By Brian Bennett
The Courier-Journal

LOUISVILLE — Deion Sanders has one rule these days for would-be interviewers: No football questions.

“I'm not even thinking about football,” he said. “I'm just thinking about getting a hit, man.”

Fair enough. After all, what most people want to know about the future NFL Hall of Famer right now is how he has managed to resurrect his seemingly-finished baseball career.

Sanders is all but assured of joining the Reds next Tuesday, the first day he's eligible to be called up to the major leagues. The Reds would be hard-pressed not to bring up Sanders, considering how he's torn up Triple-A pitching this month for the Louisville RiverBats.

Heading into Wednesday night's game against Indianapolis, Sanders was hitting .456, or 45 points higher than anyone else in the International League.

“He's on one of those crazy hot streaks right now that all of us would like to be on,” said Reds player development director Tim Naehring. “And he's doing it at the right time.”

Sanders' hot start is all the more remarkable, compared to how he performed a year ago. Returning to baseball for the first time since he played 115 games for the Reds in 1997, Sanders struggled to a .200 average in 25 games in Louisville last year before calling off his comeback in early May. He went on to play cornerback for the Washington Redskins.

But Reds general manager Jim Bowden still believed in Sanders' talent and coaxed the 33-year-old into giving baseball another try this winter. During spring training, Bowden promised that Louisville fans would see a completely different player this season.

The major difference this year? Sanders is healthy. Though he pronounced himself at 90 percent last season after knee and ankle surgeries, he lacked his trademark speed chugging around the bases and misplayed balls in the outfield.

“This year, he was healthy from the start, and he got in a full spring training,” said RiverBats teammate Chris Sexton, who has grown to be close friends with Sanders. “Last year, he struggled for a little while and never really got into a complete groove. This year he came up here and had some success early, and that success breeds confidence. He's gotten on a roll and is doing a lot of things right.”

Sanders spent extra time this spring working on his swing with Reds' hitting coach Ken Griffey Sr.

“Just staying balanced and always being ready to hit,” Sanders said. “I'm not much of a technical guy. I'm more "see the ball, hit the ball.'”

That has certainly worked so far. Sanders has shown a knack for finding gaps in the defense and then using his speed to devastating effect. He leads the IL with four triples and is among the league leaders with six stolen bases.

And while he would sometimes swing wildly last season, Sanders has shown a better eye at the plate so far this season. He has struck out only three times in 57 at-bats and leads the Louisville regulars with a .492 on-base percentage.

“He's really disciplined,” Sexton said. “When a guy has confidence and isn't swinging at bad pitches and has his speed, that just brings a whole new dimension to the table. He's really, really looked good out here.”

“From spring training on, he's had quality at-bats, and as a hitter, that's all you can do,” Naerhing said. “He's the type of athlete that, when he's dedicated to something, you don't bet against him.”

Sanders appears to be dedicated to baseball now, so much so that his football career is in doubt. One of the flashiest players in the NFL, “Prime Time” takes on a different persona on the baseball diamond, preferring to blend in with his teammates. Other than the large gold cross dangling from his neck, nothing stands out about Sanders during a game.

That he chooses to make his comeback attempt in Cincinnati rather than in a large market like New York or Los Angeles confirms his desire to be viewed as just another baseball player. Sanders says he likes the Reds because of Bowden's continued support and because “that's where I came to the Lord.”

He has admitted to feeling suicidal during the '97 season with the Reds until he found strength in his faith. Sanders keeps a Bible in his locker and has led chapel service for the other RiverBats players in the clubhouse.

“I know he says he's just a regular guy,” Sexton said. “But the more time you spend with him, the more you realize he's just that - a regular guy who has extraordinary talent.”