Stadium Bill Criticized

Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak called the last-minute bill passed by the Minnesota Legislature for a new baseball stadium “a giant step backward.”

The mayor said Sunday that the bill sent to Gov. Jesse Ventura late Saturday night makes it hard for Minneapolis to retain the Minnesota Twins. It requires potential host cities to hold a referendum asking voters to authorize higher restaurant and lodging taxes for debt repayment.

It also allows two or more cities to join together in bids for the stadium site, but county participation is prohibited, which deals a severe blow to Minneapolis, where taxpayers previously voted to limit city involvement in a new stadium.

Before the stadium bill was voted on in the state’s House, some Minneapolis lawmakers attempted to send the stadium bill back to a conference committee for further discussion. But the House defeated the motion.

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Shortstop Alex Gonzalez of the Florida Marlins was put on the 15-day disabled list because of a dislocated left shoulder. He will consult with team physician Dan Kanell in Miami after he was injured in Saturday’s game against the San Francisco Giants.... The Milwaukee Brewers put outfielder Matt Stairs on the 15-day disabled list because of a strained left hamstring and activated infielder Luis Lopez. Stairs’ move is retroactive to Friday.