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Pope Leo XIV Sends Blessings to White Sox Before Opener

By Drooid · Sep 30, 2026, 3:04 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Pope Blesses White Sox

The Chicago White Sox received a letter from Pope Leo XIV addressed to chairman Jerry Reinsdorf.
The letter arrived at Rate Field on Tuesday around 2 p.m., before the Wild-Card opener versus the Houston Astros.
Pope Leo XIV praised the August 11, 2026 “Pope Night” giveaway and invoked blessings on the team and fans.
He is the first American-born pope who grew up on Chicago’s South Side and attended White Sox’s 2005 World Series.

Summary

Daikin Park Packs

Daikin Park recorded 34,011 fans for Game 1, leaving 6,952 empty seats.
Both clubs started bullpen games, with rookie AJ Blubaugh opening for Houston and left-hander Hagen Smith for Chicago.
Yordan Alvarez will bat second and serve as designated hitter for the Astros in Game 1.
White Sox shortstop Colson Montgomery, a 31-home-run hitter, dropped to the ninth spot in the 2026 lineup.

History

Historical Context

The 1919 World Series, in which the Chicago White Sox lost to the Cincinnati Reds, sparked the Black Sox scandal when eight players were accused of fixing games. Their lifetime bans prompted owners to appoint Kenesaw Mountain Landis as baseball’s first commissioner in 1920, a reform that ended gambling influence. On May 12 2025, Commissioner Rob Manfred lifted those bans, restoring the players’ Hall-of-Fame eligibility by 2027.

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Pope Blesses White Sox

The Chicago White Sox received a letter from Pope Leo XIV addressed to chairman Jerry Reinsdorf.
The letter arrived at Rate Field on Tuesday around 2 p.m., before the Wild-Card opener versus the Houston Astros.
Pope Leo XIV praised the August 11, 2026 “Pope Night” giveaway and invoked blessings on the team and fans.
He is the first American-born pope who grew up on Chicago’s South Side and attended White Sox’s 2005 World Series.

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