The Associated Press

WASHINGTON - Washington is calling Major League Baseball's bluff over the relocation of the Montreal Expos.

City officials have prepared a new plan they say offers MLB exactly what it has requested - 100 percent public financing for a new ballpark if the Expos are moved to the nation's capital.

"It is by far the best proposal that the city could have come up with," Fred Malek, head of a potential ownership group, said Friday. "... It meets the needs and requests of Major League Baseball. It's got the support of the mayor as well as key members of the city council."

Baseball has been trying to resolve the future of the Expos since the struggling franchise was purchased by the other 29 teams before the 2002 season. League officials failed to meet deadlines in 2002 and 2003 to find a new home for the team and have set this year's All-Star break as their latest target.

Washington's plan would raise money through a new tax on large businesses and taxes on tickets, concessions, merchandise, parking and other stadium-related sales.

Local officials often have felt MLB has avoided serious consideration of Washington or Northern Virginia out of deference to Baltimore Orioles owner Peter Angelos, who claims the D.C. area is part of his market. This latest plan could be seen as a test of Angelos' influence.

"I take the league at their word," Malek said. "They said they want a fully financed stadium, that Baltimore is a consideration, not a roadblock. I believe this area is ... big enough to support two teams well."

Major League Baseball did not issue comment.

Torre re-ups as Yankees' manager

Joe Torre and the New York Yankees agreed Friday to a $19.2 million, three-year contract extension through 2007, reaching the deal a season after the manager's relationship with owner George Steinbrenner soured. "Last year, I wasn't sure during the course of the year if the Yankees had had enough of me," said Torre (above), who guided the team to four World Series titles in eight years. But during spring training, Steinbrenner popped into his office for an impromptu chat that changed everything. As for retiring after 2007? "I'm guessing I will, but I'm sure we'll talk," Torre said.

Feds seize test results

Federal authorities probing an alleged steroid distribution ring have seized the results and samples of drug tests on selected major-league players from a Quest Diagnostics lab in Las Vegas, Quest spokesman Gary Samuels said. Samuels would not say whether the Internal Revenue Service agents took the drug-test results or specimen of Barry Bonds in the Thursday raid, but said the agents took ma-

terials consistent with a federal subpoena that had sought test results and specimens from the Giants' slugger and fewer than a dozen other players. Among them were results from the Yankees' Gary Sheffield and Jason Giambi. None of the players, who have testified before a grand jury in the case, has been charged in the case and all repeatedly have denied using steroids. The IRS would not comment.

SUSPENSIONS: Detroit's Nate Cornejo was suspended five games and Philadelphia's Ryan Madson was suspended for three for throwing at opponents during spring training.

Three managers - Detroit's Alan Trammell, Philadelphia's Larry Bowa and Arizona's Bob Brenly - were each suspended one game for their actions during spring training games and will serve their penalties today.

TWINS: Minnesota placed center fielder Torii Hunter on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to Wednesday, because of a strained right hamstring.

RED SOX: The team placed right-handed reliever Ramiro Mendoza on the 15-day disabled list because of tendinitis in his right shoulder. Boston called up pitcher Mark Malaska, who was 2-1 with a 2.81 ERA in 22 appearance with Tampa Bay last season, from Triple-A Pawtucket.