Chicago White Sox World Series hero and two-time All-Star Bobby Jenks passed away on July 4 in Sintra, Portugal, at the age of 44. Jenks had been suffering from adenocarcinoma, a form of stomach cancer. His wife and two of his children were by his side when he passed.
Jenks is best known for being on the mound in the fourth and deciding game when the White Sox won the World Series for the first time in 88 years in 2005. He retired Orlando Palmeiro on a ground out to earn the save and preserve a victory for the long-suffering Southside Chicago fans.
Jenks’ Early Life and Career
Robert Scott Jenks was born in Mission Hills, California, on March 14, 1981. He grew up in Idaho and Washington State, but did not play for his high schools due to poor grades. He instead played American Legion ball, where he caught the attention of the Anaheim Angels, who, with the 140th overall pick of the Major League Baseball Amateur Draft, selected Jenks in the fifth round.
Jenks spent much of his time with Angels on the disabled list with elbow problems, but he also abused alcohol and was in poor physical condition. However, he could throw hard even then as a radar gun clocked his fastball at 100 mph in a minor league game. But after stress fracture surgery in 2004, Anaheim designated him for assignment in December, and the White Sox claimed him off waivers in January of 2005.
World Series Fame and All-Star Recognition
From there, things moved quickly for Jenks. He began the 2005 season at the White Sox’s Double-A affiliate, the Birmingham Barons, but skipped Triple-A and was called up by Chicago on July 5. White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen named him the closer in late September. He then contributed four saves during the team’s playoff run and was a key component of their historic record-breaking season after their World Series victory against the Houston Astros.
The big, burly reliever frightened major league batters with his 102-mph fastball. He was an All-Star in 2006 and 2007, when he racked up 81 saves in that two-year span. During the 2007 season, Jenks retired 41 consecutive batters, which tied a then-major league record. He pitched for the White Sox for six seasons from 2005-10, recording 173 saves (second most saves in the team’s history) while posting a 3.40 ERA in 329 relief appearances.
Post-Sox Career and Later Life
At the end of the 2010 season, Jenks’ production had slipped, and the White Sox declined to tender him a contract, so he signed a two-year, $12 million contract with the Boston Red Sox. However, he was forced to retire from the game after one season with the Red Sox due to a bone spur injury in his back.
Boston finally released him in July 2012, and he sued Massachusetts General Hospital for malpractice. In 2019, he reached a settlement with the hospital for $5.1 million. He suffered from the pain for the rest of his life, and as a result, he became addicted to painkillers and alcohol until a successful rehab stint in 2012. He next turned to coaching, serving as the pitching coach for the Grand Junction Rockies of the Pioneer League in 2021.
Upon becoming their manager in 2022, he was named the league’s Manager of the Year after leading the Rockies to the championship. He spent the 2023 season as the pitching coach for the Princeton WhistlePigs, and in 2024, he was the manager of the Windy City Thunderbolts of the Frontier League. He took a leave of absence from the team to undergo cancer treatment. He subsequently moved to Portugal to be closer to his wife’s family.
Tributes and Surviving Family
Tributes poured in from teammates and others who were close to Jenks. Former White Sox catcher and current Fox Sports analyst A.J. Pierzynski remembered Jenks.
“Bobby was a larger-than-life figure, and fans related to him. He overcame a lot early in life to have a great playing career, and after his playing days, he did a lot of positive things to help himself and others. I was fortunate enough to catch him in some of the biggest games in White Sox history, and I will never forget jumping into his arms after the last out of the World Series.”
And White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf said in a statement.
“We have lost an iconic member of the White Sox family today. None of us will ever forget that ninth inning of Game 4 in Houston, all that Bobby did for the 2005 World Series champions and for the entire Sox organization during his time in Chicago. He and his family knew cancer would be his toughest battle, and he will be missed as a husband, father, friend, and teammate. He will forever hold a special place in all our hearts.”
Jenks is survived by his wife, Eleni Tzitzivacos, their two children, Zeno and Kate, and his four children from a prior marriage, Cuma, Nolan, Rylan, and Jackson.
