Dee Gordon, and how I learned to love a leadoff hitter again

Remember Austin Jackson?

What does it mean to be a leadoff hitter?

In the most literal sense, you hit first. You’re the first guy a pitcher sees when he takes the mound. Because you hit first, you also hit the most, because that’s how batting orders work. Ipso facto, you’d want one of your best hitters in that spot, or at least one of your best on-base guys. It also wouldn’t hurt to have some speed there, and if the guy is a patient hitter who will work long at-bats, you’ve got most of the ingredients for a leadoff soufflé.