Hours before the Chicago White Sox unleashed an early blitz on the Houston Astros in Game 2 of their wild-card series, Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale dropped a public proposal to Pope Leo XIV that put 190 kids’ playoff tickets on the line.
Mattress Mack’s Wild Wager with His Holiness
This isn’t just any wager. If the White Sox manage to take this series, Mack, the Gallery Furniture founder notorious for his hefty wagers on the Astros, promised to send all 190 students and teachers from Chicago’s St. Gabriel Catholic School to a future White Sox playoff game. The catch for him? If the Astros stage a wild comeback to win Games 2 and 3 and snatch the series, Mack wants an autographed Astros jersey from His Holiness himself.
The Pope’s involvement isn’t random, either. Pope Leo XIV, a Chicago native and a lifelong White Sox fan, had already sent his blessings to the team the day before. Mack, who mentioned he went to Catholic school himself and was inspired by the Pope’s letter, picked St. Gabriel because it’s less than two miles from Guaranteed Rate Field and the Pope has strong ties there. His brother John was the principal before retiring, and the Pope has even led mass at the school. Mack’s also been giving out free playoff tickets to customers at his store this week, so he’s clearly all-in on the playoff spirit!
Game 2 Heats Up as the Stakes Skyrocket
The White Sox wasted no time making things interesting, immediately jumping out to a 4-0 lead in the top of the first inning of Game 2. Mack, always the showman, admitted to the Houston Chronicle at that moment, “It’s kind of sad right now.” But hold up! The Astros have started to claw their way back, narrowing the gap to 4-3 by the fourth inning. What a turn!
Even with the game still hanging in the balance, Mack already called the school. He said, “I called the school earlier to let them know, and they’re all really excited.” You bet they are! There’s probably a whole lot of excited kids on the south side of Chicago right now, dreaming of playoff baseball. This wild-card series just got a whole lot more compelling. With the Astros fighting tooth and nail to keep their season alive and snatch that jersey from the Pope, and 190 kids’ playoff dreams hanging in the balance, every pitch from here on out is going to be must-watch.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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