At Florida State in 1987, Sanders, a sophomore outfielder, helped the Seminoles reach the College World Series. He spent the summer of '89 in the outfield of the New York Yankees' Triple-A Columbus team. After joining the Yankees, he homered against Seattle on September 5. That makes him the only pro athlete to hit a homer and score a touchdown in one week. Where Sanders was flashy playing football, he was low key in baseball.
Nobody ever masters that game.
Two seasons with the Yankees proved that. After batting only .177 in 71 games, he was released near the end of the 1990 season. By then, he had become a full-time Falcon, starting all 16 games that year. In 1991, Sanders batted .191 in 54 games as a centerfielder for the Atlanta Braves. Where baseball was a struggle, Sanders seemed to have football mastered.