Pope Leo XIV, lifelong Chicago White Sox fan, gifted Hall of Famer Nellie Fox’s bat during Thanksgiving flight to Turkey. Explore the pontiff’s baseball roots, Fox’s MLB legacy and this heartfelt Vatican sports moment.
Pope Leo XIV, who we all know is a lifelong Chicago White Sox fan, was presented with a cherished piece of baseball history on Thanksgiving: a bat once wielded by Hall of Fame second baseman Nellie Fox.
The surprise gift, delivered aboard the papal plane en route to Turkey, underscored the pope’s deep-rooted passion for his hometown team. CBS News foreign correspondent Chris Livesay, whose family hails from Chicago, offered the bat as part of the traditional gift exchange with journalists during the flight.
“I bring a family heirloom,” Livesay said, noting the bat’s initials on the end and its connection to Fox, who starred for the White Sox during the pope’s childhood in the 1950s. The 70-year-old pope, born Robert Prevost in Chicago, reacted with humor and astonishment, asking, “How did you get this through security?”
The gesture came amid Pope Leo’s inaugural international trip as pontiff. Along with the bat, the pope received White Sox-themed slippers and socks, further celebrating his fandom. A 2005 photo of him in White Sox gear during the team’s World Series run has long highlighted his allegiance to the South Side club.
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Nellie Fox, inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1997, spent 14 of his 19 major league seasons with the White Sox from 1950 to 1963. Known for his contact-hitting prowess and defensive skills, Fox earned 15 All-Star selections, three Gold Gloves, and the 1959 American League MVP award. That year, he batted .306 with 34 doubles and 70 RBIs, helping propel Chicago to the World Series. Fox holds the White Sox record for all-time hits with 2,470 and is tied for the most triples at 104. Described by the Hall of Fame as one of MLB’s toughest outs, he struck out just 216 times in over 10,000 plate appearances.