Fleet in the feet, Kernels’ English tries to slow down at plate

CEDAR RAPIDS - Tanner English comes by some of his foot speed genetically. His mom and dad were athletes in high school and could run fast.

But the Cedar Rapids Kernels center fielder worked at it, too. For instance, when he was a kid, he'd get into races on his neighborhood street.

That's with his family's dog.

'I tell everyone that. It was a black lab,” said English, whose Kernels beat Dayton, 8-1, Tuesday night at Veterans Memorial Stadium. 'At first, he would beat me. Then I started dusting him.”

He dusts virtually everyone and everything now. The 22-year-old from the University of South Carolina has 'plus” speed in scouting lingo, not to mention 'plus” defense and a 'plus” arm.

His offense has been spotty this Midwest League season, but he has been on a definite uptick in the second half and went 5-for-5 with three doubles and three RBI Tuesday. He has reached base in 15 straight games.

The batting average, once in the upper .210s, is over .250. He leads the Kernels in virtually every offensive category, including triples (7) and stolen bases (34), departments in which he ranks third in the MWL.

'He's very intriguing,” said Kernels Manager Jake Mauer. 'He's a guy with a lot of ability. He's getting better, improving, but we've got to get him to be more consistent in his approach.”

English knows that's the case, knows his Energizer-bunny mentality doesn't translate well at the plate. His speed makes up for a lack of size (5-foot-9, 170 pounds) overall, but hitting is a more cerebral, tactful endeavor.

'Everything I do is fast, and when I'm hitting, that's the exact opposite thing I need to do,” he said. 'I just need to trust myself, see the ball and take a nice easy swing. Meet the ball. Lately, I feel like I've been doing a good job of that.”

English was a 13th-round draft choice of the Tampa Bay Rays out of high school in Murrells Inlet, S.C., but decided to go to college for three years instead. The Minnesota Twins took him in the 11th round last year, and there was no doubt he would turn pro, though he had one more season of eligibility.

It was time.

'I grew up a lot those three years at Carolina,” he said. 'I don't think I would have been able to handle this (pro ball) out of high school. I give guys like (teammate) Nick Gordon a lot of credit, because it's tough being 18 years old and out on your own. College was a lot of fun, and I wouldn't have traded those three years for anything.”

Starting pitcher Keaton Steele (3-3) was marvelous for the Kernels (63-45, 22-16), throwing seven innings and allowing just five hits and a walk. Cedar Rapids pounded out 15 hits, with Gordon adding three.

This was the first of six consecutive home games against Eastern Division opponents for Cedar Rapids. The Kernels and Dragons (a Cincinnati Reds affiliate) play against Wednesday night at 6:35.

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