Latest news with #Schmit
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
White Sox honor Pope Leo XIV with new Rate Field artwork
CHICAGO — In the days and months before he died in July 2020, Ed Schmit received comfort in phone calls from an old friend. 'Father Bob,' as Schmit knew Robert Prevost, was then a Catholic bishop in Peru, but Schmit and Prevost shared a bond forged through their Southside roots, their work at St. Rita High School in Chicago — and their mutual love of the Chicago White Sox. During those phone calls in Schmit's final days, fighting a battle he couldn't win against pancreatic cancer, he always told Prevost the same thing, one of Schmit's daughters, Heidi Skokal, said Monday. And what Schmit said to Prevost was this: 'Father Bob, I know you're going to be the next pope. I may not be here to see it, but I'll definitely be looking down' when it happens. Skokal paused to collect herself and continued through the tears, remembering her father. 'I'm sure he is' looking down, she said. Skokal recounted the story after the White Sox unveiled a mural in honor of Prevost, now known around the world as Pope Leo XIV. The artwork is on a pillar near Section 140 at Rate Field, where in 2005 Prevost and Schmit and members of Schmit's family cheered on the Sox during their victory against the Houston Astros in Game 1 of the World Series. In the hours after white smoke billowed out of the Sistine Chapel on May 8, Chicagoans celebrated one of their own and basked in Prevost's ascent to becoming the first American-born pope. Amid the memes and revelry, though, some locals began asking the important questions: Where did Prevost's baseball loyalties lie? An erroneous report first suggested Cubs fandom. A now-viral photograph set the record straight: There was the future Pope Leo XIV at Game 1 of the 2005 World Series, in White Sox garb, standing next to his good friend Schmit, a longtime season-ticket holder whose seats remain in the family. 'I don't want anyone to think he's a Cubs fan,' Schmit's grandson, Eddie Schmit IV, said Monday, 'because he's not a Cubs fan. The Pope is a White Sox fan, and we have proved that.' Eddie knows. He was there that night in 2005, just 5 years old, and from what he recalls, his grandfather carried him into the stadium. And now there's the mural. It takes up a pillar in the lower concourse down the third base line, and features Pope Leo XIV in his papal regalia, in a pose that suggests he's offering a prayer or a blessing — an act of service these days, perhaps, for the Sox. Above his head, there's also a photograph from the Fox broadcast of Game 1 of the 2005 World Series. Late in that game, a camera panning the crowd captured a moment that's now gone viral. There are two outs in the top of the ninth and Bobby Jenks is about to close out a 5-3 Sox victory — and there's the future pope, standing alongside the elder Schmit's son and grandson. They all look a bit nervous in the screenshot, but soon had reason to celebrate. About a dozen members of the Schmit family attended the unveiling of the Pope Leo XIV commemoration on Monday. Skokal became emotional at the thought of her family's connection with the man they all know as Father Bob. He'd officiated family weddings and provided blessings for newborns. He'd worked at the high school dear to them all and, yes, gone to baseball games, too. 'There's other times I was here with Father Bob and my father,' Eddie Schmit III said, 'and we enjoyed the game, you know, and had a beer or whatever and watched the game and relaxed and just talked about everyday stuff … 'Father Bob was just a natural and he's just humble. And he's just like us. 'He's an everyday guy, believe it or not.' Ask anyone in the family, though, and they'll say the elder Ed Schmit always knew. He used to say it all the time, especially during his final days: 'Father Bob, you're going to be the next pope.' Schmit didn't live long enough to see it happen. But he was here with the future pope that night in 2005, and shared a moment the White Sox have now preserved and honored. And on Monday, his daughter figured he was here in his own way, looking down. ____
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Chicago White Sox honor Pope Leo XIV with new Rate Field artwork commemorating his 2005 World Series attendance
In the days and months before he died in July 2020, Ed Schmit received comfort in phone calls from an old friend. 'Father Bob,' as Schmit knew Robert Prevost, was then a Catholic bishop in Peru, but Schmit and Prevost shared a bond forged through their Southside roots, their work at St. Rita High School in Chicago — and their mutual love of the Chicago White Sox. During those phone calls in Schmit's final days, fighting a battle he couldn't win against pancreatic cancer, he always told Prevost the same thing, one of Schmit's daughters, Heidi Skokal, said Monday. And what Schmit said to Prevost was this: 'Father Bob, I know you're going to be the next pope. I may not be here to see it, but I'll definitely be looking down' when it happens. Skokal paused to collect herself and continued through the tears, remembering her father. 'I'm sure he is' looking down, she said. Skokal recounted the story after the White Sox unveiled a mural in honor of Prevost, now known around the world as Pope Leo XIV. The artwork is on a pillar near Section 140 at Rate Field, where in 2005 Prevost and Schmit and members of Schmit's family cheered on the Sox during their victory against the Houston Astros in Game 1 of the World Series. In the hours after white smoke billowed out of the Sistine Chapel on May 8, Chicagoans celebrated one of their own and basked in Prevost's ascent to becoming the first American-born pope. Amid the memes and revelry, though, some locals began asking the important questions: Where did Prevost's baseball loyalties lie? An erroneous report first suggested Cubs fandom. A now-viral photograph set the record straight: There was the future Pope Leo XIV at Game 1 of the 2005 World Series, in White Sox garb, standing next to his good friend Schmit, a longtime season-ticket holder whose seats remain in the family. 'I don't want anyone to think he's a Cubs fan,' Schmit's grandson, Eddie Schmit IV, said Monday, 'because he's not a Cubs fan. The Pope is a White Sox fan, and we have proved that.' Eddie knows. He was there that night in 2005, just 5 years old, and from what he recalls, his grandfather carried him into the stadium. And now there's the mural. It takes up a pillar in the lower concourse down the third base line, and features Pope Leo XIV in his papal regalia, in a pose that suggests he's offering a prayer or a blessing — an act of service these days, perhaps, for the Sox. Above his head, there's also a photograph from the Fox broadcast of Game 1 of the 2005 World Series. Late in that game, a camera panning the crowd captured a moment that's now gone viral. There are two outs in the top of the ninth and Bobby Jenks is about to close out a 5-3 Sox victory — and there's the future pope, standing alongside the elder Schmit's son and grandson. They all look a bit nervous in the screenshot, but soon had reason to celebrate. Game 3 photos: Cubs beat White Sox 6-2 for City Series sweep at Wrigley Field Column: City Series ends with a minor skirmish — and a Cubs sweep of the White Sox at Wrigley Field White Sox leave the door open — and Cubs take advantage for 3-game sweep: 'This is a tough place to play' Chicago Archdiocese to celebrate Pope Leo XIV with Mass at Rate Field Column: White Sox are making the Cubs look great by self-destructing in the City Series About a dozen members of the Schmit family attended the unveiling of the Pope Leo XIV commemoration on Monday. Skokal became emotional at the thought of her family's connection with the man they all know as Father Bob. He'd officiated family weddings and provided blessings for newborns. He'd worked at the high school dear to them all and, yes, gone to baseball games, too. 'There's other times I was here with Father Bob and my father,' Eddie Schmit III said, 'and we enjoyed the game, you know, and had a beer or whatever and watched the game and relaxed and just talked about everyday stuff … 'Father Bob was just a natural and he's just humble. And he's just like us. 'He's an everyday guy, believe it or not.' Ask anyone in the family, though, and they'll say the elder Ed Schmit always knew. He used to say it all the time, especially during his final days: 'Father Bob, you're going to be the next pope.' Schmit didn't live long enough to see it happen. But he was here with the future pope that night in 2005, and shared a moment the White Sox have now preserved and honored. And on Monday, his daughter figured he was here in his own way, looking down.
NBC Sports
19-05-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
White Sox unveil a graphic installation honoring Pope Leo XIV and his World Series appearance
CHICAGO — There is a new landmark at the home of the Chicago White Sox — Section 140, Row 19, Seat 2. That's where Father Bob — the future Pope Leo XIV — sat for Game 1 of the 2005 World Series. The White Sox unveiled a graphic installation Monday that pays tribute to the new pontiff and that moment during their last championship run. 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. The team also is planning to do something to commemorate the Rate Field seat the pope occupied during the 2005 World Series opener. 'When people come into the ballpark, it's an interesting piece of our history and they're going to want to see it,' said Brooks Boyer, the chief executive and marketing officer for the White Sox. 'So we're going to be able to put something on that seat.' Robert Prevost became the first pope from the U.S. 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, according to his friends and family. Prevost attended the World Series opener with Schmit, a longtime season-ticket holder who died in 2020. The White Sox beat the Houston Astros 5-3 on their way to a four-game sweep for the title. Eddie Schmit, 25, who works in the family's day-care business, described the future pope as a great guy and kindhearted. 'A lot of this is about the White Sox. It should be more about what kind of guy the pope is,' Schmit said. 'You look at some of the things he's done with his missions, I mean it's incredible. He's been in places that are so poor, just trying to help other people.' Prevost and Schmit knew each other through their work at a Catholic high school on Chicago's South Side, and Schmit's son, Nick, remains the account holder for the pope's World Series seat. Ed Schmit used to tell Father Bob he was going to be the next pope, Schmit's daughter, Heidi Skokal, said. 'Right around when my dad was passing, Father Bob made sure, he couldn't be there, but made sure he spoke with him and everything,' an emotional Skokal said. 'And he said, 'Father Bob, Father Bob, I know you're going to be the next pope. I may not be here to see it.' And he goes, 'But I'll be definitely looking down.' And I'm sure he is today.' The White Sox, who have struggled on the field in recent years, and their fans have embraced their connection to the new pope since he was elected. The team said it sent a jersey and a hat to the Vatican after the announcement. Some fans have been dressing as the pope for White Sox games, and there are several different T-shirts that celebrate the team's most famous fan. 'The pope absolutely has an open invite to come back,' Boyer said. 'To come sit in Section 140, to throw out a first pitch. Heck, maybe we'll let him get an at-bat.'
Chicago Tribune
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Chicago White Sox honor Pope Leo XIV with new Rate Field artwork commemorating his 2005 World Series attendance
In the days and months before he died in July 2020, Ed Schmit received comfort in phone calls from an old friend. 'Father Bob,' as Schmit knew Robert Prevost, was then a Catholic bishop in Peru, but Schmit and Prevost shared a bond forged through their Southside roots, their work at St. Rita High School in Chicago — and their mutual love of the Chicago White Sox. During those phone calls in Schmit's final days, fighting a battle he couldn't win against pancreatic cancer, he always told Prevost the same thing, one of Schmit's daughters, Heidi Skokal, said Monday. And what Schmit said to Prevost was this: 'Father Bob, I know you're going to be the next pope. I may not be here to see it, but I'll definitely be looking down' when it happens. Skokal paused to collect herself and continued through the tears, remembering her father. 'I'm sure he is' looking down, she said. Skokal recounted the story after the White Sox unveiled a mural in honor of Prevost, now known around the world as Pope Leo XIV. The artwork is on a pillar near Section 140 at Rate Field, where in 2005 Prevost and Schmit and members of Schmit's family cheered on the Sox during their victory against the Houston Astros in Game 1 of the World Series. In the hours after white smoke billowed out of the Sistine Chapel on May 8, Chicagoans celebrated one of their own and basked in Prevost's ascent to becoming the first American-born pope. Amid the memes and revelry, though, some locals began asking the important questions: Where did Prevost's baseball loyalties lie? An erroneous report first suggested Cubs fandom. A now-viral photograph set the record straight: There was the future Pope Leo XIV at Game 1 of the 2005 World Series, in White Sox garb, standing next to his good friend Schmit, a longtime season-ticket holder whose seats remain in the family. 'I don't want anyone to think he's a Cubs fan,' Schmit's grandson, Eddie Schmit IV, said Monday, 'because he's not a Cubs fan. The Pope is a White Sox fan, and we have proved that.' Eddie knows. He was there that night in 2005, just 5 years old, and from what he recalls, his grandfather carried him into the stadium. And now there's the mural. It takes up a pillar in the lower concourse down the third base line, and features Pope Leo XIV in his papal regalia, in a pose that suggests he's offering a prayer or a blessing — an act of service these days, perhaps, for the Sox. Above his head, there's also a photograph from the Fox broadcast of Game 1 of the 2005 World Series. Late in that game, a camera panning the crowd captured a moment that's now gone viral. There are two outs in the top of the ninth and Bobby Jenks is about to close out a 5-3 Sox victory — and there's the future pope, standing alongside the elder Schmit's son and grandson. They all look a bit nervous in the screenshot, but soon had reason to celebrate. About a dozen members of the Schmit family attended the unveiling of the Pope Leo XIV commemoration on Monday. Skokal became emotional at the thought of her family's connection with the man they all know as Father Bob. He'd officiated family weddings and provided blessings for newborns. He'd worked at the high school dear to them all and, yes, gone to baseball games, too. 'There's other times I was here with Father Bob and my father,' Eddie Schmit III said, 'and we enjoyed the game, you know, and had a beer or whatever and watched the game and relaxed and just talked about everyday stuff … 'Father Bob was just a natural and he's just humble. And he's just like us. 'He's an everyday guy, believe it or not.' Ask anyone in the family, though, and they'll say the elder Ed Schmit always knew. He used to say it all the time, especially during his final days: 'Father Bob, you're going to be the next pope.' Schmit didn't live long enough to see it happen. But he was here with the future pope that night in 2005, and shared a moment the White Sox have now preserved and honored. And on Monday, his daughter figured he was here in his own way, looking down.
Toronto Star
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Toronto Star
White Sox unveil a graphic installation honoring Pope Leo XIV and his World Series appearance
CHICAGO (AP) — There is a new landmark at the home of the Chicago White Sox — Section 140, Row 19, Seat 2. That's where Father Bob — the future Pope Leo XIV — sat for Game 1 of the 2005 World Series. The White Sox unveiled a graphic installation Monday that pays tribute to the new pontiff and that moment during their last championship run. 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. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW The team also is planning to do something to commemorate the Rate Field seat the pope occupied during the 2005 World Series opener. 'When people come into the ballpark, it's an interesting piece of our history and they're going to want to see it,' said Brooks Boyer, the chief executive and marketing officer for the White Sox. 'So we're going to be able to put something on that seat.' Robert Prevost became the first pope from the U.S. 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, according to his friends and family. Prevost attended the World Series opener with Schmit, a longtime season-ticket holder who died in 2020. The White Sox beat the Houston Astros 5-3 on their way to a four-game sweep for the title. Eddie Schmit, 25, who works in the family's day-care business, described the future pope as a great guy and kindhearted. 'A lot of this is about the White Sox. It should be more about what kind of guy the pope is,' Schmit said. 'You look at some of the things he's done with his missions, I mean it's incredible. He's been in places that are so poor, just trying to help other people.' ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Prevost and Schmit knew each other through their work at a Catholic high school on Chicago's South Side, and Schmit's son, Nick, remains the account holder for the pope's World Series seat. Ed Schmit used to tell Father Bob he was going to be the next pope, Schmit's daughter, Heidi Skokal, said. 'Right around when my dad was passing, Father Bob made sure, he couldn't be there, but made sure he spoke with him and everything,' an emotional Skokal said. 'And he said, 'Father Bob, Father Bob, I know you're going to be the next pope. I may not be here to see it.' And he goes, 'But I'll be definitely looking down.' And I'm sure he is today.' The White Sox, who have struggled on the field in recent years, and their fans have embraced their connection to the new pope since he was elected. The team said it sent a jersey and a hat to the Vatican after the announcement. Some fans have been dressing as the pope for White Sox games, and there are several different T-shirts that celebrate the team's most famous fan. 'The pope absolutely has an open invite to come back,' Boyer said. 'To come sit in Section 140, to throw out a first pitch. Heck, maybe we'll let him get an at-bat.' ___ AP MLB:
