CINCINNATI – A thick, jeweled cross swung from the gold chain around Deion Sanders' neck. The fingers of black batting gloves poked from the back left pocket of his pinstriped Cincinnati Reds pants.

Mingling religion and baseball, the two-sport athlete returned to the major leagues Tuesday with one thing in mind: showing he belonged.

After only two at-bats, he had made his point.

Sanders lined a single to center on the first pitch he saw from Los Angeles' Eric Gagne in the first inning. Sanders got a standing ovation and a curtain call in the second inning, when he again hit Gagne's first pitch for a three-run homer.

In all, Sanders went 3-for-3 and had a sacrifice bunt that set up the go-ahead run in the Reds' 7-6 victory.

As a banner in right field proclaimed, it was again Prime Time in Cincinnati. The only question was: For how long?

During pregame interviews, the Washington Redskins cornerback refused to say how long he'd stay in Cincinnati. He turned aside all football questions, doting on that sport only long enough to use it as a measuring stick for his latest fling with baseball.

"If you look back at football – it's been a good run," said Sanders, whose contract with the Redskins allows him to play baseball. "There isn't too much more I can do. In baseball, there's so much to do, so much to accomplish, and it's a challenge."

Sanders, 33, hadn't played in the major leagues since Sept. 4, 1997, a span of 1,364 days. He didn't play baseball at all in 1998-99, and passed up chance to play for the Reds last season.

When he asked general manager Jim Bowden for one more chance over the winter, Bowden relented. Sanders got a minor league contract, an invitation to spring training and an opportunity that turned out better than anyone expected.

Sanders was leading the International League in hitting with a .459 average when the Reds called him up from Triple-A Louisville on Tuesday – the first day the Reds were allowed to, under baseball's rules. He was in the starting lineup, batting second and playing left field.

"I feel like I earned my way back," Sanders said. "It was not just given, and that was very important to me."

He gave no hints about how long he'll stay.

When Sanders was with the Reds in 1997, he left to go play football for Dallas in September. After one month in the minors last year, he decided to go back home to Dallas and later refused a call-up, saying he wanted to concentrate on football.

This time?

"We signed Deion with the expectations that if he made the big league club, that he'd be here throughout and help us win until the last out is made in our season," said Bowden, standing behind the batting cage.

Sanders wouldn't go quite that far. Three times, he was asked how long he'd stay with the Reds. Three times, he dodged the question.

"I haven't even made a commitment to the realtor," he said, grinning. "You know what? I'm going to be happy, man. That's first and foremost – that I am happy and I am at peace in whatever decision I make."

The only time that his voice took on an edge during two rounds of interviews was when someone asked whether he felt an obligation to the Redskins.

"It's like asking if they feel obligations to me," he said. "Pose that question to them."

The Reds have a minimal obligation to Sanders. Shortly after he arrived in the clubhouse at noontime to start unpacking, he went up to Bowden's office to sign a $500,000, one-year contract that contains no incentives or options for future years, according to Bowden.

Sanders posted a verse from one of the Psalms above his locker and added a "Jesus Loves You" banner below his nameplate. Sanders had a change of heart about religion when he was with the Reds in 1997, his last in the majors.

A .266 career hitter who never reached base often enough to use his speed, Sanders seemed to change his hitting approach during his 19-game stint in Louisville. He led the International League in hitting, triples, on-base percentage and slugging percentage.

"I don't think I'm a different ballplayer," Sanders said. "I'm a different person."

With Ken Griffey Jr. disabled by a torn hamstring, Sanders will get a chance to play often. Manager Bob Boone uses his bench a lot and likes Sanders' speed.

"He's coming in as an extra outfielder and we'll see," Boone said. "We'll see how good he does."

Even Bowden, who is Sanders' biggest booster in the Reds organization, is withholding judgment.

"It doesn't matter what he does at Triple-A," Bowden said. "I didn't care if he hit .200, .250 or .470 and led the league. That's the minor leagues. This is the big leagues – there's a big difference. He'll be judged when he takes the field tonight. That's when it counts."