Dee Gordon Is Top-of-the-Order Catalyst Dodgers Needed to Excel

You've heard the cliche: You can't steal first base.

Dee Gordon has heard it, too. Early in his career, it was all he heard.

Gordon's always had the speed—the blinding, blink-and-you'll-miss-him speed—to be special. The question was whether he could get on base enough to harness it.

Through the first half of 2014, he's answered that question with a resounding yes and provided a much-needed spark atop the Los Angeles Dodgers' lineup.

As of Wednesday, Gordon was hitting .299 with a major league-leading 42 steals, to go along with 101 hits, 50 runs and a league-best nine triples.