Bobby Jenks dies: ESPN’s social media post catches flak

The death of Bobby Jenks shocked the baseball world last week and emotions ran high on social media as ESPN caught some flak for its wording on a social media post about the late former closer.

Jenks, 44, died after a battle with stomach cancer. He was a two-time All-Star with the Chicago White Sox and was the anchor for the bullpen in 2005 during their magical postseason run, defeating the Houston Astros in the World Series. He had four saves in that postseason.

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White Sox relief pitcher Bobby Jenks during the ninth inning against the New York Yankees at US Cellular Field in Chicago, Aug. 29, 2010. (Dennis Wierzbicki-USA Today Sports)

A social media post about Jenks described him as “being on the roster.”

“Bobby Jenks, a two-time All-Star pitcher for the Chicago White Sox, who was on the roster when the franchise won the 2005 World Series, died on Friday in Sintra, Portugal, the team announced,” the post on X read.

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Boston Red Sox reliever Bobby Jenks pitches against Los Angeles at Angel Stadium of Anaheim in California on April 21, 2010. (Gary A. Vasquez-USA Today Sports)

Former players like A.J. Pierzynski and Doug Mientkiewicz took issue with the post.

Fox News Digital reached out to ESPN for comment.

Jenks was a fifth-round pick in 2000 out of high school, made his MLB debut in 2005 and immediately burst onto the scene. In 32 games, he pitched to a 2.75 ERA and struck out 11.4 batters per nine.

Because of his rapid success, he earned the closer’s role ahead of the postseason. He appeared in all four games of that Fall Classic and got the final out that snapped the Sox’s 88-year championship drought.

Former White Sox pitcher Bobby Jenks is remembered before the game between the Cubs and the St. Louis Cardinals at Wrigley Field in Chicago, July 6, 2025. (Matt Marton-Imagn Images)

He retired after the 2011 season, spending six of his seven seasons in Chicago and the other with the Boston Red Sox.

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Jenks finished his career with a 3.53 ERA and 351 strikeouts.

Fox News’ Ryan Morik contributed to this report.

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