Dee-termined Gordon Enjoys Breakout Season

Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp made it clear how much teammate Dee Gordon - a former Loon - meant to his team's offense during the 2014 season.

"When he goes, we go," Kemp told the Los Angeles Register. "We need him on base to create havoc and keep those pitchers working."

Gordon did plenty of that during a career year in which he led the major leagues in stolen bases and triples. He was a top-of-the-order catalyst for an offense which led the National League in stolen bases, and finished second in runs scored.

Gordon isn't going much of anywhere these days, however. And that's a good thing.

After playing nearly 240 games in 2014 counting winter ball, spring training, the major league regular season and playoffs, Gordon has enjoyed a month of pure rest at his off-season home in Florida.

"Last year was crazy," he said. "I played in the winter leagues twice. I was mentally fatigued (by the end of the 2014 season); I'm not going to lie. To keep it going that long, you really have to grind it out each at-bat, each game. That's what I tried to do."

Gordon resumes workouts this week but won't start baseball-related drills until after Thanksgiving. And after proving himself as the Dodgers everyday second baseman, he's allowed to skip the additional grind of the winter leagues.

But it's just a sign of how far Gordon, who helped lead the Loons to one of their best seasons ever in 2009, has come in less than a year. The 26-year-old native of Avon Park, Fla., entered spring training in 2014 as a player trying both win a job, and to find a niche.

A shortstop for all but 20 of his previous 624 professional games, Gordon was thrown into a multi-player battle for the Dodgers starting second base position. Gordon, who spent parts of the previous three seasons with L.A., but failed to distinguish himself at shortstop, was even tried at center field in winter ball.

"I was told I was going to be a utility guy," he said. "I played center field in the Dominican, came home for three weeks, and then they told me I was going to Puerto Rico to play second base.

"To be honest, I felt more comfortable in center field at the time. It was fun running down balls in the outfield, but it did get kind of boring. You don't get a whole lot of action out there and I'm used to being in the middle of the action."

A strong spring training performance enabled Gordon to emerge as much more than a utility player, however. Instead, he was the starting second baseman on Opening Day, and for the rest of the season.

Gordon seized control of position while putting up career-best numbers in virtually every category. He batted .289, stole 64 bases and had 12 triples. He was named to the National League All-Star game, joining teammate (and former Loon) Clayton Kershaw in the process.

Gordon also was named recently as the second baseman on the Sporting News NL All-Star team, becoming the sixth Dodger at the position to earn the honor; the list of others includes Jackie Robinson.

For Gordon, his breakthrough season is just the beginning, however.

"I was satisfied but I do want to get better every year," he said. "It was a good steppingstone for me. I felt like I made the necessary adjustments."

Gordon credits the work of Dodgers minor league batting coach Franklin Stubbs, who helped Gordon revamp his hitting stroke at Triple-A Albuquerque in 2013.

"We went back to square one," Gordon said. "He taught me some good fundamentals of hitting and we changed a lot of stuff that I'd been doing. That really helped me a lot."

Gordon also has his father, longtime MLB pitcher Tom Gordon, as a deep source of baseball knowledge.

"He has helped me tremendously," he said. "We talked almost every night during the season and that's been a big help."

And Gordon insists that his attitude won't be any different when he shows up for spring training in 2015. It's an attitude honed through years of trial and error, frustration and success.

"Nothing changes," he said. "I'm still going to just grind it out - that's what I live by. Being a smaller guy, you have to make sure your game is respected, and that means to keep grinding every day."

Gordon has worked hard to earn that respect since being drafted by the Dodgers in the fourth round of the 2008 MLB draft. He spent all of the 2009 season with the Loons, and set a team record with 73 steals while batting .301 in 131 games.

The Loons finished 81-59 that season and made their first postseason appearance. They're memories that Gordon cherishes.

"I had a great time in Midland," Gordon said. "We'd go to Pizza Sam's before every game; it seems like we were always bringing a pizza back to the clubhouse.

"It's just little stuff like that which made it great."