Manfred tuned in with Chicago on big stage

CHICAGO — The hot starts by the Cubs and White Sox, who entered Thursday with the best records in the National and American Leagues, are the talk of the town, and their success has caught the eye of Commissioner Rob Manfred, too.

“We are proud of all 30 of our [clubs]. They’re all important to us,” Manfred said Thursday at U.S. Cellular Field. “There is no doubt that our largest markets, when they are successful, they’re good for our overall business.

“The idea of having two really good teams in a major market like Chicago is particularly exciting. It creates the prospect of postseason play that could be compelling. And it’s a great thing, a great thing, for Chicago.”

For the White Sox, it’s great to be noticed, but their focus remains squarely on the South Side, GM Rick Hahn and manager Robin Ventura said. That focus doesn’t change even with four first-place teams playing in the same city Thursday night (Nationals at Cubs, Red Sox at White Sox) for the first time in baseball history, according to STATS, Inc.

But for a baseball-rich city that hasn’t had both teams on the playoff track since 2008, it becomes a monumental occurrence even with fewer than 30 …

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