BASEBALL / NATIONAL LEAGUE REPORT : CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

Deion Sanders, who has not been speaking with reporters for several weeks, talked to Atlanta General Manager John Schuerholz long enough to inform him, Schuerholz said, that reports that he planned to play for the Atlanta Falcons in Miami on Sunday--chartering a plane to fly from Pittsburgh, where Game 5 is scheduled to be played that day--were only rumors.

“I’m more worried what the team does than what any individual does, but it did bother me some,” Schuerholz said of the reports that had gained a measure of credibility on Tuesday when Sanders’ agent said his Sunday departure was a possibility.

“We have an understanding that he’ll be with us exclusively through the playoffs and World Series,” Schuerholz said of the two-sport star.

“He improves our speed and depth. He makes us better. We have a shot at our ultimate goal, and I think he understands that.”

The decibel level in Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium during the first two games of the NL playoff seemed to be down from last year. The tomahawk chop seemed to have lost some spontaneity.

“I don’t have an antenna for that,” Schuerholz said. “Last year was definitely special in that it was an opportunity for the fans to release a lot of the frustrations and emotions that had built up during all the lean years, but that doesn’t make this year any less special.

“We drew a million more this year (a total of 3,077,400). The enthusiasm and support are there.”