CHICAGO (AP) - Tribune Co. made a stunning pitch to investors on baseball’s opening day: The Chicago Cubs will be sold at season’s end.

The announcement yesterday came as the ailing media conglomerate announced its acquisition by billionaire investor Sam Zell. It puts one of sports’ most storied and star-crossed franchises on the block, a year shy of the 100th anniversary of its last World Series. Analysts have estimated the Cubs could fetch $600 million or more, a far cry from the $20.5 million Tribune paid in 1981.

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