Deion Has Been a Prime-Time Player

Politicians recreate themselves. Why not Deion Sanders?

When he left baseball two years ago to devote more time to the NFL, Sanders was an average leadoff hitter who had never figured out how to get on base enough to use his speed.

Look at him now.

One month into his comeback with the Cincinnati Reds, Sanders has remade himself. He leads the major leagues with 18 steals, has a club-high .398 batting average and is leading those around him to conclude he has finally arrived as a baseball player.

“Deion used to be an athlete playing baseball,” Red shortstop Barry Larkin said. “Now he’s matured. He knows what he can do and he’s accepted it.”

Sanders’ April has been the best month of his nine-year career. He hit safely in 19 of the Reds’ first 22 games and after the weekend was leading the majors in triples with four, multiple-hit games with 13, and steals with 18.

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San Diego pitcher Joey Hamilton, who has been bothered by tendinitis in his right shoulder, was put on the 15-day disabled list.

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Words continue to fly between San Francisco outfielder Barry Bonds and St. Louis Manager Tony La Russa.

On Sunday, Bonds told Bay Area reporters of his disdain for La Russa, saying, “It’s no secret, man. We don’t like each other.”

On Monday, La Russa said playing great isn’t enough for Bonds. “Nowadays, you like to see the great talents be real well-rounded, as far as how they are with fans, how they are with teammates and all that kind of stuff,” La Russa said. “If you’re a great talent, you’ve got a responsibility to be more than just a guy who produces numbers.”