<Li> NL Triples champion (1992) </Li> <P> Sanders played a nine - year, part - time baseball career, playing left and center field in 641 games with 4 teams . He was originally drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the 6th round of the 1985 draft, but did not sign with them . The New York Yankees selected Sanders in the 30th round of the 1988 Major League Baseball draft, and he signed with the team on June 22 . He opened the 1989 season with the Albany - Colonie Yankees of the Class AA Eastern League . Though he planned to leave the Yankees in July to attend NFL training camp, he became embroiled in a contract dispute with the Falcons, and used the Yankees as leverage . He received a promotion to the major leagues, and spent the summer with the Columbus Clippers of the Class AAA International League . He made his major league baseball debut on May 31, 1989 . </P> <P> Sanders made the Yankees' Opening Day roster for the 1990 season . On May 22, 1990, Sanders became involved in a dispute with Chicago White Sox' catcher Carlton Fisk . Sanders started by stepping up to the plate with one out and a runner on third, drawing a dollar sign in the dirt before the pitch and then failed to run to first base after hitting a routine pop fly to shortstop, trotting back to the dugout instead . The Yankee fans booed, and Fisk told Sanders to "run the fucking ball out" and called Sanders a "piece of shit ." Later in the game, Sanders told Fisk that "the days of slavery are over ." Fisk was furious . "He comes up and wants to make it a racial issue, there's no racial issue involved . There is a right way and a wrong way to play this game ." </P> <P> By mid-July, Sanders expressed that he was unsure if he would remain with the Yankees or report to NFL training camp for the upcoming NFL season . He requested a $1 million salary for the 1991 season, and the Yankees ended negotiations on a contract extension with Sanders . He left the team, finishing the 1990 season with a . 158 batting average and three home runs in 57 games . In September 1990, the Yankees placed Sanders on waivers with the intention of giving him his release, as Yankees' general manager Gene Michael said that Sanders' football career was stunting his baseball development . </P>

Football hall of famer who appeared on dancing with the stars