First-round playoff games will be shown only on cable starting next season as part of baseball's new seven-year television deal with Fox and TBS, a total package worth almost $3 billion.

Turner Broadcasting System also will televise 26 regular-season Sunday games in 2008 while eventually cutting back on its nationwide Atlanta Braves coverage.

The World Series, All-Star games and Saturday afternoon telecasts remain on Fox through 2013, as does one of the league championship series. The other LCS -- alternating between AL and NL each year -- is still up for bidding.

"That's the last piece of the journey here to be solved, and there is an enormous amount of interest," commissioner Bud Selig said.

"So we'll be able to hopefully announce that in a very short period of time."

There is a chance, too, that TBS could benefit from the deal even sooner. The network will show all division and wild-card tiebreaker games, starting this year.

As part of the new deal, the World Series will start on a Tuesday instead of a Saturday beginning next season.

Giants

The U.S. Attorney's office in San Francisco is mulling over whether it will seek an indictment against Barry Bonds, perhaps as soon as next week, according to the New York Daily News. Bonds is facing possible indictment for perjury and tax evasion, and the grand jury that has been hearing evidence against him is due to expire within the next couple of weeks.

Generally, several attorneys said, when a grand jury comes to the end of its term, a prosecutor will seek an indictment.

Getting the indictment isn't difficult, but if Kevin Ryan, the U.S. attorney in San Francisco, gets the indictment he wants from the grand jury, "it will be because they believe they have enough to convict, not because they think it will give them leverage or result in a plea or something like that," said Long Island attorney Rick Collins, the author of "Legal Muscle: Anabolics in America."

Several senior MLB sources said they believe Bonds likely will be indicted, and that they found plenty of damning information about Bonds in their own investigation, launched secretly a year before Selig appointed former U.S. Senator George Mitchell to conduct an inquiry in the spring.

Brewers

A woman pleaded not guilty to a felony charge of stalking Hall of Fame announcer Bob Uecker.

An attorney for Ann Ladd, 45, entered the plea at a preliminary hearing in Milwaukee County Circuit Court. Ladd, of Prospect Heights, Ill., waived her right to give testimony at the hearing, said her lawyer, Steve Kohn.

Trial is scheduled to start July 31. If convicted, Ladd could face up to 3 1/2 years in prison and a $25,000 fine.

Uecker, the voice of the Milwaukee Brewers for more than 35 years, did not attend the hearing. Uecker has been seeking a restraining order against the woman, whom he claims has been stalking him for six or seven years.

Elsewhere

The Minnesota Twins recalled right-hander Scott Baker from Class AAA Rochester. Baker began the season as Minnesota's fifth starter, but he was sent down June 1 after going 2-5 with a 6.06 ERA in nine outings. ... The Texas Rangers optioned rookie designated hitter Jason Botts to Class AAA Oklahoma.