White Sox honor late pitcher Bobby Jenks with moment of silence, No. 45 jersey patch 3 days after his death

The Chicago White Sox honored Bobby Jenks on Monday, three days after their former pitcher died of cancer at 44 years old.

The White Sox posted a tribute video and held a moment of silence for Jenks prior to Monday’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays, their first home game since Jenks died. Players donned a No. 45 patch on their jerseys to commemorate Jenks’ playing number. They will wear the patch for the remainder of the season.

Jenks announced in February that he had Stage 4 adenocarcinoma, a form of stomach cancer. He made the announcement from a hospital bed in Portugal during an interview with MLB.com. He had moved to Portugal from the United States to be closer to his wife’s family.

At the time, Jenks didn’t provide a prognosis but said he hoped to be able to attend the White Sox’s 20th anniversary celebration of their 2005 World Series championship. That celebration is scheduled for Friday.

Jenks played seven MLB seasons, six of them with the White Sox. He was a rookie reliever on the 2005 championship team that swept the Houston Astros in the World Series. Jenks earned the White Sox’s closing job in 2006 and held it for five seasons. An All-Star in 2006 and 2007, he was one of the hardest throwers of his generation, with a fastball that eclipsed 100 mph.

White Sox GM, former teammate Chris Getz remembers Jenks

White Sox general manager Chris Getz played two seasons with Jenks in Chicago. He spoke about Jenks prior to Monday’s game.

Jenks finished his MLB career with a single season as a reliever for the Boston Red Sox in 2011. He got into coaching and managing later in life. He was the pitching coach for the collegiate summer league Princeton WhistlePigs in 2023. He served as the manager of the minor-league Windy City Thunderbolts in Crestwood, Illinois, that same year.

Jenks is survived by his wife, Eleni, and their six children.