BASEBALL / DAILY REPORT : AROUND THE MAJOR LEAGUES : Leyland Looking for More Support

Pittsburgh Manager Jim Leyland criticized the Pirates’ fans for a lack of support during a four-game weekend sweep by Cincinnati, saying that it is “a disgrace” that a successful team draws so poorly.

The weekend series between NL division leaders attracted only 95,191, or 18,793 fewer than attended a three-game series against Montreal on the same weekend last season. The Pirates are on a pace to draw only 1.66 million, or nearly half a million fewer than their 1991 attendance of 2,065,302. “I’m tired of hearing the excuses. Where are all the people?” Leyland said after Sunday’s game drew 24,369, or about half what next Sunday’s Reds-Pirates game is likely to attract in Riverfront Stadium.

Several New York Yankees told Newsday that the Texas Rangers’ Nolan Ryan might have been scuffing baseballs during his three-hit, 4-1 victory Saturday night. “Let’s put it this way: He had some very unusual movement,” the Yankees’ Mel Hall said.

Added Roberto Kelly: “The balls had some movement you definitely don’t see on baseballs, but we can’t prove it,”

The Yankees inspected some baseballs that rolled their way, finding what they said was a scuff mark on one during Ryan’s 13-strikeout, one-walk performance. The Yankees who made the allegations did not say Ryan was reliant on scuffballs. One estimated, “He may have done it a half-dozen times.”

The Yankees lodged no complaints with the umpires and do not plan to complain to the American League office. They doubt that Ryan would be investigated or disciplined; as one Yankee said, “He’s like the Pope.”

Charges that Ryan scuffs baseballs are not new. Cito Gaston, manager of the Toronto Blue Jays, accused Ryan of scuffing last season, as did Gary Gaetti and Lance Parrish of the Angels. Manager Hal McRae of the Kansas City Royals strongly suggested that Ryan scuffed balls during a seven-inning, one-hit outing May 21.

Commissioner Fay Vincent said Sunday he is prepared to issue his decision on National League realignment within a few days, but wasn’t ready to reveal what it would be.

Several NL teams want the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals to switch to the West Division next season with the Cincinnati Reds and Atlanta Braves moving to the East. The Cubs blocked that plan with their veto, but several owners asked Vincent to overrule it.