Pontiff’s baseball team gives away thousands of ‘pope hats’

Every attendee in a sellout crowd at Chicago’s Rate Field for the game against the Cincinnati Reds received a replica of a traditional papal mitre (emblazoned with the White Sox logo) to celebrate the connection between Pope Leo XIV and the venerable Chicago team. While the White Sox are in first place in the American League Central, they haven’t had much to celebrate since they won the World Series in 2005 – a series where one game was attended by the future pope.

The team’s original plan for the game was to provide White Sox-themed “pope hats” to the first 2500 fans in attendance. When demand quickly outpaced supply, the decision was made to provide the faux mitres to everyone in attendance and to provide an extra giveaway (a white-and-gold “Chicago’s Pope” baseball jersey with the number 14) for the original 2500 ticket holders who first jumped at the offer.  

Before the Pope Leo-themed game, the team’s charitable arm presented the Midwest Augustinians with a donation of US$14,000, OSV News reported. The first pitch was thrown out by Sr Mary Jo Sobieck OP. A papal mural was painted live on the concourse. 

Besides the sight of a stadium full of mitred baseball fans (38,113 of them in attendance, the team’s ninth sellout this season), the most notable moment was a fifth-inning “sign of peace”, led by Chicago Archdiocese’s Fr Tom Hurley, OSV News reported.

As at Mass each Sunday, everyone was invited to turn to their neighbours and offer a sign of peace. An ecumenical but comical moment followed. The Catholics (and some Protestants) in the crowd knew immediately what to do. But a number of fans had no idea what was going on and participated meaningfully but awkwardly. 

The Reds beat the White Sox 5-4 in extra innings.

FULL STORY

What I saw at the ‘Pope Hat’ White Sox game (By Dominic Lynch/America Magazine)

Pope Leo night at White Sox baseball park maxes out stadium capacity (OSV News)

White Sox have Pope Hat giveaway at Rate Field (MLB.com)