CHICAGO -- There were 11 walk-off victory moments to be highlighted among the playoff-bound success of the 2026 White Sox.
This team clearly was entertaining on the field, but as has been rightfully discussed countless times, it was just as much fun off the field. That fun was equally as important in the White Sox ultimate path of excellence that led them to the American League Division Series.
So, let’s take one more look at five of those moments and how they represented this young squad changing the organization’s direction.
The bidet
Chris Getz was talking to me in late January about the interesting twists and turns of the pursuit of free agent Munetaka Murakami, when I asked the White Sox general manager if there was anything different concerning the first baseman’s arrival from Japan. Getz paused for a moment and eventually hit upon Murakami requesting bidets to be put in the White Sox clubhouse after touring the facility.
Bidets in Chicago became a talking point during Spring Training among White Sox players. They became an international story in Japan once pictures of the Rate Field bidet were released. They became the base of the White Sox celebration on the basepaths after important hits. It produced a viral quote in Arizona from Murakami, who talked about everyone using too much toilet paper.
Murakami fit into this team from the moment he joined through a two-year, $34 million deal. He changed the franchise by opening up the Pacific Rim area in terms of player acquisition, marketing and White Sox notoriety. He also gave the team a star who really was just one of the guys.
The Pope Hat
A myriad of giveaways run across Major League Baseball in the course of the season. Some really click with the fan bases. Some have their moment before being added to a shelf or box of collectibles back home.
None of those giveaways drew more recognition than the White Sox Pope Hat distributed before an Aug. 11 game against the Reds. And probably none of them drew more ballpark smiles.
Pope Leo XIV, also known as Robert Prevost from Dolton, Ill., is a true White Sox fan. The White Sox have not missed a moment to highlight that special connection, but then again, why wouldn’t they? Pope Leo is an inspirational figure supporting from afar a team that is coming out of four years of on-field doldrums. The White Sox marketing and public relations did a great job all season of playing off the excitement generated by the team as a whole.
Those White Sox-themed papal mitres were present in the stands during the ALDS home games. They were being talked about months after the fact by people who weren’t even in attendance.
The Spider-Men?
In an image posted to third baseman Miguel Vargas’ Instagram on the off-day before the Pope Hat giveaway, two individuals were shown dressed as Spider-Man while watching the Spider-Man movie at a local Chicago theater. Vargas tagged outfielder Sam Antonacci in the post and claimed the two were the web-slinging duo.
Antonacci denied it was him -- or, actually, wouldn’t confirm the identity. He teased the moment with wry smiles a few times later in the season. Vargas and Antonacci had a strong bond, even co-running a fantasy football team. It was the sort of strong bond featured across this tight-knit clubhouse.
The wand
Jordan Leasure didn’t contribute as he wanted out of the White Sox bullpen, with the right-hander’s season ending in mid-August after surgery to repair a torn UCL. But Leasure’s $20 purchase of a wand, and the ensuing gifting of said wand to Mike Vasil on April 27, turned that cheap addition from Amazon into a White Sox dugout staple.
Vasil became the team’s unofficial entertainment director after season-ending Tommy John surgery during Spring Training. The wand held some sort of magic for the White Sox, with Vasil eventually donning a wizard’s hat in the dugout after every White Sox home run. Teammates wanted the “White Sox wizard” to stay with the team during his rehab for a reason, although it’s back to baseball in 2027 for the right-hander.
The emptying purse
Emma Rodriguez had her moments of fame on Aug. 21 at Rate Field after picking up the baseball launched by Jake Rogers into the left-center-field seats for a game-winning two-run home run against the Mets. It was more about the celebration for the 24-year-old from the South Suburbs of Chicago, who lost the entirety of her purse in jubilation.
Luckily, Rodriguez recovered her belongings and returned the baseball to Rogers for a signed bat, a signed ball and a signed jersey, as well as tickets for another game.
You really can’t spell fun without the White Sox.
Well, that sentiment at least held true during the memorable 2026 season.