Former all-star: Don't sell Cubs till I get paid

WILMINGTON, Delaware (Reuters) - Former Chicago Cubs shortstop Shawon Dunston has objected in bankruptcy court to the sale of the team because it owes him money to pay for a college education, according to court documents filed on Thursday.

The bankrupt Tribune Co, which owns the Cubs, has reached a deal to sell one of baseball's most popular teams to the Ricketts family for $845 million.

The deal must be approved by a bankruptcy court, and Dunston wrote to the judge to object.

"I, Shawon Dunston, being a former player of the Chicago Cubs from 4-9-85 - 10-5-95/4-5-97 - 10-4-97 am entitled to college scholarship funds obligated to me by the Chicago Cubs," said the three-sentence handwritten letter.

"To date, these scholarship funds have not been paid to me."

The two-time All-Star was the first overall draft pick in 1982, selected straight out of high school. Major League Baseball's website lists his college as "N/A."

Dunston, who retired in 2002 and currently works for the San Francisco Giants, could not be reached for comment. The signature on the letter appeared to match Dunston's signature on sports memorabilia.

The Tribune declined to comment.

The case is in Re: Tribune Company et al, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, District of Delaware, No. 08-13141

(Reporting by Tom Hals, editing by Matthew Lewis)