Tom Ricketts poses at Wrigley Field in October 2009. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)

Tribune News Services | The Cubs are worth $726 million according to the annual estimates by
Forbes magazine, which ranks fifth among major-league baseball teams.
It’s a 4 percent increase from the 2009 rankings, but is $119 million
less than the $845 million that new owner Tom Ricketts paid to acquire
the team last year.

The New York Yankees are worth nearly twice
as much as any other team at $1.6 billion, up 7 percent from a $1.5
billion value last year. The magazine said the team had $441 million in
net revenue in the first season at its new ballpark after paying to
baseball’s revenue sharing program and financing the stadium.

Boston was next, going up 4 percent to $870 million and was followed by
the New York Mets, who dropped 6 percent to $858 million. The Los
Angeles Dodgers, caught in divorce proceedings of owners Frank and Jamie
McCourt, were fourth with a 1 percent increase to $727 million, $1
million more than the Cubs. The White Sox rank 10th at $466 million.

Florida, which moves into a new ballpark in 2012, had the largest
percentage rise, increasing 15 percent to $317 million. Minnesota had a
14 percent jump to $405 million following its move this year to Target
Field.

Pittsburgh was last at $289 million, just below Oakland, which dropped 8
percent to $295 million. The average worth was up 2 percent to $491
million.

Forbes estimated the 30 teams combined for record operating income of
$522 million before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, an
average of $17.4 million per team.

Texas, in the process of being sold from Tom Hicks to Chuck Greenberg,
had the highest estimated debt-to-value ratio, 105 percent, followed by
the Yankees (89 percent), Mets (81 percent) and Cubs (80 percent).
Minnesota and Toronto were listed with no debt.