Deion Sanders says he's happy, healthy and humble.
It shows.
In his opening at-bat on Wednesday, Sanders proved to Olympic hero Ben Sheets and a bundled-up Victory Field crowd of 4,534 that "Primetime" still has a place in baseball. And it shouldn't be the minors for long -- the two-sport star who turns 34 in August is batting .422 and eligible to join the Cincinnati Reds on May 1.
Sanders kick-started the International League doubleheader with a perfect two-strike bunt to the right of the mound. Sheets, the gold medalist who gained instant notoriety from blanking Cuba in September, didn't have a prayer. It was the first of six Sanders hits in the two games.
"Someone once said that he's faster than the next man, whoever that next man is," Sheets said. "Tonight, all I saw were blurs everywhere."
Louisville and Sanders got the better of Sheets and the Indianapolis Indians 3-0 in the opening game and 8-7 in the second.
"I try my best, man," a soft-spoken Sanders said, his voice a whisper. "The Lord blessed me with a lot of ability. I try to maximize it."
The NFL All-Pro cornerback who became a household name as a record-setting kick returner refuses to talk about football or anything controversial.
Two of Sanders' hits were triples, the other four singles as he increased his batting average 71 points. He also has five steals in 11 Triple-A games.
This isn't the same ailing outfielder who, just last summer, hit .200 in a forgettable Triple-A comeback that lasted one month because of a bad knee and ankle.
"My body is not in any pain, whatsoever," he said. "I'm really focused on what I have to do."
This is a Sanders who's been clocked at 3.52 seconds from home to first. This looks like the player who stole 56 bases for the Reds in 1997, his last big-league stop.
"Anybody that saw him play last year, compared to this year, there's really no comparison," said Louisville manager Dave Miley. "He's healthy and running as well as I've ever seen Deion run.
"Anybody who really knows Deion Sanders knows we're talking about a Hall of Fame football player who's had success in the big leagues. If anybody can come back and do what he's doing, Deion is that guy."
In the opening game, Sanders had a pair of infield hits, a triple in which he seemed to jog from second to third and a diving catch in left field. Right-hander Rob Bell took care of the rest, blanking the Indians on four hits in 61/3 innings.
Both first-game pitchers began the season as fifth starters in the majors, Bell with the Reds and Sheets with the Milwaukee Brewers. Both are in the minors to stay on schedule -- the parent clubs skipped their rotation spots because of open dates. Sheets, who has yet to win a game since defeating Cuba for the gold medal, took the loss, allowing three runs and nine hits in 51/3 innings.
"I'm not really a baseball follower (in the Olympics); I like the sprinting events," Sanders said. "But I'm proud of what (Sheets) accomplished."
Sanders began the second game with a stand-up triple and added a second-inning single.
"I'm happy where I am, where the Lord has placed me," Sanders said. "I have some wonderful guys on this team. We really have nice dialogue, about life, about the Lord and about baseball."
Because Ken Griffey Jr. is sidelined with a torn hamstring, Sanders could step in and play center field for the Reds. When Griffey returns, he expects to move to left field.
If there's a question about Sanders' comeback, it pertains to his loyalties when football season begins in September.
"People will have to wait until we get to that point," Sanders said. "I'm not trying to look too far ahead. I'm really focused on just going out there today and having some good at-bats, getting some hits, scoring some runs and helping this team win."