Bobby Jenks, Former White Sox All-Star and World Series Champion, Dies at 44

Bobby Jenks, a two-time MLB All-Star closer and World Series champion with the Chicago White Sox, died on July 4 in Sintra, Portugal, where he’d been battling Stage 4 adenocarcinoma, a form of stomach cancer, the team announced.

He was 44 years old.

“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 helped the White Sox win the 2005 World Series, saving four games in six appearances during the postseason run. He was an All-Star in each of the next two seasons while saving a total of 81 games in 2006 and 2007. Over the next three seasons, he averaged 28-plus saves a year.

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.

Jenks had surgery to remove the bone spurs in his back in December 2011 and never returned to the field. Jenks sued in 2015 for medical malpractice. In 2019, Jenks agreed to accept a $5.1 million settlement from Massachusetts General Hospital and a doctor he says caused his career-ending spine injury.

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.

Prior to his death, Jenks said he was planning to recover well enough to return for a second season as manager of the minor league Windy City Thunderbolts in Crestwood, Illinois, he told MLB.com in February. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.