K.C. Stadium Votes Split

Voters on Tuesday split on two measures to pay for upgrades to Kansas City’s sports stadiums, approving a sales tax for renovations but rejecting a plan for a rolling roof to make both facilities climate-controlled.

The measures in Jackson County, Mo., were designed to raise more than $500 million to renovate Kauffman Stadium, where baseball’s Royals play, and Arrowhead Stadium, the home of the NFL’s Chiefs.

Voters supporting the tax increases feared the teams might leave without the improvements. Opponents decried giving aid to millionaire team owners.

A three-eighth-cent sales tax will raise $425 million over 25 years to renovate the stadiums and add amenities such as a pavilion behind the baseball stadium.

A separate user tax would have generated about $200 million for the rolling roof.

The sales tax passed with 53% of the vote, and the roof plan failed with about 48%.

The teams’ owners have pledged, together, more than $125 million toward the renovations. But arguments have raged for weeks over whether the Royals’ David Glass and the Chiefs’ Lamar Hunt were putting up enough of their own money.

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The World Anti-Doping Agency wasn’t allowed to conduct unannounced drug tests before the World Baseball Classic and can’t determine whether the sport’s governing body complied with its code.

WADA said in a statement that the International Baseball Federation, which was put in charge of testing by Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Assn., allowed its out-of-competition testing agreement with WADA to expire in December and didn’t renew it until after the tournament, which was played March 3-20.

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Cleveland Indian ace left-hander C.C. Sabathia was put on the 15-day disabled list and is expected to be out three to five weeks because of a strained abdominal muscle.

Sabathia was hurt in Sunday night’s opener against the Chicago White Sox and had to leave in the third inning.

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Oakland shortstop Bobby Crosby probably will sit out about a week because of a bruised and cut index finger on his left hand suffered in the Athletics’ 15-2 loss to the New York Yankees on Monday night.

X-rays Tuesday were negative.

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Reliever Salomon Torres agreed to a $6.5 million, two-year contract extension with the Pittsburgh Pirates that includes a club option for 2009.