Sports

Cubs Introduce New Owner: The Ricketts Family

by Frank Liao | October 30, 2009 at 11:15 am

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Tom Ricketts was introduced today at a news conference as the new controlling owner of the Chicago Cubs. The Tribune Company sold the Cubs to the Ricketts family for $845 million, which includes a 95 percent stake in the team, Wrigley Field, and 25 percent of the Comcast Sportsnet Chicago cable channel, which carries the Cubs games.

The Ricketts family have no immediate plans to make changes to the Cubs' front office. For the time being, they will stick with current GM Jim Hendry, President Crane Kenney, and they hope Lou Piniella decides to excercise his option to manage the Cubs in 2011.

A big question on the minds of Cub fans is whether the Ricketts family will make any kind of significant changes to venerable Wrigley Field. So far, they have only decided on making some cosmetic changes to the ballpark, such as improving the restrooms and widening the concourses.

“There aren’t a lot of places to add seats, but we have some property adjacent to the park and we can build amenities into a new addition,” he said, referring to a triangular parcel. “People want more food options, like a restaurant, where you can take a client, and we’d like to do more for kids.”

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