L.A. Man to Buy Brewers

Los Angeles investor Mark L. Attanasio appears to be close to an agreement to buy the Milwaukee Brewers from the family of baseball Commissioner Bud Selig.

Daniel Gilbert, the founder and chairman of Quicken Loans, said Monday that he was told that the team had selected another buyer, and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported on its website that the team had accepted an offer from Attanasio.

“I am deeply disappointed that the Brewers have chosen another direction in the sale of the club,” Gilbert said. “After nearly eight long months of negotiations, I believed we were on the verge of announcing a deal when I was informed of the Brewers’ decision to sell the team to another party.”

Attanasio’s spokesman, Bill Mendel, declined to comment Monday.

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Barry Bonds hopes his random steroid test last week will remove suspicion that he uses performance-enhancing drugs.

The San Francisco Giant outfielder told MLB.com he was tested Friday as part of baseball’s new drug-testing agreement. Each player is tested once during the season.

“I’m glad this is finally happening,” Bonds said. “They’ll get the results, and it will clear my name.”

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The Giant fan who caught Bonds’ 700th homer is being sued by another man who says he is the rightful owner of the prized ball, which he maintains was stolen from him during a mad scramble.

According to a restraining order to be filed in state court today, Timothy Murphy said Steve Williams stole the historic ball from him during a melee in the left-center field bleachers at SBC Park on Sept. 17.

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Exactly 33 years after the Washington Senators played their final game, the nation’s capital might learn Thursday that Major League Baseball plans to return next season.

Several baseball officials said that Thursday was the most likely day for an announcement that Washington has been selected for the future home of the Montreal Expos, although the timetable could be moved up.