Deion Sanders, now making waves as the head coach of Colorado’s football team, once had a different path in mind before his illustrious NFL and coaching career. Long before he became a household name in football and earned his place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, there was a brief but intriguing chapter in baseball as he was seen as the potential heir to Yankees legend Rickey Henderson.
In a recent interview with Yankees great Ron Guidry, Sanders’s time with the Yankees was discussed. Guidry, a four-time All-Star, shared his thoughts on Sanders’s stint in the Bronx. While Guidry had a positive impression of Sanders as a two-way star, he couldn’t help but feel that football was where Sanders truly belonged. He suggested that Sanders may not have given his all to baseball, knowing that his destiny was in football.
Yankees legend on Deion Sanders in pinstripes: He didn’t give his all https://t.co/692HQkES4C
— Bobby Milone (@BobbyMilone29) September 29, 2023
During his time with the Yankees, Sanders played in 71 games and had 199 plate appearances. However, his baseball career didn’t reach the heights many had hoped for, as he posted a slash line of .178/.247/.306 and stole only nine bases in 11 attempts.
In contrast, Sanders was already showing signs of greatness in the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons. Over 31 games, including 26 starts between 1989 and 1990, he notched eight interceptions for 205 yards and two touchdowns, along with 89 tackles.
Despite his brief baseball career, Sanders did play nine seasons in the MLB over a span of 13 years. His overall baseball stats included a slash line of .263/.319/.392 and 186 stolen bases. One standout season was in 1992 while he was with the Braves, leading MLB with 14 triples and helping Atlanta reach its second consecutive World Series, though they ultimately fell short against the Toronto Blue Jays.
In the end, Deion Sanders’s journey took him down a different path, leading to football greatness and now a successful venture into coaching. His time in baseball may have been relatively short, but it’s a fascinating part of his remarkable athletic legacy.
