Chicago independent baseball team to honor Pope Leo XIV with bobblehead night Thursday

Chicago native Pope Leo XIV is being honored tonight by the Kane County Cougars, an independent baseball team a couple of hours outside of the city, with his own bobblehead night.

The first 1,500 patrons to Northwestern Medicine Field will receive a Pope Leo XIV bobblehead prior to Thursday’s game against the Southshore RailCats in Geneva, Illinois.

“We wanted to commemorate the pope. It’s really exciting for the whole Chicago area,” explained Claire Jacobi, the Kane County Cougars promotions director. “He’s a large baseball fan, so we wanted to be fun and creative, and we hope the fans will love it. Hopefully, we can make him a Cougars fan someday as well.”

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Pope Leo, formerly Cardinal Robert Prevost, was a huge baseball fan growing up on the Southside of Chicago, reportedly rooting for the White Sox. Leo was seen earlier this summer supporting his team by wearing a White Sox cap at the Vatican.

“It’s pretty cool,” White Sox rookie pitcher Grant Taylor expressed. “Worldwide, baseball is growing a lot more. But in Europe, it’s not very big. So if he’s over there in the Vatican wearing a White Sox hat, maybe all of them will become White Sox fans. Grow the fanbase a little bit.”

The White Sox currently sit dead last in the AL Central, holding the second-worst record in the league at 48-85 — only ahead of the Colorado Rockies, who have already been eliminated from playoff contention.

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The Cougars hold a 45-50 record in the American Association League, currently sitting in third place in the East Division of the American Association League, 7.5 games back from the Lake County DockHounds.