‘Game changer’: MLB Commissioner weighs in on talks of new White Sox stadium

Talks of a new White Sox stadium appear to be reaching higher levels, garnering support from even MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Crain’s, Commissioner Rob Manfred reportedly said he’s been briefed extensively on the team’s potential move, calling it a “game changer.”

“Jerry [Reinsdorf] is very bullish on the location,” Manfred said in the interview. “That would be a great deal for the city of Chicago and the White Sox.”

Among the highlights Manfred noted was the stadium’s “proximity to downtown,” which allows for added entertainment options and easier transportation. He also noted that Reinsdorf assured him the potential move would require “no new taxes.”

“I’m supportive,” Manfred added. “A new facility could be a game changer for the White Sox.”

The White Sox declined to comment on Manfred’s interview when asked by NBC Sports Chicago.

The interview follows reports earlier this month, which stated that the White Sox are considering constructing a new stadium on a plot of land in the city’s South Loop known as “The 78.”

The move would take place after the expiration of the team’s lease at Guaranteed Rate Field, which ends following the 2029 season.

The White Sox have called Guaranteed Rate Field, formerly U.S. Cellular Field and Comiskey Park II, home since the 1991 season. The team’s previous home, Comiskey Park, hosted the South Siders from 1910 to 1990.

Through the entire time, the White Sox have been based on the South Side, with the stadiums located in the Armour Square community area while the team has a deep association with the city’s Bridgeport neighborhood.

A move to The 78 would see the White Sox leave their longtime neighborhood for the first time, moving the club to a plot of land in the South Loop bordered by Roosevelt Road on the north, the Chicago River to the west, Clark Street to the east and train tracks near Ping Tom Park to the south. Wells Street would run through the planned development.

The area would feature considerable public transit access, with three CTA lines stopping right at Roosevelt and State Street, just a couple of blocks east of the property. Several bus lines also provide close access to the area. For fans who want a ride down the river, there is also a water taxi stop at Ping Tom Park.

“The 78” was given its name to reference Chicago’s 77 officially defined “community areas,” with The 78 being marketed as an addition to the city’s neighborhoods.

The area for The 78 was originally created from a landfill project to straighten the South Branch of the Chicago River that ran from the 1910s to the 1920s.

Consisting of 62 acres of land in a prime location in downtown Chicago, The 78 is currently planned to be the site of several office and residential buildings, including a 200,000 square-foot “Innovation District.”