Remlinger, Cubs Close to Deal

Reliever Mike Remlinger intends to leave the Atlanta Braves to sign with the Chicago Cubs, the Associated Press reported.

The contract is contingent on the left-hander passing a physical and an announcement could come as early as today.

The deal is for three years and worth about $11 million, a person familiar with the talks said on the condition of anonymity.

“We’re really close and should have something done in a day or so,” Remlinger said Monday by telephone, acknowledging he will be in Chicago today to take a physical.

Remlinger would bolster a Cub bullpen that blew many leads last season and squandered 25 saves. He was 7-3 with a 1.99 earned-run average in 73 games last season, his fourth with the Braves. Remlinger, 36, has appeared in 440 games -- all but 59 as a reliever -- with a 44-41 record and a 3.80 ERA.

Remlinger came up to the major leagues with the San Francisco Giants in 1991, when new Cub Manager Dusty Baker was the Giants’ hitting coach.

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Euclides Rojas, 35, the career saves leader for Cuba’s national team, was hired by Boston as bullpen coach.

Rojas defected from Cuba in 1994 and played briefly in Florida’s minor league system before becoming a minor league instructor for the Marlins and Pittsburgh.

Jurisprudence

Callaway Golf has been sued by a golf professional and his business partner, who accuse the company of stealing the idea for what has become known as a two-ball putter.

Clark Collins, the pro, and Patrick Riley filed suit last week.

They contend Callaway and its subsidiary company, Odyssey, breached a contract, violated confidentiality agreements and misrepresented themselves during negotiations.

Calls to Callaway were not immediately returned.

Miscellany

ABC’s coverage of USC’s football rout of Notre Dame on Saturday drew a Nielsen rating of 12.6 with a 24 share in Los Angeles.

USC-UCLA the previous week drew a 9.6/23. The national rating for the USC-Notre Dame game, which was shown in 70% of the country, was a 7.7/13.

U.S. men’s softball player Shawn Mandolesi has been suspended for two years after testing positive for steroids.

Denny Crum, who coached Louisville to two NCAA men’s basketball titles, will return to the San Fernando Valley on Saturday to have his jersey number retired at the game between Pierce and West L.A. colleges.

Crum played and coached at Pierce before becoming an assistant to John Wooden at UCLA.