By Chris Haft
The Cincinnati Enquirer

CLEARWATER, Fla. — Bob Boone's remarks about Deion Sanders indicated the outfielder will find his way into a Reds uniform on or shortly after May 1, when he becomes eligible to join the club.

Boone said Sanders will remain at the team's training facility in Sarasota, Fla., for a week before reporting to Triple-A Louisville on April 9. Sanders enters today's exhibition finale against Philadelphia hitting .244 (11-for-45) with one RBI, five stolen bases in six tries and a team-high 10 runs scored.

“I think we've been really excited about him (being) back to where he was,” Boone said. “He has accomplished something in six weeks of spring training that a lot of people were questioning.”

Boone didn't guarantee a promotion for Sanders — “He has to play well” — but said: “I'm not worried about what the numbers are, whether he's hitting .350 or .220. I'm just worried about the consistency of his swing. He has shown us he has bat speed and leg speed.”