Pope Leo XIV is a White Sox fan — and the organization is embracing the occasion

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CHICAGO (AP) — It’s the biggest victory for the struggling Chicago White Sox in a long time.

Pope Leo XIV is a White Sox fan — and the organization is embracing the news.

Elected on Thursday, Robert Prevost is the first pope from the United States in the history of the Catholic Church. And Prevost’s brother, John, said the Chicago-born missionary cheered for the White Sox.

“Proud moment for Chicago,” White Sox manager Will Venable said before Friday night’s game against Miami. “It’s awesome.”

It was initially reported that the new pope was a Cubs fan. The team congratulated Pope Leo XIV in a post on X that had a picture of Wrigley Field’s iconic marquee with the message: HEY, CHICAGO. HE’S A CUBS FAN!

But John Prevost set the record straight in an interview with WGN-TV. “He was always a Sox fan,” John said.

The White Sox posted a clip from the brother’s interview on X, along with a picture of the Rate Field videoboard with the message: HEY CHICAGO, HE’S A SOX FAN! That message was still on the videoboard in center when the White Sox began batting practice Friday.

Venable said he couldn’t blame the Cubs.

“I get it,” he said. “I think we all want the pope on our side, so I certainly understand. But I’m glad he chose the right team.”

The White Sox said they sent a jersey and a hat to the Vatican after the announcement. The organization also congratulated the new pope in a scoreboard graphic that was shown before Friday night’s first pitch.

The White Sox are last in the AL Central this season, a year after they went 41-121 to break the post-1900 major league record for losses in a season. So they welcomed a reason to celebrate.

“We’ll take it,” Venable said with a smile. “It’s great to have him on our side, for sure.”

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb