SportsTicker

CINCINNATI – Deion Sanders is back in the major leagues for the first time since 1997.

As expected, the Reds officially purchased the contract of the eccentric outfielder who was leading the International League in hitting.

Sanders, 33, who has been a star cornerback on the football field for the Atlanta Falcons, San Francisco 49ers, Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins, was hitting .459 with six stolen bases for Triple-A Louisville.

The Reds start a three-game series Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Signed to a minor-league contract in late January, Sanders underwent arthroscopic surgery to clean out his right knee one year ago and the Reds, needing speed and a leadoff hitter, gambled that he could still be productive.

With 34 hits, a .494 on-base percentage and .689 slugging percentage in 19 games for the RiverBats, the former New York Yankee, Atlanta Brave and San Francisco Giant appears ready to contribute to the 14-10 Reds.

Sanders, who came to prominence for his ability to compete in two sports at the professional level, attempted a baseball comeback with Louisville last season. But that venture was derailed when his ailing right knee forced him to leave the RiverBats after 25 games.

Sanders was batting .210 with three homers, seven RBI and 10 stolen bases before shutting it down last season.

A member of the NFL's Redskins, Sanders is attempting to return to baseball after a three-year absence. He had one of his best seasons in 1997 as an outfielder for the Reds, hitting .273 with 56 stolen bases.

As a football player, Sanders is an eight-time Pro Bowl selection. He had a lackluster first season with the underachieving Redskins last season.

Since breaking into baseball with the Yankees in 1989, Sanders is a career .266 hitter with 38 home runs, 164 RBI and 183 stolen bases in 609 games.

A member of two Super Bowl championship teams, Sanders' shining moment in baseball came with the 1992 National League champion Braves. He batted .533 (8-for-15) with two doubles, an RBI and five stolen bases in the World Series, which the Braves lost in six games to the Toronto Blue Jays.

Sanders will be joining the Reds along with outfielder Brady Clark, who was also recalled from Louisville. They will take the spots of outfielder Ken Griffey Jr., who was placed on the disabled list on Sunday, and right-hander Matt Skrmetta, who has been optioned to Louisville.

The 27-year-old Clark, signed as a non-drafted free agent in 1996, has never appeared in a major league game. He was batting .229 with eight RBI in 21 games for Louisville.

Last season, Clark hit .304 with 16 homers and 79 RBI at Louisville and in 1999 became the first player in Double-A Chattanooga history to win both the Southern League Most Valuable Player Award and the league batting title (.326).