Bonds, Bottalico Get Suspensions

San Francisco Giant outfielder Barry Bonds was suspended for three games and Philadelphia Phillie reliever Ricky Bottalico was suspended for four because of their brawl last weekend.

National League President Len Coleman, who also fined the players $1,000 each Tuesday, determined Bottalico threw at Bonds during Sunday’s game, instigating a sixth-inning brawl. Bonds, suspended for the first time in his career, was penalized for charging the mound.

The differing lengths is due partly to the players’ positions.

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Bud Selig, elected baseball’s ninth commissioner last month, resigned as president and chief executive officer of the Milwaukee Brewers, handing the reins to his daughter, Wendy Selig-Prieb, 38.

Selig, whose group bought the Seattle Pilots out of bankruptcy court in 1970 and returned major league baseball to Milwaukee four seasons after the Braves bolted for Atlanta, transferred his ownership interest into a voting trust.

His daughter, who had been vice president and general counsel of the team, was unanimously elected team president and CEO by the board of directors.

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Several companies and individuals accused of selling forged Mark McGwire memorabilia have agreed to stop the practice.

The office of Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon said the companies agreed to halt trading in such items through the end of September, to buy back any questionable items they sold and to hold the items for further investigation by the attorney general’s office.

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Florida Marlin second baseman Craig Counsell’s jaw was broken when hit by a fastball thrown by C.J. Nitkowski of the Houston Astros on Monday and he won’t be able to eat solid food for five weeks, the team said.

An oral surgeon and plastic surgeon performed surgery and wired Counsell’s jaw shut.

Counsell, who scored the winning run in the World Series last year, is expected to make a full recovery, and there’s a chance he’ll play again this season, the Marlins said. They placed him on the 15-day disabled list and recalled second baseman Luis Castillo from triple-A Charlotte.

Counsell suffered a compound displaced fracture of the right jaw when he was hit on the right side of the face in the eighth inning. He was the third consecutive batter hit by Nitkowski, who tied a major-league record.

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John Franco signed a two-year contract extension with the New York Mets. Franco, baseball’s career saves leader among left-handers, had been eligible for free agency at the end of this season. . . . The Reds have offered Manager Jack McKeon another one-year contract extension. McKeon, 67, said he’ll talk to General Manager Jim Bowden about the offer when the team returns from a three-game series in Atlanta this week. . . . Astro closer Billy Wagner completed his rehabilitation assignment by throwing one shutout inning in his third appearance at double-A Jackson. Wagner was hit in the head by a line drive on July 15.

The Baltimore Orioles activated designated hitter Harold Baines and second baseman Roberto Alomar off the disabled list. The Orioles optioned outfielder Lyle Mouton and infielder P.J. Forbes to triple-A Rochester of the International League to make room.

Reliever Albie Lopez was placed on the 15-day list because of right heel bursitis and replaced in Tampa Bay’s bullpen by knuckleballer Dennis Springer. . . . The Oakland Athletics activated outfielder Jason McDonald from the disabled list and optioned right-hander Jay Witasick to the minors between games of a doubleheader against the New York Yankees. . . . The Chicago Cubs waived veteran left-handed reliever Tony Fossas and called up shortstop Jose Nieves from double-A.