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The Herald Scotland
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
Bobby Jenks, White Sox World Series-winning closer, dies at 44
An erratic starting pitcher with dominant stuff as a top prospect for the Anaheim Angels, Jenks rose to prominence after the White Sox claimed him off waivers in December 2004. Just a few months later, he was a beloved part of the White Sox's surprise championship team. Manager Ozzie Guillen, rather than signaling with his left or right hand, pantomimed Jenks' rotund shape when he wanted to call the closer into the game. And few were better for a time: Jenks grabbed hold of the closer's job in Chicago late in 2005 and saved four of their 11 postseason victories that season, including Game 4 of the World Series when the White Sox clinched the title with a 1-0 victory at Houston's Minute Maid Park. Former Chicago White Sox All-Star pitcher and 2005 World Series Champion Bobby Jenks passed away yesterday, July 4, in Sintra, Portugal, where he had been battling adenocarcinoma, a form of stomach cancer. He was 44 years old. — Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) July 5, 2025 "We have lost an iconic member of the White Sox family today," White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf said in a statement. "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 etched his name into the major league record books two seasons later, when he tied Jim Barr's record of 41 consecutive batters retired, the first to hold that record as a relief pitcher. Jenks' run came over 14 perfect outings. He was an All-Star in 2006 and 2007, when he saved 41 and 40 games, respectively. He pitched six seasons for the White Sox before closing his career by appearing in 19 games for the 2011 Boston Red Sox. Jenks died in Sintra, Portugal, the White Sox said, as his stomach cancer progressed to its latter stages. He is survived by his wife, Eleni Tzitzivacos, their two children, Zeno and Kate and four children from a previous marriage: Cuma, Nolan, Rylan and Jackson.
USA Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Bobby Jenks, closer for 2005 World Series champion Chicago White Sox, dies at 44
Bobby Jenks, the closer for the 2005 World Series champion Chicago White Sox whose fastball touched 100 mph in an era when such heat was uncommon, died July 4 of stomach cancer, the White Sox announced. Jenks was 44. An erratic starting pitcher with dominant stuff as a top prospect for the Anaheim Angels, Jenks rose to prominence after the White Sox claimed him off waivers in December 2004. Just a few months later, he was a beloved part of the White Sox's surprise championship team. Manager Ozzie Guillen, rather than signaling with his left or right hand, pantomimed Jenks' rotund shape when he wanted to call the closer into the game. And few were better for a time: Jenks grabbed hold of the closer's job in Chicago late in 2005 and saved four of their 11 postseason victories that season, including Game 4 of the World Series when the White Sox clinched the title with a 1-0 victory at Houston's Minute Maid Park. "We have lost an iconic member of the White Sox family today,' White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf said in a statement. "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 etched his name into the major league record books two seasons later, when he tied Jim Barr's record of 41 consecutive batters retired, the first to hold that record as a relief pitcher. Jenks' run came over 14 perfect outings. He was an All-Star in 2006 and 2007, when he saved 41 and 40 games, respectively. He pitched six seasons for the White Sox before closing his career by appearing in 19 games for the 2011 Boston Red Sox. Jenks died in Sintra, Portugal, the White Sox said, as his stomach cancer progressed to its latter stages. He is survived by his wife, Eleni Tzitzivacos, their two children, Zeno and Kate and four children from a previous marriage: Cuma, Nolan, Rylan and Jackson.
New York Times
10-03-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Mo Vaughn, fearsome slugger named in Mitchell Report, admits to using HGH: Exclusive
Former slugger Mo Vaughn told The Athletic that he used human growth hormone in an effort to extend his career, confirming for the first time information disclosed in 2007 in the Mitchell Report. 'I was trying to do everything I could,' Vaughn told The Athletic about his desire to stay on the field. 'I knew I had a bad, degenerative knee. I was shooting HGH in my knee. Whatever I could do to help the process …' Advertisement Vaughn's revelation came during a recent interview, in which he relayed how his relationship with his son Lee, 12, rekindled his love for the game after a long estrangement from the sport. The one-time AL MVP said he did not consider getting named in the Mitchell Report a stain on his legacy. Nor was it the reason he distanced himself from baseball. His anger toward the game, Vaughn said, stemmed from his belief that if not for a series of injuries, he could have accomplished more. Assembled at the behest of former commissioner Bud Selig to detail the illegal use of steroids and other performance-enhancing substances by major-league players, the Mitchell Report offered evidence that Vaughn made three separate purchases of HGH in 2001. Vaughn did not consent to an interview with the author of the report, former U.S. Sen. George J. Mitchell of Maine. Vaughn's physical troubles began two batters into the 1999 season opener, his debut with the Anaheim Angels after signing a then-record six-year, $80 million free-agent contract. Chasing a foul pop toward the Cleveland dugout, he fell down the steps and injured his left ankle and knee. He later missed the entire 2001 season with a ruptured biceps tendon, and his knee issues forced him out of the game in May 2003. The Mitchell Report states that the person who provided Vaughn with HGH, former Mets batboy and clubhouse employee Kirk Radomski, said, 'he did not sell Vaughn steroids because Vaughn was 'afraid of the big needles.'' Vaughn said the HGH injections required smaller needles. Major League Baseball did not ban human growth hormone until 2005, nearly two years after Vaughn's final game. The league, in conjunction with the Players Association, became the first sport to institute in-season, unannounced random blood testing for the substance until 2013. Advertisement Former pitcher Andy Pettitte, another player the Mitchell Report named for using HGH, admitted in 2007 to trying the substance. Like Vaughn, he said his goal was to recover from an injury, which in his case was an elbow problem. 'I felt an obligation to get back to my team as soon as possible,' Pettitte said. 'For this reason, and only this reason, for two days I tried human growth hormone. Though it was not against baseball rules, I was not comfortable with what I was doing, so I stopped.' Pettitte's admission is perhaps one reason he has struggled to gain traction in the Hall of Fame voting, receiving 27.9 percent in his seventh year on the ballot, with 75 percent required for induction. Vaughn, who was the 1995 American League MVP but overall was not as accomplished as Pettitte, fell off the ballot in 2009, his first year of eligibility, after receiving only 1.1 percent of the vote. Vaughn played 12 seasons, primarily for the Red Sox, with stops with the Angels and Mets. The three-time All-Star finished with 328 home runs and a lifetime average of .293. GO DEEPER How Mo Vaughn rediscovered his love for baseball through his 12-year-old son (Top photo of Mo Vaughn playing for the Mets in 2002: Christopher Ruppel / Getty Images)
