Cobb Reporter

New York Mets manager Buck Showalter has been in professional baseball since his playing days in the 1970s, and the three-time Manager of the Year certainly knows baseball talent when he sees it.

Last week, he went down memory lane discussing what he called one of his top prospects ever: Deion Sanders.

Showalter spoke with MLB.com about Sanders, recalling his ridiculous speed flying around the base paths and his untapped potential on the baseball diamond. Sanders played nine season in the major leagues, including stints with the New York Yankees and the Atlanta Braves, but he is primarily known for his 14 seasons on the gridiron as one of the best cornerbacks to ever step on the field.

Deion Sanders | Wikimedia Commons/Erik Daniel Drost

The Hall of Fame cornerback was a center fielder on the baseball diamond, and his quickness could have made him one of the top baseball players if he had made it his primary goal.

“There was a level of speed unlike I ever saw on a ball field,” Showalter told the MLB website. “I remember the first time I saw him steal second base in Albany, and it damn near took my breath away."

Sanders played for Showalter while in the Yankees farm system at the Double A level in Albany. He said there were practices where the speedy outfielder would not even be able to participate in rundown drills due to his unusual speed. Showalter remembers players completing the drills perfectly but still not being able to get Sanders out. He said it was like Sanders was changing the rules of the game.

Showalter said one of the most beautiful things he has seen is watching Sanders leg out a triple, and he also recalled a game in 1990 where Sanders was playing for the Yankees and he hit an inside-the-park home run against the Kansas City Royals. Sanders hit a ball to the outfield that got past a diving Bo Jackson, who was also a double-threat athlete, and made it all the way around the base paths.

The former Atlanta Brave player had a rare mix of speed, power and an impressive batting average, Showalter said. He called Sanders one of his best prospects ever.