BASEBALL DAILY REPORT : AROUND THE MAJORS : Deion Says He Favors Football

Deion Sanders, who bruised his right elbow Tuesday night when he was hit by a pitch in the San Francisco Giants’ game at St. Louis, said he is thinking about giving up baseball.

“Everyone has to realize you can’t do things when your heart’s not in it,” said Sanders, whose contract with the Giants expires after this season. “It’s the fans, my family and my body feeling like it. . . . Everyone knows football is more natural for me.”

The Giants were surprised by Sanders’ remarks. “At some point, we’ll have to sit down and get a definite understanding of what’s going on,” Giant General Manager Bob Quinn said.

Sanders signed a $35-million, seven-year contract with the Dallas Cowboys last week.

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Kevin McClatchy, a Sacramento newspaper heir who hopes buy the Pittsburgh Pirates, agreed on a lease that will keep the team in Pittsburgh but also allow him to move the team if money for a new stadium isn’t secured by 2000. According to the deal, McClatchy will get $6.5 million in annual lease concessions, an $8-million loan and other incentives from the city if he buys the financially ailing franchise.