After months of delay and missed deadlines, Major League Baseball's senior leadership appears close to picking a new owner for the Nationals. With so much at stake, the impending decision has touched off a frenzy of gossip and rumors, which rose to a new level yesterday after a local television station reported that the deal was done. The report completely overshadowed the game between Washington and Cincinnati at RFK Stadium that ended in a 5-0 Reds victory. "When I walked into the stadium there were a number of television cameras that greeted me," said Mark Tuohey, chairman of the D.C. Sports and Entertainment Commission. "I simply said that MLB had confirmed that no decision had been made. It's the buzz. It's the hot subject around town."