And he's doing it at the right time. Sanders' hot start is all the more remarkable, compared to how he performed a year ago. Returning to baseball for the first time since he played 115 games for the Reds in 1997, Sanders struggled to a .200 average in 25 games in Louisville last year before calling off his comeback in early May. He went on to play cornerback for the Washington Redskins. During spring training, Bowden promised that Louisville fans would see a completely different player this season.
Sanders is healthy.
Though he pronounced himself at 90 percent last season after knee and ankle surgeries, he lacked his trademark speed chugging around the bases and misplayed balls in the outfield. Last year, he struggled for a little while and never really got into a complete groove. This year he came up here and had some success early, and that success breeds confidence. He's gotten on a roll and is doing a lot of things right. Sanders spent extra time this spring working on his swing with Reds' hitting coach Ken Griffey Sr.