MLB alumni tip their hat to the former prime time of baseball, Deion Sanders: "He was just an inspiration"

MLB has witnessed some world-class multi-sport athletes over the decades, but very few have entertained the fans like Deion Sanders.

Known for his exceptional athleticism and speed, Sanders forged an extraordinary career as a football player. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2011.

Nicknamed ‘Prime Time’ during his playing days, Sanders brought his exceptional talent to MLB when he was selected by the New York Yankees in the 30th round of the 1988 MLB Draft.

"Before he was Coach Prime, he was Prime Time on the baseball diamond! Here are some great memories of @DeionSanders the ballplayer from those who watched it up close." - @mlb posted on Instagram.

Sanders was previously selected by the Kansas City Royals in the sixth round of the 1985 draft, but he didn’t sign with them. Sanders played nine seasons in the MLB (1989 and 2001).

Besides the Yankees, he played for the Atlanta Braves (1991-94), Cincinnati Reds (1994-95, 97, 01), and San Francisco Giants (1995).

Sanders captivated audiences with his outstanding running and base-stealing abilities, along with his power and strength. During his MLB tenure, Sanders batted .263 and had 39 home runs, 168 RBIs and 186 stolen bases.

MLB fraternity shares their greatest Deion Sanders moments

Yankees manager Aaron Boone, who was teammates with Sanders during his spell with the Reds, heaped praise on the football and baseball icon.

“My favorite memory of Deion was in 2001. He was making his return to baseball. Coming back with the Reds. I was on the team in the lineup with him, and, I believe it was first at-bat, home run, couple of stolen bases. Very Deion-like game in his return to baseball.”

New York Mets manager Buck Showalter also heaped high praise on Coach Prime. He said:

“Deion Sanders, great talent. First time I saw him run, took my breath away. There was a completely different level.”

Yankees hitting coach Sean Casey also shared one of his greatest Deion Sanders moments to MLB's social media accounts. He said:

"One of the greatest moments in my life. We are playing in Chicago, playing the White Sox. I had the wrong batting gloves, so I was coming to my locker to get the batting gloves. I come to my locker, no one is in the locker. The game had already started.

“I was about to be up, got my batting gloves. Walking back to the field, I looked to my right, and Prime was in the locker, and he was talking to somebody. Then I look a little closer, it’s Bo Jackson! I am like, oh that’s incredible!”

Former Reds outfielder Eduardo Perez also tipped his hat to Sanders. He said:

“He was just an inspiration. He showed us in many forms what prime time was all about.”

Deion Sanders has left an indelible mark in both football and baseball, and the heartwarming anecdotes and stories from his peers prove just that.