Chicago White Sox fans have a new favorite jersey—and it's not from any of their players.
Since Pope Leo XIV, a Chicago native that was formerly known as Cardinal Robert Prevost, was named the new pope, it's been revealed that he is a White Sox fan—even attending Game 1 of their World Series win in 2005.
Thus, White Sox fans have embraced the first American pope's fandom, with many even looking to acquire a Pope Leo XIV White Sox jersey. Though the White Sox team store has yet to fully embrace selling Pope Leo XIV merchandise, a local Chicago store, Grandstand Sports, has began selling jerseys with his name.
Quickly, the store owners have learned just how popular the Pope Leo XIV jersey is. After a local ABC station showed the store's co-owner Josh Ganal, holding up a No. 14 jersey with Pope Leo written across the back, Josh's wife Stephanie recalls seeing a line of people outside their store the next morning, with people clamoring to get their own.
“That Saturday we opened and there were people lined up at 9:15 and we don’t open until 10,” Stephanie said, via Jon Greenberg of The Athletic. “They were lining up waiting for jerseys.”
“I’m telling you, I think Pope Leo is probably overselling ballplayers in the last two years," Stephanie said.
“It’s grandma and grandpa standing in line because they’re going to go to church on Sunday and they want to be the first ones with a Pope Leo jersey,” Josh added. “Hopefully, it was the talk of the town and the talk of the church.”
For White Sox fans coming off a historically bad season in which they set the MLB record for most losses in a season, there has been little to be excited about lately. Though the team isn't winning many more games than they were a year ago, learning that Pope Leo is a White Sox fan has brought some enthusiasm back to the team and stadium.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as The Pope Is Selling More White Sox Jerseys Than Any Player Actually on the Team.
