
Pope Leo XIV gives autographed jersey to White Sox great Paul Konerko in honor of 2005 World Series
Pope Leo XIV had a signed jersey delivered to former Chicago White Sox great Paul Konerko.
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Chicago Archbishop Blase Cupich presented Konerko a jersey with the new pontiff's signature on the back during a ceremony before a game against the Cleveland Guardians.
It had the six-time All-Star's last name and 'Pope Leo' above the No. 14.
Robert Prevost became the first pope from the US in the history of the Catholic Church when he was elected May 8.
The Chicago-born missionary, who took the name Leo XIV, is a White Sox fan.
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Prevost attended the 2005 World Series opener against Houston in Chicago.
He watched from Section 140, Row 19, Seat 2 as the White Sox beat the Astros 5-3 on their way to a four-game sweep and their first title since 1917.
Prevost was shown on the 'MLB on FOX' broadcast for that game at US Cellular Field Oct. 22, 2005, and the cameras caught him during the top of the ninth inning as the White Sox were clinching a 5-3 win over the Houston Astros.
4 Chicago Archbishop Blase Cupich presented former Chicago White Sox player Paul Konerko with a jersey signed by Pope Leo XIV.
Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images
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According to the White Sox, the pope attended the game with the late Ed Schmit, a family friend and season ticket holder.
They knew each other through their work at a Catholic high school on Chicago's South Side, and Schmit's son, Nick, remains the account holder for the pope's World Series seat.
Prevost was first revealed as a White Sox fan when his brother, John Prevost, mentioned it in an interview with WGN-TV.
4 The jersey featured the six-time All-Star's last name and 'Pope Leo' above the No. 14.
AP
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'He was always a Sox fan,' John said.
In May, the team unveiled a graphic installed near the seat paying tribute to Pope Leo and that moment.
The pillar artwork features a waving Pope Leo XIV along with a picture from the TV broadcast of the future pope sitting with good Schmit and his grandson, Eddie.
4 Pope Leo XIV was born in Chicago and is a White Sox fan.
Maria Grazia Picciarella/Shutterstock
4 Pope Leo XIV World Series broadcast in 2005, wearing Chicago White Sox gear.
Major League Baseball
Members of the 2005 team are in Chicago this weekend to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the championship run.
The White Sox debuted uniform patches honoring late closer Bobby Jenks, who died last week in Portugal, where he was being treated for stomach cancer.
On Friday, the team unveiled a statue of former ace Mark Buehrle.
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New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Guardians stockpile college bats in 2025 MLB Draft, take Jace LaViolette with first-round pick
CLEVELAND — It's a little different having the 27th pick in the MLB Draft from owning the top selection with the largest bonus pool in league history. Last year, the Cleveland Guardians could evaluate every prospect, knowing they could draft anyone they wanted with the No. 1 pick, the benefit of a fortunate bounce of ping-pong balls for a club that had a 2 percent chance of landing the top spot. Advertisement After a 92-win season, the Guardians wound up with the No. 27 pick in the 2025 draft. Yet, they still made a decision with that pick that should pique the interest of the Cleveland fans. The Guardians drafted Texas A&M outfielder Jace LaViolette with their first choice Sunday night. He's a 6-foot-6, 240-pound outfielder with power and athleticism to make scouts salivate. Earlier this year, his name surfaced in chatter about the No. 1 pick. 'He's a massive guy,' said Paul Gillispie, the Guardians' senior vice president of scouting. 'Speed, power, patience.' So why did he fall to the end of the first round? That's the part that should have Guardians fans glued to his journey in the coming years. Let's start here: The Guardians have been working for years to solve their hitting development riddle. They have had profound struggles in the outfield, in particular, for more than a decade. LaViolette is the seventh outfielder they have selected with their first pick in the last 14 drafts. That time stretches back to 2012, when they tabbed Tyler Naquin — another left-handed-hitting outfielder from Texas A&M — with the No. 12 pick. They took Clint Frazier in 2013, then Bradley Zimmer in 2014. They went with Will Benson in 2016 and Quentin Holmes in 2017 (in the second round, since they coughed up their top pick to sign Edwin Encarnacion). They drafted Chase DeLauter at No. 16 three years ago, and he's finally on the cusp of the majors, but injuries keep interfering with his progress. In March, The Athletic's Keith Law ranked LaViolette the No. 7 prospect on his big board, but he wrote: 'I don't know about this one. LaViolette has the power to go 1-1, but there's a mixed camp on whether he stays in center, and he struck out 81 times (24.2 percent) last spring, an unthinkable number and rate for a top-10 pick. … It's a high-risk, high-reward package — we haven't seen guys whiff this much in college and end up good big-league hitters.' With the 27th pick in the 1st round, we have selected OF Jace LaViolette from Texas A&M University. In 188 games at the college level, Jace slashed .285/.432/.651 with 68 HR and 202 RBI.#GuardsBall — Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) July 14, 2025 LaViolette is Texas A&M's all-time leader in home runs (68) and walks (169). He slugged 29 homers in 68 games as a sophomore in 2024, and compiled a .305/.449/.726 slash line. His output dipped in 2025, though, to .258/.427/.576. He slipped to the No. 24 spot on Law's big board before the draft, with Law projecting that 'his dismal performance this spring ended (talk of going first) and probably pushed him to the back of the first round or beyond.' Advertisement The primary issue? As Law noted, his whiff rate on pitches in the zone is concerning. 'He has no load in his approach,' Law wrote earlier this month, 'making very hard contact because he's extremely strong and has enough hand speed to get the bat going in time to catch up to good velocity, with a hard-hit rate on the year of 53 percent. He does know the strike zone well enough to see solid OBPs with power, likely pulled down by a low batting average and probably a strikeout rate above 25 percent when he gets to Double A. … If you think you can solve some of his in-zone miss, whether it's by adjusting his swing to give him a load and some more rhythm or if you think it's about pitch recognition, he does have 30-homer upside.' That last sentence is the key, and it falls upon an organization that has reached an inflection point when it comes to hitting development. The Guardians are widely regarded as one of the model franchises for pitching development, but they have yet to replicate those processes on the position player side. LaViolette might be the right case study to evaluate their progress. Can they remedy what ailed him this past season at Texas A&M and guide him toward being the hitter who was once drawing consideration for the top pick? 'His upside is obviously quite high,' Gillispie said. 'I don't know if I would characterize it as extreme value. I'd say he's a player who does a lot of things really well, and I think if you take those things that he does and bring him into an environment like ours and get him around our people, our resources, I think the potential upside for him is really high. In some ways, it's unknowable exactly how good he can be.' They could certainly use more power in the system. Cleveland's top prospects list is filled with hitters — DeLauter, CJ Kayfus, Ralphy Velazquez, Angel Genao, Cooper Ingle, Jaison Chourio and, of course, Travis Bazzana, last year's No. 1 pick — but none has the power potential that LaViolette wields. How else do you wind up with the nickname 'Lord Tubbington'? The last six years (including the first half of this season), the Guardians have ranked 27th, 12th, 29th, 30th, 12th and 20th in home runs among the league's 30 teams. Advertisement Despite his skepticism about LaViolette's path forward, consider Law a proponent of the pick, given where in the draft it occurred. Law joked he wanted to build a time machine and tell Cleveland's brass in February that it would land LaViolette with its first-rounder. 'This guy was supposed to go top 10, and he's at 27, but he's not hurt or any different,' Law wrote Sunday night. 'He just had a bad year when the whole team around him fell apart. You have to think you can improve his swing decisions and probably clean up the swing.' In all, the Guardians made five selections on Day 1 of the draft. Four of them are 21-year-old position players. No. 27: Jace LaViolette, LHH OF, Texas A&M No. 64: Dean Curley, RHH SS, Tennessee No. 66: Aaron Walton, RHH OF, Arizona No. 70: Will Hynes, RHP, Lorne Park Secondary School in Ontario No. 101: Nolan Schubart, RHH OF, Oklahoma State Curley was ranked No. 34 on Law's big board, thanks to an 'excellent feel to hit with a simple swing that gets the ball in the air, although as the season went on, he started to have more trouble picking up off-speed stuff from the better pitching in the SEC. … He's not a shortstop and probably has his best shot to stay on the dirt at third base.' Want to feel old? Hynes was born July 7, 2007. Maybe it's meant to be that someone born on 07/07/07 was taken with pick No. 70. Gillispie said he's confident the team can sign him away from his Wake Forest commitment. Walton, a 6-foot-3 center fielder, transferred from Samford ahead of his junior year. Schubart, who stands 6 feet 5, is another outfielder (for now) with mega pop — he hit 59 homers in three years in Stillwater, Okla. — and a concerning strikeout rate. As for LaViolette, he suffered a broken hand during an SEC tournament game in late May and had surgery that night. He played the next day. Gillispie said LaViolette recently underwent another procedure to clean up and reinforce the initial operation, and said the Guardians have no concern about the injury.


USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
2025 MLB Draft picks tracker: Eli Willits is shock No. 1 for Nationals, Day 1 results
ATLANTA — The Washington Nationals ushered in a new era in franchise history by plucking a second-generation star who may soon emerge as a D.C. cornerstone. Yet the move was something of a shocker. Eli Willits, son of former major league outfielder Reggie Willits, was picked first by the Nationals in Sunday's Major League Baseball draft, the club opting for the less-heralded Oklahoma prep shortstop coming into this season. In doing so, they bypassed Ethan Holliday, son of seven-time All-Star Matt Holliday, who was aiming to follow in older brother Jackson's footsteps by getting selected first overall. "I'm excited, thankful to the Nationals organization for giving me this chance... I'm ready to get to work," Willits told MLB Network. Willits' selection comes one week after owner Mark Lerner signaled a massive shift in organization structure, firing president of baseball operations Mike Rizzo and manager Dave Martinez, who served as architect and shepherd, respectively, of their 2019 World Series champions. While such a drastic move might have seemed extreme one week before owning the No. 1 pick, the Nationals had narrowed their gaze for their selection considerably by then, with Holliday, collegiate left-hander Kade Anderson and Willits the industry consensus finalists. Ultimately, they chose Willits, who reclassified to this draft to be eligible at just 17 years old. It's possible the Nationals cut a deal with Willits to provide a bigger bonus pool for subsequent picks. "I'm a player that's going to give everything I've got,' Willits said. 'I feel like my power is up-and-coming, but I needed to get into an organization like the Nationals that could develop that and take it to the next level.' Willits visited Nationals Park the first week of June as the club narrowed its field of potential picks. Ultimately, they chose a left-handed infielder who batted .473 with 14 doubles, one triple, eight home runs, 34 RBI, 27 walks, 47 stolen bases and 56 runs scored while striking out just four times for Fort Cobb-Broxton High School, a squad that squared off with Holliday's Stillwater High School team earlier this season. The slot value of the No. 1 pick this season is $11.075 million. 2025 MLB Draft picks tracker Prospect Promotion Incentive picks Compensation picks Competitive Balance Round A Continued first round (CBT penalties) Continued Competitive Balance Round A Second round Competitive Balance Round B Compensation picks Competitive Balance Round B Compensation pick Third round Compensation pick Marcus Phillips: Red Sox draft Tennessee pitcher Marcus Phillips went from South Dakota to junior college to Tennessee baseball starting pitcher to first-round pick in the MLB Draft. Phillips was picked with the No. 33 by the Boston Red Sox in the 2025 MLB Draft on July 13, the fourth Vols pick already. Pitcher Liam Doyle was picked No. 5 by the St. Louis Cardinals. Shortstop Gavin Kilen was chosen No. 13 by the San Francisco Giants. First baseman/third baseman Andrew Fischer was selected No. 20 by the Milwaukee Brewers. Phillips, a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, native, spent two seasons at Tennessee. – Mike Wilson Knoxville News Sentinel Wehiwa Aloy draft: Orioles take Arkansas standout Arkansas baseball shortstop Wehiwa Aloy was selected by the Baltimore Orioles with the 31st overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft Sunday night. The projected slot value at No. 31 is $3.04 million. The 6-foot-2 Hawaiian was the SEC Player of the Year and became the Razorbacks' third Golden Spikes Award winner this spring. He led Arkansas in nearly every major offensive category, including slugging percentage (.673), on-base plus slugging (1.107), hits (93), runs scored (81), doubles (19), triples (2), home runs (21), extra-base hits (42), multi-hit games (30) and total bases (179). — Jackson Fuller, Fort Smith Southwest Times Record Gage Wood drafted by Philadelphia Phillies Arkansas baseball pitcher Gage Wood was selected by the Philadelphia Phillies with the 26th overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft Sunday night, giving the Razorbacks their 11th first-round selection in program history. The Batesville native made 10 starts in 2025 after battling a shoulder injury that required Wood to miss seven weekend starts. He returned in mid-April and finished his junior season by going 4-1 with a 3.82 ERA. Wood made history in June, throwing the third no-hitter in the history of the College World Series. He set a program record with 19 strikeouts as the Hogs kept their season alive with a 3-0 victory over Murray State. Wood hit one batter and needed 119 pitches to complete the no-hitter. – Jackson Fuller, Fort Smith Southwest Times Record Andrew Fischer to Milwaukee Brewers With their first of five picks on the opening night of the Major League Baseball draft, the Milwaukee Brewers went to a corner bat out of college, third baseman Andrew Fischer from the University of Tennessee. Fischer hit 25 home runs while batting .341 with a 1.257 OPS as a junior for Tennessee this season. – Curt Hogg, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Ike Irish drafted by Baltimore Orioles For the first time in five years, an Auburn baseball player has been selected in the first round of the MLB Draft. Ike Irish, the well-tooled hitter who led the Tigers to new heights during his three-year college career, was taken with the 19th overall pick in the first round of this year's draft by the Baltimore Orioles organization on Sunday. With it, Irish became the 10th first-round selection in Auburn's history, joining the likes of Casey Mize, Frank Thomas, Gregg Olson and Gabe Gross to be selected within the first 15 picks. The projected slot value of the No. 19 pick in this year's draft is $4,420,900. Irish's Auburn career coincided with a fruitful juncture for the program. In three years, he was part of two regional squads and, in 2025, helped the Tigers to hosting a super regional for the first time. Simultaneously, his tenure ended with his name in the record books, particularly top-10 marks for career batting average and home runs in Auburn history. – Adam Cole, Montgomery Advertiser Gavin Fien MLB draft: Giants take Tennessee shortstop Gavin Kilen is Tennessee baseball's first hitter off the board in the 2025 MLB Draft, going No. 13 to the Giants. Kilen is Tennessee's second pick of the 2025 MLB Draft joining pitcher Liam Doyle as UT had two first-round picks in the draft for the third time in four drafts. Doyle was picked No. 5 by the Cincinnati Reds. Kilen hit a team-leading .357 in his lone season at Tennessee. He hit 15 homers, 13 doubles and a team-high four triples as he flashed the hitting skills that made him a coveted draft prospect. He played second base and shortstop, earning first-team All-SEC honors at second base. – Mike Wilson, Knoxville News Sentinel Billy Carlson to White Sox at No. 10 Billy Carlson, the top-ranked player in Tennessee baseball's recruiting class, was picked in the first round of the 2025 MLB Draft. Carlson was selected No. 10 by the Chicago White Sox on July 13. He was the second straight Tennessee signee picked. Alabama shortstop Steele Hall was picked No. 9 by the Cincinnati Reds. The Corona High School (California) superstar is ranked the No. 3 prospect nationally and the No. 2 shortstop, according to Perfect Game. He is considered by many to be the best defensive high school shortstop in the country. tabbed him the No. 7 prospect in the draft. – Mike Wilson, Knoxville News Sentinel Liam Doyle drafted by Cardinals Liam Doyle set a new standard for Tennessee baseball in the MLB draft under Tony Vitello. The Vols pitcher was selected No. 5 overall by the St. Louis Cardinals, making him the highest-draft player in Vitello's tenure and the second highest-drafted pitcher in program history. Doyle was 10-4 with a 3.20 ERA and was named the SEC pitcher of the year. He struck out a program-record 164 batters in 95⅔ innings, while walking only 32. Doyle is the seventh first-rounder under Vitello. UT has had a first-round pick in four straight drafts and a top-10 pick in three straight drafts. Christian Moore was picked No. 8 in the 2024 MLB Draft by the Los Angeles Angels, the previous high mark under Vitello. – Mike Wilson, Knoxville News Sentinel How many rounds are in the MLB Draft? There are 20 rounds in the 2025 MLB Draft, which are set to include 615 total selections. MLB mock draft: Final predictions USA TODAY Sports' final MLB mock draft has prep standout Ethan Holliday going first overall to the wWashington Nationals Check out Gabe Lacques' full MLB mock draft here. Who is eligible for the MLB draft? A handful of requirements have to be met in order for a player to enter and be selected in the MLB draft. A prospect must either be a resident or have attended a school in the United States, Canada or a U.S. territory such as Puerto Rico. MLB has a separate period in which its teams can sign international players. Additionally, players are only eligible after they've graduated from high school. If they're at a four-year college, they are eligible only three years after they originally enrolled or after their 21st birthday, whichever comes first. Conversely, players from junior colleges are eligible to be drafted at any time. – Austin Curtright

Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Texas A&M junior OF selected 27th overall by the Cleveland Guardians in the 2025 MLB Draft
Texas A&M's all-time home run leader was always expected to be selected in the first round of whichever MLB Draft cycle he placed his name in. Still, after his up-and-down final campaign with the Aggies last season, the junior's stock expectedly tumbled. Still, during his final appearance in an Aggie uniform against future National Champion LSU in the SEC Tournament, LaViolette played through a hand fracture to produce two of the Aggies' three wins in the 4-3 loss. While the Tomball, Texas native already earned his historic status with Texas A&M, LaViolette's final performance cemented him as an Aggie legend. Yes, legend is an appropriate term for a player who currently holds several Texas A&M baseball records, starting with career home runs (68) and walks (163), while also ranking fourth in RBI (196) and total bases (438). Advertisement Entering the program as the 27th-ranked prospect in the 2022 recruiting class, the expectations were always high, and after an impressive 2023 freshman season, LaViolette made a statement during his 2024 sophomore season, ending the year with a .305 batting average, 29 homers, and 78 RBI. LaVolette has more than proven his worth as a top MLB prospect. During the first round of the 2025 MLB Draft, the junior outfielder was selected 27th overall by the Cleveland Guardians, where he will likely begin his professional career in the minor leagues before advancing up the ladder. This is an excellent value pick that would not have happened a year ago if LaViolette had declared last summer. What's surprising is that the Houston Astros had a shot at landing the Texas native as No. 21, but opted to pick Mount Vernon 3b Xavier Neyens. If LaViolette fixes his consistency issues at the plate, his power is already at an advanced level. Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Cameron on X: @CameronOhnysty. Advertisement This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: OF Jace LaViolette picked 27th overall by Cleveland in 2025 MLB Draft