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Thursday, June 5, 1997

More salvos fired in Schilling-Sanders skirmish

By Paul Hagen

Knight-Ridder Newspapers

(KRT)

PHILADELPHIA - Deion Sanders is still smarting from the insinuation he was too chicken to fight Curt Schilling after a pitch from the big Phillies righthander came up and in on him Tuesday night.

And he makes it clear he still plans to have his showdown with Schilling.

"I wasn't going to go out there and get suspended for three games when I'm only going to get in one lick," the Reds' outfielder Sanders told the Cincinnati Post Wednesday night at Cinergy Field. "It ain't worth it.

"I want to be out there with him with no interruptions . . . when I don't have a catcher jumping on my back.

"I deal with so many guys who try to make their reputations or get themselves known off me.

"This dude has no heart. Just ask his teammates. You'll notice he didn't do that last week when he pitched (in Cincinnati). He waited because he knew we weren't going to see them again until September."

Schilling first declined to respond to the latest salvo, then changed his mind.

"First of all, he said he's not going to do this through the media, and now he's giving me a two-page dissertation on heart?" he asked incredulously. "Here's a guy who quits his team halfway through the season to go play football if they're out of the race. Heart?

"I make my reputation getting hitters like Barry Bonds, Ken Griffey Jr., Albert Belle out. Not getting Deion Sanders out. What has he done in this game? He's a great athlete, but he's basically a glorified flag football player who can run."

This is only the latest skirmish in Sanders vs. Schilling.

It started on April 26 in Cincinnati. Schilling, who was being hit hard anyway, became annoyed when Sanders stole second and third and then danced mockingly off third.

They exchanged words on the field at the end of the inning. Later, Schilling questioned Sanders' professionalism.

Schilling pitched a complete game and beat the Reds at Cinergy Field May 27. After the game, he downplayed his feud with Sanders, but added, "Put it this way: These things have a way of coming out in the wash."

The latest problem started in the third inning Tuesday night with two outs and nobody on. Sanders squared around to bunt and almost ran into the inside pitch.

He started toward the mound as both benches emptied. After the game, Schilling questioned why Sanders didn't come after him if he believed he was being thrown at. Then he added a zinger. "The guy doesn't tackle with pads on. What's he going to do, arm tackle me?" he taunted.

That enraged Sanders, who immediately challenged Schilling to meet him in the corridor that connects the two clubhouses in the Vet's basement.

That confrontation never took place. So how, exactly, does Sanders plan to exact his revenge?

"Doers don't talk. Talkers don't do," he said. "Just pray for him."

(c) 1997, Philadelphia Daily News.

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