Move over, Darryl. Here comes Deion.

Empty seats at P&C Stadium were hard to find when slugger Darryl Strawberry visited Syracuse with the Triple-A Columbus Clippers in August 1999. Now, with Deion Sanders headed to the SkyChiefs, P&C could rock like it did when more than 40,000 fans turned out for the four-game series with Strawberry.

Sanders is expected to join the SkyChiefs today and be in the starting lineup for tonight's game against the Durham Bulls at P&C Stadium. Sanders, who was released by the Cincinnati Reds last week, signed a Triple-A Syracuse contract with the Toronto Blue Jays Wednesday.

Before Wednesday's game, SkyChiefs fan Mike Rao purchased five tickets for Friday's game at P&C. Rao said the tickets are for family members and friends who hadn't planned to attend the game until they knew Sanders had signed with the SkyChiefs.

"I think he'll fill the stands, just like Darryl Strawberry," Rao said. "It might be even bigger, because he appeals to fans from two sports."

Sanders, 33, played in the World Series with the Atlanta Braves in 1992 and in the Super Bowl with the San Francisco 49ers in 1994 and Dallas Cowboys in 1995. If Sanders isn't the most famous two-sport professional athlete of all time, he's definitely the flashiest.

"If you ask the average sports fan to name five modern athletes, Deion is one of the five he would name," said Dale Owens, the general manager of Sanders' previous minor-league team, the Triple-A Louisville RiverBats. "You're adding a high-profile, instant-credibility type of guy to the SkyChiefs' team."

The SkyChiefs, who entered Wednesday's game ranked 11th in the 14-team International League in average attendance (5,302), are bracing for Strawberry-like attendance numbers this weekend. Mike Voutsinas, the SkyChiefs' director of ticket sales, said he'll have extra help today to handle ticket requests on the phone and at the box office.

"Since we had Darryl two years ago," Voutsinas said, "we have an idea of what we're going to face."

With Syracuse Newspapers Night tonight, fireworks after Friday's game and Little League Day on Sunday, the SkyChiefs were expecting big crowds this weekend anyway. With Sanders in town, the SkyChiefs will likely draw their largest crowds of the season.

"I expect ticket sales to increase, but to what extent, I don't know." SkyChiefs general manager John Simone said. "To me, he's more popular as an athlete than Darryl Strawberry, but Darryl Strawberry was a baseball player. I don't know if we'll get the Dallas Cowboys' fans, the Cincinnati Reds' fans, or both."

SkyChiefs players are looking forward to bigger crowds. Syracuse entered Wednesday's game as the hottest team in the IL with 14 wins in its last 16 games, but the players are starting to wonder if anyone has noticed.

"We need some excitement around here." Syracuse pitcher Willie Banks said. "It'll be good for the community to watch him play.

"We're a pretty good baseball team anyway," Banks added. "But a guy with Deion's stature helps a lot. A lot of people are going to come to see him play." Count 15-year-old Sean Gedney of Cicero among the fans who plan to attend as many games as possible while Deion is in Syracuse. Gedney, who attended Wednesday's game with his great grandfather. Fred Zacholl of Bridgeport, called Sanders his "role model."

"He's the most famous athlete in the world," Gedney said. "He's charismatic."

Ten-year-old Patrick Lemmo of Liverpool said his goal is to get Sanders' autograph. A guy you don't normally get to see," Lemmo said. "If you get his autograph, you hold on to it."

Sanders spent the first month of this season in Louisville, where he batted .459 for the Reds' Triple-A club. Louisville general manager Owens said the fans saved their loudest ovations for Sanders this year, but they weren't as kind when Sanders hit just .200 for the RiverBats in April of last season

"Baseball fans are baseball fans," Owens said. "If he hits .140, they boo him like every other kid who doesn't perform. If he hits .440. they'll cheer him like they did this year."

It remains to be seen how long Syracuse fans will be able to cheer or boo Sanders, who hit .173 in 32 games for the Reds before getting released last week. If Sanders is not promoted to the Blue Jays by the end of July. he'll likely report to the training camp of his current NFL team, the Washington Redskins.

Sanders, 33, wanted to sign with a baseball team that would eventually promote him to the major leagues. But the Blue Jays did not make that guarantee.

Blue Jays general manager Gord Ash said if the Blue Jays need an outfielder. they'll consider Sanders just like they'll consider the other outfielders at Syracuse. If another major-league team wants to sign Sanders and the Blue Jays don't plan to promote him, Ash said the Blue Jays will release him from his Syracuse contract.

"It's a no-downside move." Ash said. "He's a good athlete, and he's interested in continuing his baseball career. It's a good match."