SPORTS - Tribune may throw MLB a curveball - The firm could sell the Cubs franchise in parts. Its quest for the highest bid may cause friction.

Tribune Co. announced in May that it would sell the marquee franchise after the current season as part of its privatization deal with Chicago real estate mogul Sam Zell. Estimates of the value of the team, its historic home at Wrigley Field and Tribune's 25% share of Comcast SportsNet, a regional cable TV network, have rocketed to $1 billion and beyond.

The Cubs, after all, are among the biggest draws in the major leagues. About 3.1 million fans flooded into Wrigley last year, keeping the stadium 93% filled despite the team's poor on-field performance. The Cubs finished in last place in the National League's Central Division, although they've come back this year and held on to first place by a slim margin going into Friday night's game with the St. Louis Cardinals.

But Tribune, which also owns The Times, is now pondering whether it might get more money by selling the pieces separately, according to people close to the Tribune transaction. Among other things, that would limit Commissioner Bud Selig's influence over the deal because Major League Baseball's authority extends only to the team itself. Selig has been accused of steering previous franchise sales toward bidders he favors, even when higher offers have been on the table, and he may have a strong preference this time.

A piecemeal transaction would also make the sale more complicated and probably push the timeline for its completion past the end of this year. And the league says it would represent a change of signals from Tribune.

"They've told us they're going to package them together," Selig said in an interview.

Sports-marketing experts generally believe that, in the end, a single deal will be made. But a Tribune source said the offering document provided to the league didn't commit the company to any specific combination.

Zell would have veto power over major transactions once he becomes Tribune's chairman if and when the deal is completed, possibly around the end of this year. Yet even now Zell, who holds one of the seven seats on the Tribune board, has a significant voice in corporate matters and wouldn't take kindly to being strong-armed into accepting less than the highest bid.