Deion Sanders Signs Minor League Deal
C I N C I N N A T I, Jan. 25 -- Deion Sanders is going to dabble in baseballagain, playing minor league ball for the team he spurned last year.
The Washington Redskins cornerback accepted a nonguaranteedminor league contract Wednesday to play for the Cincinnati Reds'Triple-A team in Louisville. He'll report to Sarasota, Fla., alongwith other Reds minor leaguers on March 4.
Sanders' latest flirtation with his other sport came as asurprise. The Redskins were unaware of the signing, spokesman KarlSwanson said.
Cut by the Dallas Cowboys for salary cap reasons, Sanders hadcome to the Redskins to win another Super Bowl. He signed aseven-year, $56 million contract with Washington.
Sanders, also an outfielder, seemed to have closed the door onbaseball when he turned his back on the Reds last season, refusinga promotion to the majors.
Deal Reached After Deadline
Sanders was under a minor league contract when general managerJim Bowden tried to bring him up to the majors as an injury fill-inlast year. Sanders refused, saying he was going to concentrate onbeing a full-time football player.
Despite their differences, Bowden is one of Sanders' biggestfans in baseball. He didn't return a telephone message Wednesday.
Because Sanders had filed for free agency and the latestcontract was agreed to after a Dec. 7 deadline, it will bescrutinized by the commissioner's office.
In similar situations in the past, all other major league teamsand the players' association have had to waive objections to dealsreached after the deadline.
It is unlikely the Reds would be given permission to use Sandersin a major league game before May 1, the first day they technicallyare allowed to re-sign him under baseball's collective bargainingagreement.
Reds Redux
Sanders, 33, returned to baseball last spring for the first timesince 1997, when he chose to leave the Reds during the season so hecould become a full-time football player.
Bowden gave Sanders a contract that included a $300,000 basesalary that would increase to $600,000 when he was called up to themajors. There were mutual options for base salaries of $3 millionin 2001, $4 million in 2002 and $5 million in 2003.
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