No Jinx For Bobby In 2008, Part 1

In the mid-2000s The Chicago White Sox had been on the lookout for a closer ever since Dustin Hermanson. Bobby Jenks would be the pitcher they'd settle on. Not that it had been an easy road for Jenks.

Bobby had been drafted by the Anaheim Angels in 2000. It seemed like Jenks didn't have it in him to reach the bigs.

It all started with a bad year in at "Rookie" ball in 2000. Indeed, all Bobby Jenks could do with the Butte Copper Kings of the Pioneer League was go 1-7 with 7.86 earned run average. That's not good enough to make it. Neither was Bobby stints with both Arkansas ("AA" ball) and Cedar Rapids ("A" ball) the next season. With the Cedar Rapids Colonels of the Midwest League, it was tough. Bobby Jenks was just 3-7. Oddly enough, Bobby's numbers a level up were a bit promising. Although only 1-0, Jenks ERA was 3.60 with the Arkansas Travelers. Was this a sign?

Back with Arkansas in 2002, Bobby was just 3-6 with a 4.66 ERA. With the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes of the California League ("A+" ball), things weren't much better: 3-5, 4.82 earned run average! It seemed like the poor kid was just spinning his tires.

However, it was in 2003 when things started to turn for the better for Bobby Jenks. Arkansas was his team again. And this time, things went really well. Bobby went 7-2 with a 2.17 ERA. With the AZL Angels of the Arizona League ("Rookie" ball), Jenks made only one appearance. But it sure was a good one. Four innings, no runs, two hits. Had the kid arrived?

A setback ensued. Bobby's 2004 season was bad no matter where he pitched. Worse still, he was designated for an assignment by the parent club, ending his time with the Angels' organization. With Salt Lake ("AAA" ball), he made three starts and had an ERA over eight. With Rancho Cucamonga, Jenks pitched once and gave up eight runs in just three and two-thirds innings. With AZL, there was a single appearance. In three and a third innings, Bobby gave up two hits, three walks, and three runs.

So rather than be out of baseball after his December designation, the kid went to a new organization, the Chicago White Sox. The White Sox picked up the new pitcher on waivers. And as it turns out, Anaheim would miss him. Chicago was in search of their first World Series since 1917 as the 2005 season started. When it ended, the Sox had swept the Houston Astros in the Fall Classic. Their first World Championship in eighty-eight years.

For our boy, Bobby Jenks, it was also a time to get things right. He was given a new role with Birmingham of the Southern League ("AA" level). The Birmingham Barons already had an excellent team, going 82-57. The closer spot was needed to be filled. The previous year, it had been the job of Matt Smith and Jeff Bajenaru. But now Smith was up a level, and Bajenaru was with him on the Charlotte Knights of the International League.

So Chicago was set at the "AAA" level for closers. Their "AA" team needed one. It came down to Bobby Jenks and Dwayne Pollok. Pollok was 4-5, had 11 saves with a 3.08 earned run average. But Jenks was better. 1-2, 19 saves and an ERA of just 2.85. Come July, Bobby Jenks was on the Chicago White Sox roster. Dwayne Pollok never reached the major leagues (Neither did Matt Smith, and Jeff Bajenaru's MLB career consisted of just fourteen games and an earned run average of 11.20).

It's not as if Bobby didn't help the bullpen. In fact, Jenks strengthened it.

There was closer Dustin Hermanson (34 saves). There was Luis Vizcaíno (6-5, 3.73 ERA). The two best relievers on the team were probably Cliff Politte and Neal Cotts. They were a combined 11-1. Politte's earned run average was just 2.00. Cotts was 1.94.

But neither Damaso Marte (3.77 ERA) nor Shingo Takatsu (5.97 ERA) were very good. This probably opened the door for Bobby Jenks. Jenks quickly fit into this team of destiny.

The Chicago White Sox had lost their big gun, Frank Thomas, during the 2005 season. They had to win it all without him.

Our boy made it into 32 games, had a 1-1 record, and a 2.75 earned run average. And, a spot on the Chicago White Sox postseason roster! Bobby Jenks had collected six saves, good enough for third on the Sox behind Hermanson and Takatsu.

Amazingly, Jenks was going to get a real shot at the closer role before the 2005 season came to a close. While Dustin Hermanson had pitched well, his save on September 7th vs. Kansas was his last of '05.

Hermanson was just 1-2 with two blown saves from there, a total of six appearances. How about Bobby Jenks? Well, Bobby had gotten the hold in that September game where Dustin Hermanson got his last save of 2005, and really came through for Chicago from there.

Indeed, from September 9th to the end of the season, the rookie reliever asserted himself as one of the most valuable pitchers on Chicago. In a dozen appearances, Bobby went 1-1, saved five games (He blew two, though), and fanned nineteen batters. Though Jenks posted an earned run average of 3.77 during that stretch, the Pale Hose went 8-4.

The postseason began, and guess who was the closer? That's right, Bobby Jenks. In the American League Division Series, all the rookie did was save two games as the Chicago White Sox beat the defending World Series champs the Boston Red Sox. Next came the Los Angeles Angels for the American League Pennant. Chicago won it, winning four in a row after dropping the opener.

Now, only the Houston Astros remained. Again, the White Sox won four in a row. But this time, the opposition didn't win the opener. Nope. Bobby Jenks preserved a 5-3 Chicago win a home. The series was close all the way. Chicago won game two, 7-6. Game three, 7-5 in extras (Despite Hermanson blowing the save). And just when you think it couldn't get any tougher, Chicago had to make one run stand up in the fourth contest. One of the reasons it did was Bobby Jenks, who pitched the ninth. It wasn't easy.

Jason Lane started it off with a single. A sac bunt moved the tying run to second. Pinch hitter Chris Burke was retired on a pop-up. The next batter was another pinch hitter, Orlando Palmeiro. Palmeiro grounded out. Quite the postseason for the Chicago White Sox rookie: Six appearances, four saves! And an ERA of just 2.25!

Dustin Hermanson had pitched well in 2005, but the next year, he seemed unable to regain his old form. Due to a lower back injury Dustin suffered late in '05, Hermanson was unable to join Chicago the next year until September. And while he showed flashes of his old self, he season ended with just six appearances and an earned run average of 4.05. Worse still, Dustin's major league had come to an end.

The White Sox new closer was Bobby Jenks. While he was just 3-4 with an ERA over 4, it's not like he didn't convert the save opportunities. When the smoke cleared on the 2006 season, Jenks had 41 saves (In 45 save situations). The rest of the Chicago bullpen was not so good. But this was good news for Bobby. There was no one to take the closer role from him, and that earned run average (4.00) had plenty of room for improvement.

The Pale Hose won 90 games in '06, despite the departure of Frank Thomas to Oakland. There would be no return to the postseason that year, or in 2007. The team slipped to just 72 wins. Bobby Jenks continued to help, saving another forty games. But what the White Sox new closer needed was better bullpen buddies.

The Chicago White Sox improved to 89 wins in 2008, and Bobby Jenks had a lot to do with that. The bullpen had another pretty good pitcher in Matt Thornton, who had his best season to date. Thornton went 5-3 with a 2.67 earned run average. Octavio Dotel pitched better than his 4-4 record would indicate. He was a close second to Matt Thornton to appearances. Thornton made 74 and Dotel 72.

It seemed like the White Sox bullpen did a good job of preserving the lead in games in '08. The starting rotation was not great, but four of the five starters got into double digits in wins. Gavin Floyd was the big winner on the staff, totaling 17. Mark Buehrle won fifteen and lost twelve. Javier Vázquez, although just 12-16, reached double figures in wins for the ninth straight season (He'd extend it to twelve in 2011). John Danks won a dozen games himself. José Contreras looked like he was going to win at least ten games, as he had a 7-6 record by the end of June. However, he damaged his Achilles tendon on a grounder. That ended up shelving him from August to the end of the season. Rookie Clayton Richard could quite do what Conteras had done, ending up just 2-5 with an earned run average over six.

So the bullpen was spear-headed by our boy Bobby Jenks. Jenks won only three games, but lost just one. His 57 appearances was third on the team. Matt Thornton topped the bullpen with just five wins. Adam Russell was a perfect 4-0, but with an ERA over five, so there's no way he's better than Jenks.

Notice that some chap named Rivera's best season was 2008, and yet he was just 6-5 on the season? If Mariano was only a win one, lose one pitcher that year, Bobby Jenks shouldn't be punished.

Jenks finished an impressive 52 of his 57 appearances (.912), and no one else on Chicago was doing that. Adam Russell finished 16 of his 22 games (.727). Remarkably enough, Bobby Jenks' 61 2/3 innings pitched was far of the top two on the team. Matt Thornton finished with 67 1/3 innings pitched and Octavio Dotel ended up with exactly 677.

Greatest Relief Seasons of All-Time

Pitcher	Year	GP	GF	GF%	IP	W	L
Bernhard	1899	21	9	0.429	132.1	6	6
Pitcher	Year	GP	GF	GF%	IP	W	L
Walsh	1904	18	10	0.556	110.2	6	3
Griffith	1905	25	17	0.680	101.2	9	6
Ferguson	1906	22	19	0.864	52.1	2	0
Keefe	1907	19	14	0.737	57.2	3	5
Chappelle	1908	13	6	0.462	70.1	2	4
Leever	1909	19	12	0.632	70.0	8	1
Dygert	1909	32	13	0.406	137.1	9	5
Pitcher	Year	GP	GF	GF%	IP	W	L
Phillipe	1910	31	19	0.613	121.2	14	2
Benz	1911	12	4	0.333	55.2	3	2
Baskette	1912	29	18	0.621	116.0	8	4
Crandall	1913	35	27	0.771	97.2	4	4
Wolfgang	1914	24	12	0.500	119.1	9	5
Bressler	1914	29	15	0.517	147.2	10	4
Conzelman	1914	33	16	0.485	101.0	5	6
Mays	1915	38	27	0.711	131.2	6	5
Hughes	1916	40	19	0.475	161.0	16	3
Danforth	1917	50	26	0.520	173.0	11	6
Bender	1917	20	9	0.450	113.0	8	2
Coumbe	1917	34	15	0.441	134.1	8	6
Dubuc	1919	36	22	0.611	132.0	6	4
Luque	1919	30	9	0.300	106.0	10	3
Pitcher	Year	GP	GF	GF%	IP	W	L
Morton	1921	30	15	0.500	107.2	8	3
Baumgartner	1925	37	9	0.243	113.1	6	3
Marberry	1926	64	47	0.734	138.0	12	7
Clark	1927	27	19	0.704	73.2	7	2
Haid	1928	27	14	0.519	47.0	2	2
Rommel	1929	32	15	0.469	113.2	12	2
Pitcher	Year	GP	GF	GF%	IP	W	L
Lindsey	1931	35	19	0.543	74.2	6	4
Quinn	1932	39	29	0.744	64.1	5	4
Russell	1933	50	31	0.620	124.0	12	6
Malone	1936	35	25	0.714	134.2	12	4
Brown	1938	51	32	0.627	132.2	15	9
Pitcher	Year	GP	GF	GF%	IP	W	L
Beggs	1940	37	27	0.730	76.2	12	3
Murphy	1941	35	31	0.886	77.1	8	3
Adams	1943	70	52	0.743	140.1	11	7
Heving	1944	63	38	0.603	119.2	8	3
Maltzberger	1944	46	41	0.891	91.1	10	5
Berry	1944	53	47	0.887	111.1	10	8
Karl	1945	67	41	0.612	180.2	8	8
Christopher	1947	44	38	0.864	80.2	10	7
Wilks	1948	57	27	0.474	130.2	6	6
Page	1949	60	48	0.800	135.1	13	8
Pitcher	Year	GP	GF	GF%	IP	W	L
Konstanty	1950	74	62	0.838	152.0	16	7
Aloma	1951	25	11	0.440	69.1	6	0
Wilhelm	1952	71	32	0.451	159.1	15	3
Paige	1952	46	35	0.761	138.0	12	10
Kinder	1953	69	52	0.754	107.0	10	6
Mossi	1954	40	18	0.450	93.0	6	1
Sain	1954	45	39	0.867	77.0	6	6
Pitcher	Year	GP	GF	GF%	IP	W	L
Narleski	1955	60	36	0.600	111.2	9	1
Craig	1955	24	4	0.167	90.2	5	3
Freeman	1956	64	47	0.734	108.2	14	5
Farrell	1957	52	32	0.615	83.1	10	2
Zuverink	1957	56	37	0.661	112.2	10	6
Hyde	1958	53	44	0.830	103.0	10	3
Duren	1959	41	29	0.707	76.2	3	6
Staley	1959	67	37	0.552	116.1	8	5
Face	1959	57	47	0.825	93.1	18	1
Henry	1959	65	36	0.554	134.1	9	8
Sherry	1959	23	10	0.435	94.1	7	2
Pitcher	Year	GP	GF	GF%	IP	W	L
Brosnan	1960	57	27	0.474	99.0	7	2
McDaniel	1960	63	47	0.746	104.1	12	4
Arroyo	1961	65	54	0.831	119.0	15	5
Fox	1961	39	25	0.641	57.1	5	2
Radatz	1963	66	58	0.879	131.1	15	6
Perranoski	1963	69	47	0.681	129.0	16	3
Baldschum	1963	65	44	0.677	112.0	11	7
Lee	1964	64	39	0.609	137.0	6	5
Ellis	1964	52	32	0.615	122.1	10	3
Schultz	1964	30	22	0.733	49.1	1	3
D. Hall	1964	45	28	0.622	87.2	9	1
Pitcher	Year	GP	GF	GF%	IP	W	L
Miller	1965	67	55	0.821	112.1	14	7
Regan	1966	65	48	0.738	116.2	14	1
Drabowsky	1967	43	26	0.605	95.1	7	5
Abernathy	1967	70	61	0.871	106.1	6	3
Wyatt	1967	60	43	0.717	93.1	10	7
Wood	1968	88	46	0.523	159.0	13	12
Segui	1968	52	24	0.462	83.0	6	5
V. Romo	1968	41	30	0.732	84.1	5	3
Tatum	1969	45	33	0.733	86.1	7	2
Watt	1969	56	41	0.732	71.0	5	2
Pitcher	Year	GP	GF	GF%	IP	W	L
Williams	1970	68	36	0.529	113.1	10	1
McMahon	1970	61	44	0.721	94.1	9	5
Grant	1970	80	54	0.675	135.1	8	3
Richert	1970	50	25	0.500	54.2	7	2
Sanders	1971	83	77	0.928	136.1	7	12
Carroll	1971	61	40	0.656	93.2	10	4
Giusti	1972	54	44	0.815	74.2	7	4
Knowles	1972	54	29	0.537	65.2	5	1
Brewer	1972	51	41	0.804	78.1	8	7
Hiller	1973	65	60	0.923	125.1	10	5
Jackson	1973	43	33	0.767	80.1	8	0
Borbon	1973	80	36	0.450	121.0	11	4
Beene	1973	19	11	0.579	91.0	6	0
Marshall	1974	106	83	0.783	208.1	15	12
Gossage	1975	62	49	0.790	141.2	9	8
Hrabosky	1975	65	41	0.631	97.1	13	3
McEnaney	1975	70	38	0.543	91.0	5	3
Pitcher	Year	GP	GF	GF%	IP	W	L
Eastwick	1976	71	59	0.831	107.2	11	5
Johnson	1977	71	54	0.761	146.2	16	7
Lyle	1977	72	60	0.833	137.0	13	5
Sutter	1977	62	48	0.774	107.1	7	3
Blair	1978	70	56	0.800	100.1	7	6
Stanley	1978	52	35	0.673	141.2	15	2
Lolich	1978	20	7	0.350	34.2	2	1
Tekulve	1979	94	67	0.713	134.1	10	8
Lopez	1979	61	49	0.803	127.0	10	5
R. Davis	1979	44	21	0.477	85.1	14	2
E. Romo	1979	84	25	0.298	129.1	10	5
Monge	1979	76	53	0.697	131.0	12	10
Sosa	1979	62	41	0.661	96.2	8	7
Palmer	1979	36	13	0.361	122.2	10	2
Pitcher	Year	GP	GF	GF%	IP	W	L
McGraw	1980	57	48	0.842	92.1	5	4
Garvin	1980	61	24	0.393	82.2	4	7
Fingers	1981	47	41	0.872	78.0	6	3
Caudill	1982	70	64	0.914	95.2	12	9
Reardon	1982	75	53	0.707	109.0	7	4
L. Smith	1983	66	56	0.848	103.1	4	10
Stewart	1983	54	25	0.463	135.0	10	4
Quisenberry	1983	69	62	0.899	139.0	5	3
Orosco	1983	62	42	0.677	110.0	13	7
Hernandez	1984	80	68	0.850	140.1	9	3
Lamp	1985	53	11	0.208	105.2	11	0
D. Smith	1985	64	46	0.719	79.1	9	5
Lahti	1985	52	31	0.596	68.1	5	2
Moore	1985	65	57	0.877	103.0	8	8
Pitcher	Year	GP	GF	GF%	IP	W	L
Eichhorn	1986	69	38	0.551	157.0	14	6
Righetti	1986	74	68	0.919	106.2	8	8
Todd Worrell	1986	74	60	0.811	103.2	9	10
Henke	1987	72	62	0.861	94.0	0	6
Burke	1987	55	30	0.545	91.0	7	0
Daley	1987	53	29	0.547	61.0	9	5
Henneman	1988	65	51	0.785	91.1	9	6
Parrett	1988	61	34	0.557	91.2	12	4
Pena	1988	60	31	0.517	94.1	6	7
Lancaster	1989	42	15	0.357	72.2	4	2
Russell	1989	71	66	0.930	72.2	6	4
McDowell	1989	69	56	0.812	92.0	4	8
Pitcher	Year	GP	GF	GF%	IP	W	L
Eckersley	1990	63	61	0.968	73.1	4	2
Thigpen	1990	77	73	0.948	88.2	4	6
Nelson	1990	51	17	0.333	74.2	3	3
Dibble	1990	68	29	0.426	98.0	8	3
Henry	1991	32	25	0.781	36.0	2	1
Aguilera	1991	63	60	0.952	69.0	4	5
Ward	1992	79	35	0.443	101.1	7	4
Rojas	1992	68	26	0.382	100.2	7	1
Olin	1992	72	62	0.861	88.1	8	5
Wetteland	1993	70	58	0.829	85.1	9	3
Harvey	1993	59	54	0.915	69.0	1	5
Beck	1993	76	71	0.934	79.1	3	1
Martinez	1993	65	20	0.308	107.0	10	5
Pitcher	Year	GP	GF	GF%	IP	W	L
Myers	1997	61	57	0.934	59.2	2	3
Hoffman	1998	66	61	0.924	73.0	4	2
Urbina	1998	64	59	0.922	69.1	6	3
Williamson	1999	62	40	0.645	93.1	12	7
Pitcher	Year	GP	GF	GF%	IP	W	L
Rhodes	2001	71	16	0.225	68.0	8	0
Smoltz	2003	62	55	0.887	64.1	0	2
Tim Worrell	2003	76	64	0.842	78.1	4	4
Cormier	2003	65	21	0.323	84.2	8	0
Lidge	2004	80	44	0.550	94.2	6	5
Timlin	2005	81	27	0.333	80.1	7	3
Nathan	2006	64	61	0.953	68.1	7	0
Ryan	2006	65	57	0.877	72.1	2	2
Putz	2007	68	65	0.956	71.2	6	1
Rivera	2008	64	60	0.938	70.2	6	5
Jenks	2008	57	52	0.912	61.2	3	1
Pitcher	Year	GP	GF	GF%	IP	W	L
Bell	2010	67	57	0.851	70.0	6	1
Soriano	2010	64	56	0.875	62.1	3	2
Aceves	2011	55	15	0.273	114.0	10	2
Axford	2011	74	63	0.851	73.2	2	2
Downs	2011	60	10	0.167	53.2	6	3
Cook	2012	71	23	0.324	73.1	6	2
Chapman	2012	68	52	0.765	71.2	5	5
Johnson	2012	71	63	0.887	68.2	2	1
Smyly	2013	63	9	0.143	76.0	6	0
Davis	2014	70	11	0.157	72.0	9	2
Clippard	2014	75	6	0.080	70.1	7	4
Rondon	2015	72	47	0.653	70.0	6	4
O'Day	2015	68	19	0.279	65.1	6	2
Pitcher	Year	GP	GF	GF%	IP	W	L
Britton	2016	69	63	0.913	67.0	2	1
Osuna	2016	72	61	0.847	74.0	4	3
Brach	2016	71	16	0.225	79.0	10	4
Miller	2016	70	23	0.329	74.1	10	1
Robertson	2017	61	34	0.557	68.1	9	2
Jansen	2017	65	57	0.877	68.1	5	0
Albers	2017	63	23	0.365	61.0	7	2
Kimbrel	2017	51	67	0.761	69.0	5	0
Pitcher	Year	GP	GF	GF%	IP	W	L
Morrow	2018	35	30	0.857	30.2	0	0
Trivino	2018	69	10	0.145	74.0	8	3
Treinen	2018	68	58	0.853	51.0	9	2
Jeffress	2018	73	24	0.329	76.2	8	1
Yarbrough	2018	38	3	0.079	147.1	16	6
Hader	2018	55	14	0.255	81.1	6	1
Strop	2018	60	20	0.333	59.2	6	1
Workman	2019	73	30	0.411	71.2	10	1
Robles	2019	71	51	0.718	72.2	5	1
Walden	2019	70	8	0.114	78.0	9	2
W.Smith	2019	63	52	0.825	65.1	6	0
Oberg	2019	49	18	0.367	56.0	6	1
Littell	2019	29	7	0.241	37.0	6	0
Whitlock	2021	46	11	0.239	73.1	8	4
Pitcher	Year	GP	GF	GF%	IP	W	L

Notes

Hughes appeared as a starter thirteen times.

Baumgartner and Bernhard appeared as a starter twelve times.

Wolfgang and Baskette appeared as a starter eleven times.

Craig and Coumbe appeared as a starter ten times.

Danforth, Malone, Stewart, Sherry, Luque and Conzelman appeared as a starter nine times.

Phillipe and Walsh appeared as a starter eight times.

Morton and Griffith appeared as a starter seven times.

Paige, Mays, Chappelle, Rommell and Yarbrough appeared as a starter six times.

Marberry, Mossi, Lee, Ellis and Dubuc appeared as a starter five times.

Leever, Aceves and Beene appeared as a starter four times.

Russell, Stanley, Adams and Keefe appeared as a starter three times.

Brown, McDaniel, Wood, Crandall, Brosnan, Lindsey, Karl, Wilks, Martinez, Clark and Lolich appeared as a starter two times.

Beggs, Quinn, Narleski, McGraw, Aloma, Robles, Ferguson, Vincente Romo, and Trivino appeared once as a starter.

Maltzberger, Hyde, Konstanty, Duren, Brosnan, Tekulve and Henke all wore glasses.

References

“Remember That Guy: Dustin Hermanson.” NBC Sports Chicago, National Broadcasting Company, 28 Mar. 2020, https://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/white-sox/remember-guy-dustin-hermanson. 25 Nov. 2021.

Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. https://www.baseball-reference.com/. 25 Nov. 2021.

Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 3 Feb. 2021, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page. 25 Nov. 2021.