Tribune Co. to sell Cubs before season

• Maury

  +2

  The name of this article is a reach in the extreme. Zell may wish to sell the team by Opening Day, but I doubt very seriously that the owners will approve in time. Just vastly too complex given that the offering book hasn't been sent out, Zell is monkeying around with selling off Wrigley piecemeal, etc.

  I don't see it happening by then.

  Posted 12/21/2007 [reply] [flag]

Leave a Comment

Links (8)

Sam Zell Ready to Sell
Published 12/21/2007 by Dave at OUT OF RIGHT FIELD
Sam Zell's purchase of the Tribune Company wrapped up this week, completing the transaction Cubs fans have been waiting on for years. During an introductory news conference, Zell said that he expected to sell the Cubs prior to Opening Day. The process as described by the Tribune and people interested in the team was that it would be into the middle of 2008 before things got done, but it looks like Zell is ready to get a move on. The Cubs have not shared their books with possible buyers, but with Zell's no nonsense approach I think MLB may be in for a shock on how quickly this gets completed. We can only hope Zell gets his wish, and Cubs fans get theirs (Mark Cuban). Zell ready to ...

Cubs To Be Sold Before Opening Day
Published 12/21/2007 by Jack Cobra at Cobra Brigade
After months and months (and years and years for some of you Tribune haters) of waiting, it looks like the end is finally in sight. Chicago Tribune CEO Sam Zell said the Cubs will be sold before Opening Day (2008): Tribune Co.'s new CEO Sam Zell said the Cubs will be sold by Opening Day, and that he may sell naming rights to Wrigley Field because such rights could be "extraordinarily valuable." Zell, who took over the company on Thursday, completing an $8.2 billion deal, confirmed the team will be sold during an introductory news conference. The Tribune has owned the Cubs since 1981, and Zell is selling the team and some related assets to ...

Tribune Company Sold, Cubs Next
Published 12/21/2007 by Al <al@bleedcubbieblue.com> at Bleed Cubbie Blue: Front Page Posts
So. Tribune Company's sale to Sam Zell is a done deal, and at least one of you yesterday wondered why I didn't mention it myself, didn't make a front page post, let it go unmentioned. Why did I do this? Because nothing happened to the Chicago Cubs yesterday. We all knew this deal was coming, and the Cubs have been on the market since last April. We did learn that Zell intends to complete the sale of the team by Opening Day; that's a pretty tight time frame, especially considering that MLB approval is needed. Implicit here is the possibility, since the time frame IS so tight, that a backdoor deal is already done, or close to being done. That might not be good news for ...

Welcome to Wrigley Field at Portillo's Park!
Published 12/21/2007 by PostmanE at FanHouse
Filed under: Chicago, Cubs, NL Central, MLB BizReal estate tycoon Sam Zell finalized his purchase of the Tribune Company today, and he's wasted no time in making waves throughout the company's various properties. First, he stomped through the Chicago Tribune to energize the newspaper's troops against the rising tide of financial failure. Now, he's dropping knowledge on his plans for the sale of the Cubs, including one interesting caveat: Wrigley Field's naming rights will be up for grabs: Tribune Co.'s new CEO Sam Zell said the Cubs will be sold by Opening Day, and that he may sell naming rights to Wrigley Field because such ...

Weeghman Park to be Renamed Once Again
Published 12/21/2007 by Shyster at ShysterBall
Those accursed plutocrats! Some four score years after defiling the North Side's beloved Weeghman Park with a base, corporate name, plans are afoot to do so once again! Tribune Co.'s new CEO Sam Zell said the Cubs will be sold by Opening Day, and that he may sell naming rights to Wrigley Field because such rights could be "extraordinarily ...

Weekend Update - 12/22/07
Published 12/22/2007 at ChicagoCubsOnline.com
... The talk on Friday was the sale of the Tribune Company to Sam Zell. The sale was expected but Zell also announced the Cubs would be sold by Opening Day, as well as possibly the naming rights to Wrigley Field. While the deal could mean millions to the Cubs annually, the old ballpark at 1060 West Addison will always be known as Wrigley Field....no matter what it says on the marquee. Ryan Dempster was on XM Radio Friday and discussed the subject with Holden Kushner and Bill Ripken. Dempster said, " If you take away the name, you might as well take away the ...

Published 12/24/2007 by thecincinattikid at Sedition in Red Sox Nation
... Since the title of this blog would indicate that it should be baseball themed, I have a baseball story to pass on to you. I imagine you must have seen it by now, but I feel I ought to complain anyway. Sam Zell, billionaire and the second biggest moron to own a professional team (behind the Benefactor), intends to divest himself of the Tribune Company's crown jewel (the Cubs). Along the way, Mr. Zell is considering selling the naming rights to Wrigley Field. ...

Wrigley Field no more? Gotta love Big Biz
Published 12/26/2007 by NDub at Construda
... finalized the deal last week to buy Tribune Co., which owns the Chicago Cubs. Now the company's CEO, Zell has decided to sell the Cubs and likely the naming rights to Wrigley Field , the second oldest ballpark in MLB, opening play in 1916. There is a possibility, however, that the state of Illinois could acquire Wrigley Field through the state-backed government agency, called the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority. Regardless, it seems big money is ruling this situation. Zell bought Trib. Co. for $8 billion dollars and is selling the Cubs and Wrigley Field naming rights ...