Chicago White Sox World Series champion Bobby Jenks battling Stage 4 cancer
Chris Getz and Will Venable's full SoxFest press conference
The Chicago White Sox opened SoxFest with a press conference with general manager Chris Getz and first-year manager Will Venable. The two answered questions on Thursday afternoon.
Bobby Jenks was on the mound when the Chicago White Sox enjoyed the best moment in franchise history.
He closed out a 1-0 win in Game 4 of the 2005 World Series sweep over the Astros.
Jenks is now fighting a different battle.
In an interview with MLB.com, Jenks revealed he's battling Stage 4 stomach cancer.
"It’s awful to think about," Jenks told MLB.com. "It’s just been a whirlwind."
What we know
Jenks, who lives in Sintra, Portugal, is the manager of the Windy City Thunderbolts, an independent professional baseball team based in Crestwood, Illinois.
He likes in Sintra with his wife and two of his six children.
White Sox fans remember Jenks as a dependable closer. Originally drafted by the Angels, Jenks was claimed off of waivers by the White Sox in 2004 for $20,000.
In his Sox career, Jenks recorded 173 saves and matched a MLB record for a reliever by retiring 41 consecutive batters. It might be the best $20,000 the Sox have spent.
He closed for the White Sox from 2005 to 2010, and pitched one more season for the Boston Red Sox in 2011 before retiring due to surgery complications after he had bone spurs in his back removed. Those spurs caused blood clot that moved to his lungs.
Jenks finished his MLB career with a win–loss record of 16–20, an ERA of 3.53 and 351 strikeouts.
The Source: MLB.com was the source of this story.