The speedy "El Cid" is drawing attention every time he reaches base, and he'll be important to the Captains as they start the Class A playoffs.
EASTLAKE, Ohio — A Delvi Cid comparison to Kenny Lofton wouldn't be fair at this point.
Cid's still a kid, just 21, with much to learn, especially at the plate.
But watching the Lake County Captains center fielder race down line drives and pile up stolen bases like hot dogs on 50-cent night, well, Indians fans can dream that maybe there's another "K-Love" percolating deep in the Tribe's farm system.
For the Class A Captains, who, along with the Indians' minor-league affiliates in Columbus (AAA) and Kinston, N.C., (Advanced A) begin their playoffs today, the speedy "El Cid" is drawing attention every time he reaches base. At least Manager Ted Kubiak suspects as much.
"I'm just surmising," he said, "but I think the organization is opening its eyes to him. At least I hope it does because he's a force."
Especially when Cid is dashing from first to second base.
Cid set a Captains' record this season with 71 steals in 87 attempts. The previous mark was 47 steals in 2008 by outfielder Lucas Montero, who added 13 more with Kinston that season. (Chris Morris holds the Midwest League record with 111 steals for Peoria in 2001.)
The 6-2, 170-pound Cid, a native of the Dominican Republic, said his goal for the season was 60 steals, but quickly approached that mark and had to raise it to 70. Then he smashed that, too.
He went on a summer tear, with 20 steals in July and 17 in August, and demonstrated impressive speed in center field as well.
"His jumps have been incredible," Kubiak said.
The Indians signed Cid as an undrafted free agent in 2006, a talent discovered by Cesar Geronimo, who played centerfield for Cincinnati's famed "Big Red Machine" in the 1970s.
As if it were hard to spot the fastest guy on the field.
Kubiak, who played against Geronimo in the majors, said the right-handed Cid's dash to first takes about 4 seconds, compared with 4.3 seconds for the average right-handed hitter and 4.2 for lefties.
"He'll get there in 3.7, 3.6 sometimes," said Kubiak, who added that Cid still needs work on getting a better jump from first base and on shifting his weight to reach top gear quicker.
Cid, whose favorite player back home was Indians center fielder Grady Sizemore, is also working on shortening his swing and learning the strike zone.
He finished the regular season batting .253, with 16 doubles and two triples, but struck out almost every fourth time up -- way too often for a player whose legs, not power, will be what carries him to the big leagues.
Part of the problem was the Indians had Cid switch-hitting almost immediately for the first few years. He struggled from the left side of the plate until they dropped the experiment earlier this season. He's now exclusively a right-handed hitter, and said he's more confident at the plate.
"I'm just trying to put the ball in play every time," said Cid, with the Captains' Puerto Rican catcher Roberto Perez serving as translator.
If his swing can ever match his mind-set and he learns to be a contact hitter, Kubiak believes Cid could hit .275, .280 in the major leagues, where the names of some of the greatest steals leaders may sound familiar.
Vince Coleman, who holds the minor-league stolen-base record with 145 in 1983, also holds the National League record for rookies, stealing 110 bases for St. Louis in 1985.
And in the American League, an Indians rookie set a record with 66 in 1992. His name? Kenny Lofton.
Source: http://www.cleveland.com/tribe/index.ssf/2010/09/lake_county_captains_delvi_cid.html
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