Final Bidder For Chicago Cubs Could Be Selected in 7 to 10 Days

The sale of the Chicago Cubs, Wrigley Field, and a 25 percent stake in Comcast SportsNet Chicago could be nearing its completion, with the winning bidder possibly being selected within 7-10 days, according to the Chicago Tribune. The Tribune Co., and its owner, Sam Zell, are said to be nearing a decision between the three finalists, Thomas Ricketts, chief executive of Chicago investment bank Incapital LLC and the son of Joseph Ricketts, the founder of TD Ameritrade Holding Corp, Marc Utay, a managing partner with New York-based private equity firm Clarion Capital Partners LLC; and Chicago real estate executive Hersh Klaff. The report of a possible decision falls in line with Cubs chairman Crane Kenny saying that he hoped that the deal would be completed by Spring Training. The sale, once believed to be in pegged at over $1 billion is now likely to fall below that figure as the downturn in the economy and credit markets have taken a beating since Zell announced that the assets wer...