Former Lakeland High, Prairie Legion pitcher, White Sox World Series star Jenks dies of stomach cancer
MARK DUNCAN/Associated Press Bobby Jenks, pitching for the Chicago White Sox, looks on during a game against the Cleveland Indians on Aug. 30, 2010, in Cleveland.
From wire and local reports and mlb.com
Former Lakeland High and Prairie American Legion pitcher Bobby Jenks, a two-time All-Star closer who helped the Chicago White Sox win the 2005 World Series, died Friday in Sintra, Portugal, where he had been battling adenocarcinoma, a form of stomach cancer, the White Sox announced.
He was 44.
Jenks helped the White Sox win the 2005 World Series, saving four games in six appearances during the postseason. He was an All-Star in each of the next two seasons while saving 41 games in 2006 and 40 in 2007.
Jenks pitched for Prairie in the late 1990s, and also pitched one season for Lakeland.
He retired 41 consecutive batters in 2007, matching a record for a reliever.
"He was embarrassing guys, good hitters, right away," former White Sox first baseman Paul Konerko said in a video tribute.
Jenks saved 173 games for the White Sox from 2005-10 before finishing his career with 19 appearances in 2011 for the Boston Red Sox. For his career, he was 16-20 with a 3.53 ERA and 351 strikeouts in 348 appearances, all in relief.
Ozzie Guillén, who managed that World Series-winning squad, had a signature move to summon Jenks from the bullpen, throwing his arms wide open to show that he wanted the 6-foot-4, 275-pound closer. Jenks died weeks before the White Sox were set to hold a 20th anniversary reunion for the franchise's most recent title-winning team.
“Everyone remembers the moment when I called for the big fella in the World Series,” Guillén said in a statement. "Everyone has a favorite story about Bobby, so the 2005 reunion will be a great opportunity to get together with all his teammates and coaches and relive some of our greatest memories of him.”
Jenks ranks 75th on the major league all-time saves list with 173.
"He and his family knew cancer would be his toughest battle, and he will be missed as a husband, father, friend and teammate," White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf said in a statement. "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.
"As a teammate," former White Sox outfielder Aaron Rowand said, "he was the best."
Jenks ranks among White Sox franchise relief leaders in saves (second), appearances (sixth) and strikeouts (seventh). He made his Major League debut on July 6, 2005, tossing a scoreless inning vs. Tampa Bay.
In the 2005 World Series, Jenks appeared in six games (five scoreless efforts) during the Sox’s 11-1 run in the playoffs, earning saves in series-clinching wins in Game 3 of the ALDS at Boston and Game 4 of the World Series at Houston.
“You play for the love of the game, the joy of it,” said Jenks during his last interview with SoxTV in summer 2024. “It’s what I love to do. I’m playing to be a world champion and that’s what I wanted to do from the time I picked up a baseball.”
From 2006-10, Jenks ranked among the AL relief leaders in saves (third, 167), appearances (sixth, 297), save percentage (sixth, 87.4), strikeouts (seventh, 284) and innings pitched (seventh, 302.1). He recorded back-to-back 40-save seasons in 2006-07 at the age of 26 years old, becoming at that time the second-youngest pitcher in major league history to accomplish the feat.
He was selected by the Angels in the fifth round of the 2000 MLB Draft and pitched in the minors before being claimed by the White Sox off waivers in December 2004. Jenks returned to baseball in 2024 as the manager of the independent league Windy City Thunderbolts in Crestwood, Ill.