It didn’t take long for Chicago Cubs fans to welcome the first American pope into their arms, or for White Sox fans to claim him as their own.
When Pope Leo XIV’s election was announced Thursday, ABC News reported Robert Prevost, of Dolton, was a Cubs fan.
The jokes were flying on social media, many of them suggesting Pope Leo XIV was a perfect choice to heal the world’s suffering, thanks to his allegiance to the Cubs.
That begged the question: Would the Cubs ask the new pope to throw a ceremonial first pitch at Wrigley Field?
A message to the Cubs got a quick response.
“Not only would we welcome Pope Leo XIV to Wrigley Field, he could sing ‘Take Me Out to the Ballgame,’” Cubs Chairman Tom Ricketts said in a statement.
“Or, since three of his predecessors visited Yankee Stadium, including Pope Paul VI, who delivered the 1965 ‘Sermon on the Mound,’ we would invite the Pontiff to do the same at the Friendly Confines.”
The Wrigley Field marquee changed to “Hey, Chicago, He’s a Cubs fan!” after the news Thursday afternoon.
But the Sox might have a better claim. According to his brother, John Prevost, the new pope was a Sox fan growing up. “He was never, ever a Cubs fan,” he told WGN News.” So I don’t know where that came from. He was always a Sox fan.”
The Sox were of the firm belief that a brother knows what kind of fan his own brother is and made it clear they were claiming the pope as their own.
“Family always knows best, and it sounds like Pope Leo XIV’s lifelong fandom follows a little closer to 35th and Shields,” the Sox said in a statement, referring to Rate Field. “Some things are bigger than baseball, and in this case we’re glad to have a White Sox fan represented at the Vatican. A pinstripe White Sox jersey with his name on it and a hat already are on the way to Rome, and of course, the Pontiff always is welcome at the ballpark.”
Sox fans jumped on the news, posting tweets that the Cubs’ claim was premature. If it’s true he’s a Sox fan, Pope Leo XIV would be the team’s second representative of the Vatican after former Sox pitcher “The Pope” Donn Pall.
Getting the new pope to the ballpark could be a stretch for either the Cubs or the Sox, but if he does come to Chicago, at least he’ll have his choice of baseball activities.
The Cubs have had many celebrities perform the stretch after Harry Caray’s death in 1998 began the tradition of guest singers, from Mike Ditka to Hillary Clinton. But they’ve yet to have a pope in the booth singing and then imploring the Cubs to “get some runs.”
If his North Side fandom is confirmed, Pope Leo XIV would automatically become the world’s most famous Cubs fan, eclipsing Bill Murray for the top spot.
The Cubs have a team chaplain, Rev. Burke Masters, who celebrates mass at the ballpark on Sundays with Wrigley Field employees, including players, team personnel and ushers. During the Cubs’ playoff run in 2016, Rev. Masters was asked if praying was going to help the Cubs win the World Series.
“Ultimately, I don’t think God cares who wins or loses,” Masters said. “But it can’t hurt.”
The Cubs are in first place in the National League Central and now might have a connection with the Big Guy in Pope Leo XIV. If he really is a die-hard Cubs fan, Pope Leo XIV probably can let his followers know with a familiar Latin phrase that every fans knows:
“Eamus Catuli” … “Lets go Cubs.”
The Sox, meanwhile, are in last place in the American League Central with a 10-28 record after Thursday’s 10-0 loss to the Kansas City Royals.
If Pope Leo XIV is truly a Sox fan, a downtrodden team is counting on him to come through with a miracle or two to salvage the season.
