BASEBALL DAILY REPORT : AROUND THE MAJOR LEAGUES : Cardinals’ Jordan to Give Up Football

Brian Jordan, a safety for the Atlanta Falcons last season, promised to give up football and agreed to three-year, $2.3-million contract with the St. Louis Cardinals.

“It’s a tough decision, but a good business decision,” Jordan said.

There was no immediate reaction from the Falcons, who are trying to keep cornerback Deion Sanders, an outfielder for the Atlanta Braves.

Gene Michael, general manager of the New York Yankees, said he had not been contacted by George Steinbrenner about baseball matters since August of 1990. Michael added that he is to meet with Commissioner Fay Vincent today.

Vincent, who had been expected to announce Monday that Steinbrenner could resume control of the Yankees next season, instead said a decision had been deferred indefinitely. He is said to be investigating reports that Steinbrenner had some forbidden involvement with the American League team in the last two years.

“I have not had any contact with George Steinbrenner,” Michael said. “I would not risk my baseball career by doing that.”

Steinbrenner, who flew to New York for what he expected to be Monday’s reinstatement, was angered by the delay.

“My God, are we living in Nazi Germany or the United States of America?” Steinbrenner told Newsday. “I have no idea where it’s going. They’re making these so-called allegations on the morning of the hearing? I can’t quite fathom it.”

When Steinbrenner was asked if he had contacted any Yankee officials since Aug. 20, 1990--the effective date of his agreement with Vincent that removed him from the operations of the club--he said: “I have not had any contact with Gene Michael or any other official about baseball matters or anything related to them, pure and simple--other than at regular, quarterly partnership meetings in which I am permitted to participate.”

Relief pitcher Steve Howe of the Yankees, suspended indefinitely last week after pleading guilty to attempted possession of cocaine, presented his appeal to arbitrator George Nicolau, who gave the parties until this morning for further discussion.

The latest attempt to woo the San Francisco Giants comes from Stockton, 75 miles east of the Bay Area. A group headed by insurance agent Richard Paulsen proposed to build a baseball stadium in an onion field along Interstate 5 south of the Central California community.