Next week's reunion celebrating the 20th anniversary of the 2005 World Series Champion Chicago White Sox will take on a mournful tune, as the team announced that two-time All-Star closer Bobby Jenks passed away on Friday following a battle with stomach cancer.
Jenks was just 44 years old.
“We have lost an iconic member of the White Sox family today,” White Sox Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf said in a statement. “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.”
Bobby will forever hold a special place in all our hearts 🤍 pic.twitter.com/CLNi7g0Tzh
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) July 5, 2025
This Sunday will mark the 20th anniversary of Jenks' major league debut, as he burst onto the scene as a flamethrowing rookie reliever who eventually assumed the closing duties of the eventual World Series champions. Jenks was on the mound as the Sox clinched the 2005 AL Central title in Detroit, recorded the save to complete a sweep of the defending champion Red Sox in the ALDS, and was mobbed by catcher A.J. Pierzynski and the rest of his teammates after helping secure the final out of the first World Series title in 88 years for the White Sox franchise.
Jenks' rookie year emergence and the swift, injury-addled end of his career with the Red Sox in 2011 obscured an impressive career peak. He made the American League All-Star team and recorded 40 or more saves in both 2006 and 2007, and record a 3.40 ERA with 173 saves over six years on the South Side; the second-most in franchise history. In 2007, Jenks tied an American League record by retiring 41 consecutive hitters, only to see his teammate Mark Buehrle break the mark on the heels of his perfect game in 2009.
Despite dealing with a bevy of health issues after the end of his career, Jenks returned to baseball as a coach in 2021. He managed the independent league Windy City Thunderbolts last season, and had intentions to return to the dugout in 2025 before his battle with adenocarcinoma interfered.
Jenks is survived by his wife Eleni and their two children, as well as four other children from his previous marriage. The Sox Machine staff and community extends our deepest condolences to the Jenks family and his loved ones.
