On the same day Tribune Co. is expected to send out the books for the Chicago Cubs auction, news of the fate of Wrigley Field, the team's ancient home, was also making the rounds.
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A plan to sell baseball's second-oldest ballpark failed after the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority, a state entity that owns and operates U.S. Cellular Field, the home of the Chicago White Sox, said it could not agree to terms set by Tribune. The Chicago Tribune, one of the Tribune's flagship newspapers, used some colorful words to lead off its story about the failed deal:
The state's efforts to purchase Wrigley Field slammed into an ivy-covered wall Monday when owner Tribune Co. rejected a no-tax proposal.
Interestingly, like the stories about the Cubs rout of the Dodgers on Sunday night, accounts of what happened differ depending on the source. The Tribune blames the state authority, while more independently minded sources identify Tribune as the dealbreaker. Either way, the dispute centers around a plan to sell fans "equity seat rights" to fund renovations of Wrigley. However, Major League Baseball forbids funding park renovation with ticket sales, notes the Tribune and MLB.com.
Regardless, it looks like one likely bidder, Internet billionaire Mark Cuban, who has said he wants to buy the Cubs with Wrigley, may get his wish with the field back in play. - Matthew Wurtzel
See story from Reuters
See story from the Chicago Tribune
See story from the Chicago Sun-Times
See story from MLB.com
See Dealwatch: Baseball
See Dealwatch: Tribune
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