Michael and Cynthia Castaneda, a husband and wife duo from Dyer, Indiana, braved a tornado to attend the Chicago White Sox's Pope Hat Night, a sellout event where 40,615 fans, including players, wore pope hats.
A group of Sox fans waiting in line near the championship statue for the pope hats also waited to take their pictures with the Castanedas, who were dressed in matching white cassocks and beige capelets with gold-and-white pope miter hats.
Sox marketing executive Michael Downey came up with the idea to give away pope hats as a tribute to Pope Leo XIV, the world's most famous White Sox fan, who was born in Chicago.
The event eclipsed the actual game between the first-place White Sox and the Cincinnati Reds, a rematch of the 1919 World Series that the Sox threw and went down in history as the Black Sox Scandal.
According to Sister Mary Jo Sobieck, a nun who formerly taught at Marian Catholic in Chicago Heights, Pope Leo would enjoy the hoopla. "He would say it's all about bringing people out," she said. "It's all about community and having people share things."
Sox marketing guru Brooks Boyer said the Sox wanted to do something "super respectful" for their famous fan and ditched an idea for Pope Leo bobbleheads. Dressing up the mascot, Southpaw, in a pope outfit was deemed very respectful.
Boyer said the Sox didn't use Pope Leo's name on the hats, opting for a generic pope hat instead. The promotion was a huge success, with the original 2,500 pope hats selling out quickly.
The event was a nod to the Sox's history with Pope Leo, who is often mentioned as a beloved figure in Chicago. The Sox have been linking the pope with their promotions, including a mural of the pope at the ballpark last year.
The question remains whether the Sox will run the promotion again in the future. Boyer said it's certainly on the list, but nothing has been confirmed.
The event was a testament to the Sox's ability to bring people together and create a sense of community. As Boyer said, "It's all about community and having people share things."
Source: Yahoo Sports