Deion Sanders Signs Minor League Deal

C I N C I N N A T I, Jan. 25, 2001 -- 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.

The Reds were looking at Sanders as a center fielder when theybrought him back to baseball last January. Four days after hesigned the contract, he had arthroscopic surgery to repair afootball injury to his right knee.

Sanders could only hobble around the field when spring trainingbegan. He also became an afterthought when the Reds got centerfielder Ken Griffey Jr. from Seattle in a trade.

Sanders opened the season with Louisville and hit only .200against minor league pitching, further diminishing his chances ofmaking it to the majors. He decided to quit and, with Bowden'spermission, went home to Texas on May 11.

He was still drawing his minor league salary when outfielderAlex Ochoa had an emergency appendectomy in late May and went onthe disabled list, leaving the Reds in need of an outfielder.

Bowden wanted to bring up Sanders, who balked at the move.Sanders told Bowden he was devoting himself full-time to football.

The Reds placed Sanders on a restricted list and chose not topick up his option for 2001 last November, leaving him a freeagent.