No. 5 NFL Pick Called Up by N.Y. Yankees

NEW YORK —  “Neon Deion” Sanders, the brash cornerback chosen fifth in last month’s NFL draft, was called up by baseball’s New York Yankees today, creating a potential bidding war between baseball and football.

Sanders, who was drafted out of Florida State by the Atlanta Falcons and is considered a better prospect in football than in baseball, was bumped up two steps by the Yankees, who purchased his contract from Albany-Colonie of the Double-A Eastern League.

An outfielder, he was hitting .286 with 17 stolen bases and had a .380 on-base percentage.

The call-up gave the man also known as “Prime Time,” more negotiating leverage than he already had. Right after the draft, he said he would seek a $10-million, 6-year contract that would make him the NFL’s highest-paid defensive player ever before he has ever played a game.

“It’s going to make for a very interesting situation,” said Sanders’ agent, Steve Zucker.