White Sox remember 'confident' closer Bobby Jenks

DENVER — On Saturday, Chicago White Sox first base coach/outfield coach Jason Bourgeois remembered more about Bobby Jenks than just his hard-throwing style and intimidating demeanor on the mound.

Jenks, the closer on the 2005 White Sox that won the World Series, was recalled fondly by members of the White Sox organization on Saturday. The 44-year-old Jenks died on Friday after battling Stage 4 adenocarcinoma, a form of stomach cancer.

While there was certainly sadness in the wake of the news on Saturday before the White Sox took on the Colorado Rockies in Denver, there were also plenty of smiles when remembering what Jenks meant to the team and the impact he had on the franchise.

"He was a big guy and very confident, but not cocky," said Bourgeois, who was teammates with Jenks on the 2008 White Sox team. "That's the thing that I loved about him, how he went about his work.

"He was leading by example with a calm demeanor and, shoot, could flat out throw the ball."

Jenks was a two-time All-Star and immediately endeared himself to fans of the Southsiders by nailing down a pair of saves in the 2005 World Series win against the Houston Astros, his rookie season.

The right-hander would go on to log 173 saves in six seasons with the White Sox, striking out 351 batters in 357.1 innings. He also posted a career ERA of 3.53 and ERA+ of 131.

"I never faced him but, obviously, as a fan of the game, someone who was paying attention and knew his impact on the field, and then coming over here and just understanding the type of person he was and what this organization felt about him and the impact he made. It was incredible," White Sox manager Will Venable said of the legacy of Jenks that remains with the team. "It's a sad day for a lot of people in the organization and a lot of fans. He was just a guy who made a tremendous impact and was taken way too soon."

As a rookie in 2008, Bourgeois remembered some of the moments where Jenks showed him his character off the mound as well.

"I had to dress up in 2008 (as a rookie) and he gave me a hard time in the best way possible," Bourgeois smiled. "He was just a fun guy. He was very talkative and communicated greatly with the young guys and made us feel at home."

All quotations obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.