Something like this is a nice little shot in the arm for the organization,” said chief revenue and marketing officer Brooks Boyer.

It's not often that the sports world becomes enamored with the papal selection process, but that changed when word broke of Pope Leo XIV's selection as the first American pope last week. As soon as the world found out the new pope was from Chicago, sports folks immediately dug in to see where he stands as a fan of sports teams in the Windy City.

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.