Bobby Jenks, the closer who helped the Chicago White Sox win the World Series, is participating in a fundraiser to assist with his expenses during his battle with cancer. This has been a challenging time for Jenks, who made his MLB debut with the White Sox in 2005, famously celebrating their World Series victory—a sweep against the Houston Astros—when catcher A.J. Pierzynski leaped into his arms.
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In February, Jenks spoke with MLB.com about his diagnosis of Stage 4 adenocarcinoma, a type of stomach cancer. Earlier this year, he also lost his home in Pacific Palisades during the Los Angeles fires. Currently, he is living in Portugal with his family. While in Portugal, Jenks will be signing items sent to him for autographs.
A U.S. company called PastPros collects cards, jerseys, photos, and baseballs at a Pennsylvania address to facilitate this. They assure that athletes receive 100% of the autograph fee, which starts at $60 for Jenks.
The deadline for sending items to the company is Tuesday, March 25. More details can be found on the PastPros website. Additionally, former major leaguer Darren Dreifort, who played for the Los Angeles Dodgers, will also sign autographs, and all proceeds will benefit the Jenks family. In his interview with MLB.com, Jenks mentioned that he did not take care of his health when he was younger.
Jenks, 44, played five seasons with the White Sox from 2005 to 2010 before concluding his career with the Red Sox. Throughout his career, he recorded 16 wins and 20 losses, a 3.53 ERA, and 173 saves across 348 relief appearances.
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His most memorable moment came during the 2005 postseason as a rookie, where he participated in six games and secured four saves, striking out eight batters in eight innings. White Sox fans will always cherish these memories.
