Bobby Jenks, the man standing on the pitcher’s mound when the White Sox got the final out of the 2005 World Series, passed away yesterday in Portugal, near his wife’s family, after battling a form of stomach cancer. Jenks, who turned 44 in March, was diagnosed with Stage 4 adenocarcinoma in January, just weeks after losing his home to the Palisades wildfires.
Jenks joined the White Sox organization following the 2004 season, after being selected off waivers from the Angels. He started 2005 in Double A and was called up to the big-league club on July 5, making his major league debut the following day. When Shingo Takatsu proved ineffective and Dustin Hermanson went down with a back injury, Jenks became the closer in September, finishing the regular season with six saves. In the ALDS against the Red Sox, he threw three scoreless innings and picked up two saves in the three-game sweep. Thanks to four consecutive complete games to finish the ALCS against the Angels, Jenks was well rested for the World Series. He appeared in all four games against the Astros, throwing five innings and earning the save in Games 1 and 4.
He spent the next five seasons with the White Sox, making two All-Star teams and continuing to endear himself to White Sox fans. In 2007, he tied a major league record by retiring 41 consecutive batters, becoming the first reliever to achieve the feat. After the 2010 season, he left as a free agent, but injuries and a botched surgery ended his career. He returned to Chicago in 2024, serving as the manager of the Windy City Thunderbolts independent team.
Next weekend, the White Sox are celebrating the 20th anniversary of that World Series team. Jenks had been planning to attend, reportedly telling his doctors not to schedule any appointments for him in early July, but unfortunately it was not to be.
Jenks’ numbers in a White Sox uniform, both for games I attended and overall, were: