation. The Marlins and Dodgers kick off Monday night at Dodger Stadium with first pitched scheduled for 7:10PM.
