Cubs’ Campana can run with the best of ’em

How fast is Cubs outfielder Tony Campana?

Well, he may not be Cool Papa Bell fast. The Negro Leagues legend was said to be so fast that he could turn out the lights and be under the covers before the room got dark.

But Campana is pretty darn fast.

Technically speaking, Campana says first-base coach Bob Dernier has timed him at 3.4 seconds from home plate to first base. The subject was a hot one Friday after Campana hit his first major-league homer in the Cubs’ 4-3 victory over the Reds.

The home run was of the inside-the-park variety in the first inning, and Campana made it around the bases so fast he thought he might run over baserunner Starlin Castro — no slowpoke himself — on the bases.

Although Campana wasn’t called up from the minor leagues until May 17, he already is gaining a reputation among the speedsters around the league. So much so that they all seem to want a match race.

“Nyjer Morgan really wants to do it,” said Campana, referring to the Milwaukee Brewers’ outfielder. “And so does (Carlos) Gomez from the Brewers. I’ve heard Michael Bourn (Astros), too. And Dee Gordon of the Dodgers, we’ve been bickering about it since Double-A.”

Of course, teams would cringe at the thought of one of their players pulling a hamstring in a match race. But the 25-year-old Campana looks like the grease in greased lightning.

Cubs manager Mike Quade likes to handicap horse races. Does he think Campana is the fastest?

“Well, we know Nyjer Morgan wants to race with him, and we laughed about that,” Quade said. “I’ve got money to invest in that race, just for grins. But he’s quick. He really is. There’s a lot of them. Heck this kid here, (the Reds’ Drew) Stubbs, runs like a son of a gun. When that conversation came up that day, when I stopped to think about it, I was amazed, just in the National League. We came up with a half-a-dozen guys that can really go. He’s one of them, that’s for sure. He’s good, and uses it real well, too.”

Cubs pitcher Ryan Dempster, always quick with a one-liner, also weighed in on Campana.

“He’s going to beat me in a foot race,” said Dempster, Friday’s winning pitcher. “Even if he was to run backward, I think he’s got me. We had a gentleman’s bet on who would get their first triple, so I’m still safe.”

Campana doesn’t have a triple yet, but he has 3 doubles and 12 stolen bases. He said there might be another avenue to use his speed.

“They were talking about other things they could do at the All-Star Game,” Campana said. “I brought up, ‘Hey, just line us up and run and see who’s fastest.’”