BASEBALL / DAILY REPORT : AROUND THE MAJORS : Yankees Urged to Stay in New York

Gov. Mario Cuomo wants the Yankees to remain in New York and told owner George Steinbrenner as much during a meeting. Steinbrenner has hinted that he might move the Yankees to New Jersey after the lease for Yankee Stadium expires in 2002.

Cuomo met for about an hour with Steinbrenner, New York Post publisher Rupert Murdoch, state Department of Economic Development commissioner Vincent Tese and public relations executive Howard Rubenstein.

Cuomo said state and city obligations for Yankee Stadium are being met, including better parking conditions, getting police on scooters, cleaning up the area and deferring road repair until the season is over.

Cuomo said he and Tese told Steinbrenner to make up another list of what he would like the state to do for the team.

“One of the things I said to him today was I want to be sure that the city and state do everything you’re entitled to under your lease. I don’t want to leave you with an excuse, frankly, to leave the Bronx, so give me a list. . . .

“We’re working very hard to keep him in the Bronx. That would be the best arrangement.”

Steinbrenner has complained that the last-place New York Mets are outdrawing his team.

Yankee attendance has declined in the past five years, from 2.6 million in 1988 to 1.7 million last year. In each of those years, the Yankees were also-rans, finishing no higher than fourth in any season.

“You’d hope that the numbers would stay high and the Yankees would win. They’re not doing that right now,” Cuomo said. “The whole question is, if they win, will they continue to draw there? You can’t do that until you win. It’s hard to blame it on location when you have a team that loses. If you won the pennant, then you would be able to say over the next few months, ‘Gee, you have a winning team, how did you draw over those circumstances?’ ”

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The Cincinnati Reds placed leadoff hitter Bip Roberts on the 15-day disabled list because of a sprained left thumb. . . . The New York Mets activated third baseman Howard Johnson from the 15-day disabled list.