Chicago White Sox World Series Champion Bobby Jenks Dies At 44

Bobby Jenks, a member of the 2005 World Series Champion Chicago White Sox, passed away on Friday in Sintra, Portugal, at age 44. Jenks had been battling adenocarcinoma, a form of stomach cancer, per the team.

"We have lost an iconic member of the White Sox family today,” White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf said in a news release. “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

Jenks pitched for the White Sox from 2005-10 before finishing his career with the Boston Red Sox in 2011. The 6-foot-4 right-hander was an American League All-Star in 2006 and 2007, when he totaled back-to-back 40-save seasons, becoming at that time the second-youngest pitcher in MLB history to do so.

He closed out Game 4 of the 2005 World Series, recording the final three outs to secure the save in a 1-0 series-clinching victory. He appeared in six games and had five scoreless outings during the 2005 playoff run.

During his White Sox career, Jenks made 329 appearances out of the bullpen and saved 173 games, good for 76th in MLB history. Across 341.2 innings with the White Sox, he had a 3.40 ERA, a 1.20 WHIP and 334 strikeouts. He posted an ERA of 2.77 or lower in three of his first four seasons in the major leagues. Among relievers in White Sox franchise history, he ranks second in saves, sixth in appearances and seventh in strikeouts.

“You play for the love of the game, the joy of it,” Jenks said 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.”

Originally a fifth-round pick in 2000 by the Anaheim Angels, the White Sox claimed Jenks off waivers in 2004. In 2024, he was the manager of the independent league Windy City Thunderbolts in Crestwood, Ill.

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