CHICAGO – A rare moment took place at Wrigley Field, before the game between the Chicago Cubs and the St. Louis Cardinals began. On the big screen above the stands, the words appeared simple but heavy:
“BOBBY JENKS – WHITE SOX PITCHER – 1981–2025”
The audience stood up, hands on their hearts. The air was hushed, as if the city were holding its breath. Then a legendary image emerged: Bobby Jenks, his arms raised high with the 2005 World Series trophy, his smile wide, his eyes the look of a winner … and now the one being remembered.
Jenks died suddenly last week of a heart attack, leaving behind his wife, four children and a fan base that still calls him “The South Chicago Flame.”
“We are not just honoring a great player … but a great man,” the Cubs said at the memorial service. “Today, the Cubs and the White Sox are no longer rivals. We are one.”
For the Cubs, Chicago’s North Division team, to honor a legend of the South Division’s White Sox is unprecedented in the city’s baseball history.
But with Bobby Jenks, all boundaries seemed to dissolve.
“Bobby was the embodiment of the Chicago spirit – tough, honest and always willing to go the extra mile,” said former teammate Paul Konerko. “He was a bullpen warrior, but off the field, he was a loving father and a loyal friend.”
Jenks was a key shortstop for the White Sox, winning the 2005 World Series – their first title in nearly nine decades. He was known for his 100-mph fastball, but he was also loved for his down-to-earth personality and his heart for the community.
After retiring, Jenks devoted his time to helping underprivileged kids get access to baseball in Chicago, sponsoring summer camps and traveling to neighborhoods to share his story of overcoming adversity – from an alcoholic boy abandoned by his father to a legend on the field.
When the tribute video ended, thousands of people applauded with tears in their eyes. There was no color-blindness, no booing, as there was at every Cubs vs. White Sox game. It was love for one man that made the city proud.
“Bobby didn’t belong to the North Side or the South Side,” said one Cubs fan. “He belonged to the heart of Chicago.”