From one 14 to another, White Sox great Konerko gets gift from Pope Leo XIV in honor of 2005 title
Robert Prevost became the first pope from the US in the history of the Catholic Church when he was elected on May 8. The Chicago-born missionary who took the name Leo XIV is a White Sox fan. Prevost attended the 2005 World Series opener against Houston in Chicago. He watched from Section 140 Row 19 Seat 2 as the White Sox beat the Astros 5-3 on the way to a four-game sweep and their first title since 1917. In May, the team unveiled a graphic installation near the seat paying tribute to Pope Leo and that moment.
The pillar artwork features a waving Pope Leo XIV along with a picture from the TV broadcast of the future pope sitting with good friend Ed Schmit and his grandson Eddie. Members of the 2005 team are in Chicago this weekend to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the championship run. The White Sox debuted uniform patches honoring late closer Bobby Jenks, who died last week in Portugal where he was being treated for stomach cancer. On Friday, the team unveiled a statue of former ace Mark Buehrle.
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