Bobby Jenks’ Fight Against Cancer—A Battle Bigger Than Baseball
Bobby Jenks, the former MLB closer who once dominated the mound with his 102-mph fastball, is now facing a battle far greater than any he ever fought in baseball—Stage 4 adenocarcinoma, a form of stomach cancer. At just 43 years old, Jenks is in the fight of his life, undergoing treatment while also dealing with the heartbreaking loss of his home in the California fires.
Speaking from his hospital bed in Portugal, where he moved with his family to be closer to his wife’s relatives, Jenks opened up about the past five months—months filled with shock, pain, and resilience. He admitted he wasn’t entirely surprised by the diagnosis, reflecting on the lifestyle choices he made in his 20s and early 30s. "The stuff I was doing back then, no normal person would have survived," he said bluntly. While he has since turned his life around—cutting out alcohol and drugs, eating healthier, and even managing the Windy City Thunderbolts last season—he knows this is a different kind of battle.
His health troubles started with deep vein thrombosis in his calf, which led to multiple blood clots in his lungs. By early January, his energy levels dropped drastically, and jaundice set in. It wasn’t until a CT scan at another hospital that doctors discovered a tumor in his chest, which had already spread throughout his stomach lining, bones, lower back, and hips. The tumor even ruptured at one point, causing severe internal bleeding. Now, Jenks is undergoing radiation therapy, hoping to shrink the tumor and stop the bleeding.
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Despite the grim diagnosis, Jenks remains defiant. "I’m not going to die here in Portugal," he said firmly. He refuses to dwell on survival statistics, believing that whatever happens, he will fight on his own terms. "They are not going to put any numbers on it. I wouldn’t even want numbers. You hear stories all the time, ‘Oh, they gave me six months, 25 years ago.’ I don’t buy into that."
Adding to the hardship, Jenks lost almost everything in the Palisades fire—his home, his belongings, even his personal baseball memorabilia. The only item he has left is his 2005 World Series ring, which he had with him while managing the Thunderbolts. "I’ve got one suitcase left to my name," he said. "Everything else I’ve ever done—it’s all gone."
But even in the midst of all this, Jenks has his eyes set on the future. He’s determined to return to managing the Thunderbolts in 2025 and hopes to be part of the 20-year White Sox World Series reunion this July. His message to others? Take care of yourself. "At the end of the day, I feel like everybody needs to be more mindful about what they put in their bodies," he said. "Be more careful and conscious of where they are getting their information, as well."
Through it all, Jenks’ sense of humor and fighting spirit remain intact. "Momma didn’t raise no Cubs fan," he joked, a nod to the White Sox-Cubs rivalry. "My job is to do everything I can to keep myself in the best possible mental and physical state I can during the process—especially for the kids."
From striking out batters in the World Series to facing a fight he never saw coming, Bobby Jenks is still refusing to back down.
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