Houston furniture mogul Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale has made a public proposal to Pope Leo XIV: if the Chicago White Sox beat the Houston Astros in their American League Wild Card Series, McIngvale will cover the cost of sending all 190 students and teachers at Chicago's St. Gabriel Catholic School to a future White Sox playoff game. If the Astros came back to win, McIngvale wanted something in return — an autographed Astros jersey from the pope himself. The White Sox went on to sweep Houston, 7-3 in Game 2, meeting the condition for McIngvale's offer.
McIngvale, founder of Gallery Furniture, said he decided to make the offer after hearing about a letter Pope Leo XIV sent to the White Sox ahead of the series, according to Houston Chronicle sports reporter Matt Young. The pope's Sept. 9 letter was addressed to White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf and arrived at Rate Field ahead of Game 1, according to Yahoo Sports. Pope Leo XIV grew up in Chicago and has remained a White Sox fan dating back to those days, the outlet reports.
McIngvale told St. Gabriel Catholic School that he was making the offer, and the school is excited about it, per the Houston Chronicle's reporting. He specifically chose St. Gabriel because of its deep ties to the pope: Pope Leo's brother John previously served as the school's principal before retiring from the role, and the pope himself has led Mass at St. Gabriel for the congregation and students during past visits, according to FOX 26 Houston. The school sits less than two miles from Guaranteed Rate Field, per the Houston Chronicle.
White Sox Sweep Settles the Wager
McIngvale had asked Pope Leo XIV to sign an Astros jersey if Houston won Games 2 and 3, which he planned to frame and display inside Gallery Furniture. But the White Sox won Game 2, 7-3, sweeping Houston and ending the series.
That followed Chicago's 6-3 win in Game 1 of the best-of-three series, as reported by Yahoo Sports. The White Sox's 7-3 victory in Game 2 completed the sweep, so no decisive Game 3 was needed. Chicago advanced to the American League Division Series to face the Cleveland Guardians.
A Team on the Rise, and a Familiar Promotional Playbook
The White Sox clinched their wild-card berth this season with an 84-78 record, a turnaround for a club that had lost at least 101 games in each of the previous three seasons, according to Yahoo Sports. For Chicago fans, the pope's letter and the surprise season have added a layer of novelty to a series already carrying extra weight given the pontiff's hometown ties.
McIngvale is no stranger to tying sports outcomes to generous promotions. He is currently giving away free playoff tickets to customers at his store this week, according to the Houston Chronicle. He has also structured past postseason offers around customer purchases, including a 2024 promotion tied to the Astros' playoff run in which he covered mattress costs for customers if Houston won its series, as reported by Texas Monthly.
Reflecting on Houston's slow start in Game 2, McIngvale offered a simple assessment to the Houston Chronicle: “It's kind of sad right now.” The White Sox's sweep settled the wager in favor of the Chicago school, rather than the framed, signed Astros jersey.
