Coors Field escalators shut down indefinitely

Denver — A company’s report on what caused an escalator at Coors Field to malfunction and injure 35 people is inadequate and all the stadium’s escalators will remain shut down indefinitely, a city official said Thursday.

Kone Inc., which services escalators at the baseball stadium, issued a report Wednesday blaming the July 2 accident on a misconnected wire and overloading. The company said the combination caused the escalator to speed up beyond what the brakes could handle after a sold-out Colorado Rockies game.

City inspectors, though, believe the brakes on the multistory escalator were deficient.

The city plans to conduct a weight test that will load a total of 22,500 pounds in increments to test the brakes. Kone has objected to the test, saying it will damage the escalator.

Julius Zsako, spokesman for the Denver Community Planning and Development, said the stadium’s seven escalators will remain shut down until the test is done.

Several people were sent to the hospital with broken bones and cuts when the escalator suddenly sped up, dumping fans to the bottom as they headed home.

A-Rod, Rangers make up

Arlington, Texas — Alex Rodriguez and the Texas Rangers seem to be on the same page — for now.

A day after indicating that he was so frustrated by losing that he would consider a trade, Rodriguez said Thursday that he hopes to remain in Texas for a long time — if things turn around in the future.

“If in a couple of years, which is 24 months, not today, tomorrow or August, we’re still in this kind of rebuilding process, then in two or three years I’ll sit down with Mr. (Tom) Hicks and we’ll get something done,” Rodriguez said.

The Rangers appear headed for their fourth straight last-place finish. The Rangers are 187-243 since Rodriguez, 28, arrived. He is in the third year of his record $252 million, 10-year contract..

Former ump Maloney dies

Barstow, Calif. — Former American League umpire George Maloney died while traveling to observe umpires in the Pioneer League. He was 75.

The National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues said Wednesday that Maloney was stricken and died Tuesday in Barstow. Maloney umpired in the AL from 1969-84, working the 1975 World Series.

Arena architect dead

Atlanta — Bill Finch, a designer of Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium and Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati, died Monday of a cerebral hemorrhage at age 89.

Finch created the concept for the two major league baseball stadiums, co-worker Henry Teague said. Both ballparks have been demolished to make way for new ones.

Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium opened in 1966 and was demolished in 1997. Riverfront Stadium opened in 1970 and was torn down last year. The Reds’ Great American Ball Park opened this season.