‘Tis the season of giving, so what are you getting the baseball fan in your life?
On Thanksgiving, the world’s most famous White Sox fan -- Pope Leo XIV -- received many gifts from those onboard the papal plane during the pontiff’s first trip abroad, but there was one special gift that left him a little awestruck.
The pope was given a baseball bat from CBS News foreign correspondent Chris Livesay. But not just any bat -- one that was used by White Sox legend and Baseball Hall of Famer Nellie Fox.
“Oh, wow,” the pope exclaimed as he received the bat featuring Fox’s initials and number.
“How did you get this through security?” he then joked.
Born in Chicago in 1955, Pope Leo has been clear about his love for the White Sox. He wore their cap while at the Vatican earlier this year. He rooted them on from the stands during World Series Game 1 in 2005, a series that ended with the club celebrating its first championship since 1917. And he’ll even rib the crosstown Cubs when he gets a chance.
Fox, a 15-time All-Star, spent 14 of his 19 MLB seasons with the White Sox. He collected 2,470 hits with Chicago and led the AL in hits four times. His time with the team ended when he was traded to the Astros following the 1963 season, when the future pope -- born Robert Francis Prevost -- was 8 years old.
Fox was elected to Cooperstown by the Veterans Committee in 1997.