Fox Sports found the future pope in crowd during 2005 World Series

Baseball has always had a knack for intersecting with history in strange, cinematic ways. But even the most imaginative scriptwriters might have passed on this one.

In the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 1 of the 2005 World Series, as the Chicago White Sox closed in on a crucial win, the broadcast cut away from the action. It landed briefly on a man in the crowd wearing a Sox jersey beneath his jacket—just another South Side fan savoring the moment. Nearly two decades later, that same fan has gone viral for an unexpected reason: he's now Pope Leo XIV.

The clip, which was unearthed and circulated on social media Friday, captures then-Father Robert Prevost in the stands at U.S. Cellular Field, now known as Rate Field.

Pope Leo XIV made the broadcast while at Game 1 of the 2005 World Series

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— Joe Binder (@JoeBinder) May 9, 2025

At the time, the future Pontiff was serving as Prior General of the Order of Saint Augustine. He also happened to be a lifelong White Sox fan who spent his formative years on Chicago’s South Side.

The Sox went on to sweep the Houston Astros in four games, clinching their first World Series title since 1917. For fans, it was a long-awaited deliverance. For Prevost, perhaps just a memorable night at the ballpark, long before the Vatican came calling.

Prevost, who later served extensively in Peru and holds dual U.S.-Peruvian citizenship, was appointed prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops in 2023. Thursday, he became the first American pope in history.

The White Sox may not have known it then, but they had divine support on their side.

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