CHICAGO – Former Chicago White Sox All-Star pitcher and 2005 World Series Champion Bobby Jenks died on the Fourth of July in Sintra, Portugal, where he had been battling stomach cancer. He was 44 years old.
“We have lost an iconic member of the White Sox family today,” said White Sox Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf. “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.”
Jenks toed the rubber for the White Sox from 2005-2010, posting a 14-18 record and a 3.40 ERA. He notched 173 saves and 334 strikeouts over 329 relief appearances.
In franchise history, Jenks ranks second in saves, sixth in appearances and seventh in strikeouts.
He was named to the American League All-Star team in 2006 and 2007 and made his major league debut on July 6, 2005, tossing one scoreless inning against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
Jenks routinely reached triple digits with his pitches and helped lead the White Sox to a World Series championship in 2005, ending an 88-year drought.
The Chicago’s 11-1 run that postseason, he appeared in six games (five scoreless efforts) and earned saves in series-clinching wins in Game 3 of the ALDS at Boston and Game 4 of the World Series at Houston.
From 2006-2010, Jenks ranked third among American League relief pitchers in saves with 167, sixth in appearances with 297, sixth in save percentage at 87.4, seventh in strikeouts with 284 and seventh in innings pitched with 302.1.
He notched back-to-back 40-save seasons in 2006 and 2007 at the age of 26, becoming at that time the second-youngest pitcher in major league history to accomplish the feat. Jenks retired 41 consecutive batters in 2007, which tied a then-major league record.
Jenks ended his major league career in 2011, appearing in 19 games with the Boston Red Sox.
Over seven major league season, Jenks went 16-20 with a 3.53 ERA, 173 saves and 351 strikeouts across 348 career games.
“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.”
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.