White Sox Expand Pope Leo XIV-Themed Giveaway to All Fans

The baseball team is honoring its famous Chicago-born papal fan with a special hat distribution.

Apr. 11, 2026 at 11:41am

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting a fragmented baseball game, with the players' uniforms and the White Sox logo broken down into overlapping planes of color and shape.The White Sox's pope hat giveaway celebrates the team's unique connection to a famous Chicago native and longtime fan.Chicago Today

The Chicago White Sox are expanding their planned giveaway of pope-themed hats for their August 11 game against the Cincinnati Reds. Originally, the hats were only going to be available to fans who had purchased special tickets, but the team has now decided to provide the pope hats to all attendees at the game.

Why it matters

The White Sox are honoring Pope Leo XIV, a longtime fan of the team who was born in Chicago. This promotion is an effort to engage with the team's fanbase and celebrate its connection to this famous Chicago native.

The details

The White Sox announced on Friday that they will hand out pope-themed hats to all fans who attend their August 11 game against the Cincinnati Reds. The promotional item was originally limited to fans who had purchased special tickets, but the team has now decided to make the hats available to all attendees.

  • The White Sox game against the Cincinnati Reds is scheduled for August 11, 2026.
  • The team announced the expanded pope hat giveaway on Friday, April 11, 2026.

The players

Chicago White Sox

A Major League Baseball team based in Chicago, Illinois.

Pope Leo XIV

A Chicago native who was a longtime fan of the White Sox baseball team.

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The takeaway

This promotion highlights the White Sox's efforts to connect with their fanbase and celebrate their team's unique history and ties to the local community, including their famous papal fan.