Bobby Jenks, World Series champion with the White Sox, dies at 44

Former pitcher Bobby Jenks , who was part of the 2005 World Series championship team with the Chicago White Sox , died on July 4 at the age of 44 after battling adenocarcinoma, a type of gastric cancer.

Jenks was a key figure in the White Sox's 88-year title drought. In Game 4 of that World Series against the Houston Astros , he earned the save by pitching a scoreless ninth inning and closing out the game with a groundout to batter Orlando Palmeiro.

During his major league career, Jenks was an All-Star in 2006 and 2007, and earned 173 saves in six seasons with the White Sox, second only to Bobby Thigpen for most saves in franchise history. In 2007, he retired 41 consecutive batters, tying a major league record at the time.

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Club president Jerry Reinsdorf said the organization will not forget his role in the team's championship run and highlighted his struggles over the years. Former manager Ozzie Guillen recalled the moment he called him to close out the World Series , while former teammates, such as Paul Konerko and AJ Pierzynski , highlighted his impact both on and off the field.

Jenks played his final season in MLB in 2011 with the Boston Red Sox . In 2024, he returned to baseball as a manager for the Windy City ThunderBolts in the independent Frontier League. In May, one of his pitchers, Buddie Pindell, commented that having him as a manager was valuable because of his direct style and the atmosphere he generated on the team.

On July 11, the White Sox will hold a reunion to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the 2005 championship, where Jenks will be remembered alongside his former teammates. He is survived by his wife, Eleni, his two youngest children, and four children from a previous marriage. He resided in Portugal with his family.