Bobby Jenks, a two-time All-Star relief pitcher who recorded the final out in the Chicago White Sox’s 2005 World Series championship, passed away on the Fourth of July. Jenks, who was battling cancer, was 44 years old and died in Portugal, where he was receiving treatment.
The White Sox, who Jenks spent six of his seven MLB season with, announced Jenks’s death Saturday. Team owner and chairman Jerry Reinsdorf issued a statement in which he fondly remembered Jenks’s postseason heroics.
“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 pitched in the majors from 2005 to 2011, with the first six of those seasons coming in Chicago. After establishing himself as a reliable arm out of the bullpen as a rookie, he was then promoted to the closer’s role for the White Sox in 2006. He would then post back-to-back seasons with 40-plus saves, making the MLB All-Star Game in both 2006 and 2007.
He held that role for a total of five seasons with Chicago, and his 167 saves from 2006 to 2010 were the fifth-most in all of baseball. The defining moment of his career came in the MLB playoffs in 2005, in which he appeared in seven games, with Chicago winning all seven. Jenks threw eight total innings in that postseason, posting a 2.25 ERA and saving four games.
The last of those saves came in Game 4 of the 2005 World Series versus the Houston Astros. After a scoreless game for seven innings, Chicago grabbed a 1–0 lead in the top of the eighth inning. Houston was then down to its last three outs in the bottom of the ninth when Jenks entered the game. After allowing a single to the first batter, he then recorded outs on each of the next three batters to save the game, clinch the series, and bring the White Sox their first World Series championship in 88 years.
Upon leaving the White Sox after the 2010 season, Jenks signed with the other Sox—the Boston Red Sox. He pitched one season with them before being released midseason. That would mark the end of his MLB career, in which he posted a 16-20 record, a 3.53 ERA, and had 173 saves. All 173 of the saves came with Chicago, and that figure ranks second in franchise history, trailing only Bobby Thigpen (201).
Upon retirement, Jenks served, first, as a pitching coach with the Grand Junction Rockies in the independents in 2021 before being promoted to manager the next year. He led the club to its second ever championship in 2022 and was named the league’s Manager of the Year. His last coaching job saw him return to the city where he achieved his most fame with the Windy City ThunderBolts. Jenks became their skipper at the end of 2023, managed them in 2024, and was set to do the same in 2025 before his illness.
Jenks, who was born in Southern California, saw his 2025 begin with him losing his home in the Palisades Fire in January. Later that month, he was diagnosed with Stage 4 adenocarcinoma, a form of stomach cancer. In April, the White Sox launched a special initiative titled “Grinder Ball Rule #45,” which encouraged fans to show their support for Jenks during his battle. The initiative included a T-shirt sale with proceeds going to one of Jenks’ favorite local charities, Ronald McDonald House Charities of Chicagoland & Northwest Indiana.
“My family and I are so humbled by the response and support we have received,“ Jenks said in April. ”I want to turn this news into a positive and powerful source of support for families who are dealing with cancer too. During my time in Chicago, I visited Ronald McDonald House, and it means so much to me and my family to use my situation to help others who are also in the fight against cancer. My goal is to get back to Chicago this summer and spend time with my teammates, Ronald McDonald House families and White Sox fans.”
Toby Hall, who was Jenks’s battery mate as a catcher with the White Sox for two seasons, was named the ThunderBolts’ interim manager while Jenks received treatment in Portugal, his wife’s home country. The former pitcher had spent his offseasons in Portuga.
Per the White Sox, 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.
