Tuesday, May 13, 2003 | 9:34 a.m.
When Wilkin Ruan was a child in his native Dominican Republic, he used to run up and down the mountains near his home of Guaymate.
Running the hills helped him get to be so fast that his speed is a staple of this year's 51s ballclub, which improved to 27-11 on the season after a 6-4 win against Tucson Monday night in their Pacific Coast League game at at Cashman Field.
Ruan's quickness -- he says his latest speed was 6.4 seconds from first to third -- has guided him to 13 stolen bases this season on 14 attempts. Last year with the 51s, he was successful on all 12 of his stealing attempts. Ruan is third in the PCL in stolen bases this year.
"I'm always ready," Ruan said through an interpreter. "Not only do I watch the pitcher when I'm on base, but I watch the pitcher for movement when I'm batting. I prepare myself both ways."
"Wilkin is blessed with great speed and he's able to cover the ground for us in center field," said 51s manager John Shoemaker Monday.
"Wilkin made some nice plays for us tonight in the outfield, the biggest play was the eighth inning, the leadoff hitter."
In that play, Tucson left fielder Mark Little hit a ball deep to left-center. Ruan made a sensational catch near the wall that quite possibly would have been a triple had Ruan been one step slower to get to it.
Amazingly, baseball was not Ruan's first love. "My friends were playing both basketball and baseball," he said. "I only had interest in basketball. Finally, they said, 'Why don't you play baseball?' So I started playing outfield, and I was very good."
After three years, he was scouted and signed into the Montreal Expos' farm system at age 18. Shortly before the 2002 season, he was acquired by the Dodgers in the trade that also brought pitcher Guillermo Mota to Los Angeles in exchange for reliever Matt Herges.
Ruan frequently works with 51s hitting coach George Hendrick to improve his batting. But while he works on better controlling his swing, he also must face the challenge of living far from home and not speaking good English. "I like Las Vegas, but I would love to have my mother with me," said Ruan, whose family has never seen him play at this level. "I miss my family, and the people I know (from home.)"
But the 51s staff does little things to help Ruan feel more at home. At least once a game as he walks to the plate, Ruan hears himself introduced in Spanish by the Cashman Field public address announcer.
Ahora, el jardinero central, Wilkin Ruan!"
"Me encanta," says Ruan. "I like it a lot."
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