Sky's the Limit

After patiently waiting his turn, Louisville Colonel leftfielder Les Cloud has, at the tender age of 23, been granted his shot at playing everyday for the big league club, and has teased fans with near-limitless potential.

As one of the key offensive players spearheading Louisville's 15-2 start, Cloud has made good in transforming a revamped Louisville offense into one of the league's most dangerous slugging offenses. In the minor leagues, Cloud so routinely launched baseballs into the stratosphere that he made it look easy - it was a feat that earned Cloud a look in Louisville's 40-man rotation late last season, and has prepared him for the demands of a full time role.

With mounting expectations weighing heavily on his broad shoulders, Cloud thus far has blasted 7 home runs and has an OPS of 1.045. Last season, he was a .350 hitter with 45 HRs and 151 RBIs while splitting time between AA and High A. The Colonels' system has had so much difficulty restraining Cloud's rapid ascent that he has never spent more than 72 games at a given level, and skipped AAA entirely to make the big league club.

The season one draftee oozes the sort of natural talent that makes GMs giddy, the sort of God-given gifts that coaches would trade their grandmother to employ as a cleanup hitter. With a rare combination of power, vision, and patience that has some scouts seeing Valerio Pizzaro--with a glove--Cloud is a rare find indeed. Many prognastocators expect for him to be a surefire finalist for rookie of the year, provided he stays healthy.

What the future holds for Les Cloud and the Colonels is uncertain, but for now, at least, the sky's the limit.