SARASOTA, Fla. — You get the feeling that if the film Field of Dreams were remade, Deion Sanders would fit nicely as the lead character, a man caught in baseball's timeless grip.

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Ken Griffey Sr. watches Deion Sanders take batting practice. (Jeff Swinger photos) 600 | 800 | 1024

        The City of Sarasota Sports Complex is no Hollywood back lot. But Sanders' status as a genuine sports celebrity gives him a prominent role here at the Reds' training camp. Resuming his love affair with the game he hasn't played at the major-league level since 1997, the NFL cornerback-turned-aspiring outfielder is trying to make the Reds for the second year in a row.

        Common sense dictates that Sanders, who's in camp on a non-guaranteed minor-league contract, has no chance to return to the majors. His skills have fallen into disuse. Cincinnati's outfield is full. But Sanders savors the long odds.

        “I have a cause,” said Sanders, whose eight seasons in the majors included stints with Cincinnati in 1994-95 and '97. “Sort of like an unsolved mystery about this game. A chapter of my life that remains to be closed. I feel like I'm preaching to you. It's exciting. I love the challenge. I feel so good right now that I know if I was eligible to play April 1, I would put so much pressure on these guys now, they'd have to do something.”

        Sanders, who routinely has split seasons between football and baseball, vowed that he's committed to the Reds' schedule: “Leaving isn't even in my mind. I will be here.” General manager Jim Bowden refused to comment on whether Sanders' Reds contract includes provisions that allow him to leave baseball for the Washington Redskins, his NFL employer.

"I haven't felt like this in probably five years," Sanders said. | ZOOM |

        The Reds don't have to act on Sanders until May 1 at the earliest, even if he excels. Because the Reds technically made Sanders a free agent by not re-signing him or tendering him a contract before last December, he's ineligible to play for them before that date.

        “My desire was to lead off on Opening Day,” said Sanders, who probably will begin the season with Triple-A Louisville. “All that does is give me two months to get my game together. It gives me more time to work.”

        Sanders has plenty of work to do, though his left-handed swing has improved, in manager Bob Boone's estimation. Seeking speed at or near the top of the batting order, the Reds won't consider summoning Sanders unless he displays that trait on the basepaths — assuming he can get on base often enough, of course. His career figures of .266 (batting average) and .324 (on-base percentage) aren't ringing endorsements.

        Despite those statistics, the 33-year-old Sanders could galvanize an offense — about six years ago.

        “It's a difficult task,” Bowden said of Sanders' comeback. “He's not a focus of spring training for us. Our focus is trying to get players ready for Opening Day for the team that can compete for us. Deion has to have explosive speed so he can steal a base at any time. That's the No.1 tool he has to have. And he has to be able to swing the bat.”

        Sanders displayed neither of these assets last year, when he hit .200 in 25 games for Louisville and left the team May 11. His inability to progress in baseball and his need to heal injuries in both legs for football — he signed a lucrative free-agent contract with Washington — prompted him to leave Louisville.

        “I had 56 million reasons to,” Sanders said, referring to the dollar amount of his Redskins deal. “Health-wise, I wasn't helping anybody.”

        Sanders insisted that he's feeling better now, unlike last spring.

        “I haven't felt like this in probably five years,” he said. “I've needed offseason surgery for the last three or four years. But I feel fresh.”

        “He's a great teammate,” said Barry Larkin. “I consider him a good friend. I bounce things off him just as he bounces things off me. He's a great listener and a good talker.”

        But the Reds have made it clear that Sanders must do more than talk a good game.

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