6B
Tuesday, April 29, 1997
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Neon Deion's glow strengthens after return to major leagues
Sanders leads Reds in hitting as leadoff batter
By Joe Kay
The Associated Press
CINCINNATI — Something is different about Deion Sanders.
When he left baseball two years ago to devote himself to the NFL, the cornerback/center fielder was an average leadoff hitter who never figured out how to get on base enough to use his speed.
Look at him now.
One month into his comeback season, Sanders has remade himself. He leads the major leagues with 18 steals, leads the Cincinnati Reds in hitting at .398 and is leading those around him to conclude that he has finally arrived as a baseball player.
"Deion used to be an athlete playing baseball," shortstop Barry Larkin said. "Now he's
matured. He knows what he can do and he's accepted it."
Nobody anticipated so much so when Sanders decided to give baseball another try last January.
Sanders and the Reds struck an unusual $1.2 million deal that returned him to two-sport status with the Reds and Dallas Cowboys, then waited to see how long it would take him to overcome a year's worth of rust and an eye injury that occurred during the NFL playoffs.
He didn't need much time.
"I'm different than most guys," Sanders said. "I expect the best, I really do. I expect the best out of myself no matter what the situation."
April has been the best month of his nine-year career. He hit safely in 19 of the Reds' first 22 games and led the majors in triples (four) and multihit games (13) in addition to steals.
The 18 steals are the most in April since Rickey Henderson had 20 in 1988. Sanders stole a career-high four bases in one game and tied his career high
with four hits in another.
There is reason to think it could develop into more than a one-month fling. Sanders has gotten away from some of the bad habits that made him an easy out too often.
When he walked away from the game two years ago, Sanders was an impatient hitter who swung at the first pitch resembling a strike. He played right into pitchers' hands.
"He used to go up there and swing, and in three pitches, whatever was going to be done was done," manager Ray Knight said.
That's changing. Sanders still doesn't walk much — only seven in 22 games — but he's going deeper in counts and waiting for pitches he can handle. The on-base percentage, never anything for Sanders to brag about in the past, is an enviable.446.
He's also going to the opposite field instead of trying to pull everything with his warning-track power.
cut down on it a little bit so that instead of fouling balls off, he's now hitting them hard," Knight said. "He works at the plate."
"His swing is still very aggressive and quick, but he's
Sanders, who turns 30 in August, thinks it has something to do with accepting his limitations on the baseball field.
"I'ts truly a step," he said. "I just know myself now. That's pretty much it. You learn your limitations. I've accepted quite a few things I know I cannot do. I'm not a guy who's going to hit the ball out of the park. I could if I changed my stance, but I wouldn't be hitting what I'm hitting."
And he wouldn't be in position to steal the way he's stealing. At his pace now, Sanders would break Lou Brock's NL mark of 118 steals and challenge Henderson's major league record of 130.
"That's not going to happen," Sanders said. "That record is going to be there for a long time. Just getting on base at that rate is unbelievable, man. Only a guy like Rickey could do that because he walks so much and he's just on base so much."
Deion's Competition
BASEBALL'S TOP 10 NATIONAL LEAGUE
G  AB R H Pct.
Walker Col 21 18 LW28 36.48
Lofton Atl 22 99 JD23 42.42
D Sanders Cn 22 93 IJ 34.37
Blauser Atl 22 70 IA 24.27
Gwynn SD 21 86 IA 24.38
Tucker Atl 19 69 IA 20.36
Olerud NYM 23 93 IA 39.35
YouCool En 21 91 IA 17.32
JGullen Pit 18 63 9 22.349
JLOpez Atl 18 63 8 22.349
Bagwell Hou 28 126 30.349
AMERICAN LEAGUE
G AB R H Pct.
Roberts KC 21 86 15 34 .395
SLAlorle Cm 18 66 16 26 .394
BAndersn Bal 19 68 15 26 .382
O'Neill NY 19 68 17 30 .380
EdAvale Bal 15 61 15 23 .377
Justice Cle 27 55 17 25 .360
Griffey Jr Sea 23 89 24 32 .360
Leyritz Ana 17 62 15 22 .355
O'Leary Bos 10 68 11 24 .353
DaWilson Sea 23 77 13 27 .351
BeWilliamsNY 24 97 13 34 .351
Slugger in slump since switch to Chicago
Clubhouse worker thinks he knows why
By Ken Berger The Associated Press
One guy in Cleveland thinks he knows why.
CLEVELAND — Since Albert Belle put on his Chicago White Sox uniform, he's been hitting like he's homesick.
"Albert and I have been real
close since I started here in 1990," said Mancini, a clubhouse worker for the Indians. "For whatever reason, he started depending on me to help him with his job."
Frank Mancini said he turned down a $300,000, five-year offer from Belle to join the surly slugger in Chicago. For most of Belle's career with the Cleveland Indians, Mancini was his personal caddy.
Mancini, 33,
said he played
a small part in Belle's power-hitting success,
which included a Cleveland-
record 242 career home runs with 50 in 196 and 48 in 196.
Anyone who has watched Belle this season knows that something is amiss with his swing.
Although Belle hit home runs in consecutive games this weekend, he is batting .211 with only four home runs.
When Mancini rejected Belle's offer, the outfitter hired another friend, Len Spacek, to serve as his personal assistant.
"I've heard that it's not working out," Mancini said of his replacement. "People don't realize the moods you have to deal with. He's a perfectionist."
"Before every single at-bat, I
Mancini had to spend up to three hours sanding and shaving each and every one of Belle's bats when they arrived from the factory. And he was the only person allowed to help Belle stretch before games.
had to be in the dugout to throw balls to him to get him ready for his at-bat." Mancini said.
When Belle signed a $55 million, five-year contract with the White Sox last winter, Manciani knew he'd be getting a phone call.
"He told me last July that in case he left, he was going to negotiate in his contract that I would go with him," Mancini said. "He said, 'Anything you want, let me know. I want you to come with me.'"
Mancini, who only makes $6,500 a year plus tips working for the Indians, told him $50,000 a year for five years. He said that Belle agreed.
Brooklyn people had for the Brooklyn Dodgers?" Mancini said. "Well, I have that for the Cleveland Indians."
Then Mancini started having second thoughts.
Mancini called Belle and told him that he would have to find another caddy.
"You know the passion that the
Mancini said that Belle called him just before the season and increased the offer to $300,000 for five years — nearly 10 times his clubhouse-boy pay.
Again, Mancini politely refused.
"He sounds a little sad when I talk to him," Mancini said. "He misses a lot of people here.
Whenever I said, 'Al, I've got to go. I've got to get back to work,' he'd say, 'No, no. Keep talking a few more minutes. C'mon."
Zoeller set to progress past knocks on Woods
The Associated Press
GREENVILLE, S.C. — Fuzzy Zoeller, still stinging from the uproar caused by insensitive remarks about Tiger Woods, emerged from four days of seclusion contrite but ready to move on
"You take your bumps, you take your licks, and you get up, and you shake them off, and you
keep on looking and keep moving forward," Zoeller said Sunday night at a dinner for a charity pro-am event.
Zoeller was in town Sunday to participate in the Thornbile Classic, a one-day event to raise money for Greenville schools and other community groups.
Zoeller's comments Sunday night were the first he has made since Wednesday.
Tiger Woods
when he abruptly withdrew from the Greater Greensboro Chrysler Open at the height of the controversy about his Masters monologue.
Asked to comment about Woods' runaway win in Augusta, Zoeller had referred to the new champion as that little boy and had urged that he not serve fried chicken or collard greens at next year's Masters Champions Dinner.
The ensuing furor cost Zoeller a sponsorship contract with Kmart and led him to withdraw from the Greensboro event so he could apologize to Woods personally.
Though that meeting still hasn't taken place, Woods issued a statement Thursday night accepting Zoeller's apology.
Zoeller said that PGA Commissioner Tim Finchem called him before Woods' statement was released to the media.
"I said, 'What about talking to him?' Zoeller recalled. ('Finchem) said, "Tiger would like to talk to you just as friends on the PGA Tour." That will happen probably at the Colonial, when I'll be out next, which is fine."
The Colonial is scheduled for May 22-25 at Fort Worth, Texas.
Zoeller said he also had received many words of encouragement from supporters, including NFL coaches Marty Schotenheuer of Kansas City and Mike Ditka of New Orleans.
"They've just told me to keep my head up and keep plugging right along," said Zoeller, one of golf's most prominent quipsters.
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This is one of many pictures in this premiere special section, featuring work from our photography staff at the University Daily Kansan. Look for Focus 1997 coming May 5.