MLB Fans Slam ESPN Over ‘Disrespectful’ Tweet About White Sox Legend Bobby Jenks

The baseball community is yet to recover from the untimely demise of the White Sox closer Bobby Jenks. A man of grit and fighting spirit, Jenks got down fighting against cancer. Well, amid this collective mourning, a recent post by ESPN has stirred mixed emotions.

“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,” ESPN shared the report over their official X handle.

The keen eyes of baseball fans didn’t miss how Jenks was referred to as someone who was on the roster rather than a closer whose contributions helped the White Sox win the World Series.

A closer with a 3.53 ERA and 351 strikeouts in 348 appearances couldn’t be called just on the roster. Jenks deserves more respect and recognition.

The former teammates of Jenks, especially those from the 2005 World Series-winning batch, were left crushed by his untimely demise. “Most of the players I’m talking to right now, they’re crushed,” Ozzie Guillen, the manager of that ’05 White Sox team, said.

Hence, someone with such stature is bound to get the most respect when it matters the most. However, the small error in the choice of wording has left ESPN at the receiving end of the fans’ fury.

ESPN is getting called out by the White Sox fans

The mid-2000s were the golden era of the White Sox, with some of the best players gracing the clubhouse, and the World Series came home. Hence, for the fans, the batch from that era holds a special emotion. Something has been hurt now.

“ESPN is trash. I will never forget/forgive that when George Blanda passed away, they showed highlights of Jim Plunkett. They both wore 16, so I guess that was close enough.” That was too brutal by one fan.

He shared the instance when ESPN mistakenly ran the footage of Jim Plunkett when NFL icon George Blanda passed away. While that was purely unintentional, a mishap due to the same jersey number by both entities, fans are too sensitive not to react to all this.

“Some intern that doesn’t even like sports wrote that. So obvious,” wrote another fan. “On the roster. I think he did a little more for the White Sox than that. Very sad, RIP Bobby,” said a fan. Jenks is much more than just being a name on the roster. He is a 2x All-Star (in 2006 and 2007) and with 173 saves, Jenks has the second-most saves in the White Sox history behind Bobby Thigpen (201). Hence, Jenks was a major contributor to the legacy of the White Sox. 

“Bobby Jenks, two-time All-Star and a key member of the 2005 World Series Championship team, passed away on Friday in Sintra, Portugal,” one commented. The focus here is more on his 2005 brilliance. For the unversed in the 2005 World Series, Jenks saved 4 games from 6 appearances. That save, a scoreless ninth inning in game four, was key for the White Sox to win the title. That’s what Jenks meant to the team.

“Both ESPN and the Sox…,” a fan’s take on ESPN and the current situation of the White Sox. While ESPN is getting called out, the White Sox’s basement dwelling from the last few years is another reason for not getting enough attention from the leading media houses. And not to forget their forgettable losing record last year.

ESPN’s post caught attention of former players as well.

“ESPN should be ashamed and embarrassed for writing something like this! ‘Was on the roster’?  He was THE CLOSER on a championship winning team.  Do some research before you release something.  Have some respect! RIP Bobby Jenks condolences to his family and teammates,” former Twins and Red Sox star Doug Mientkiewicz wrote on X.

“He did a whole lot more than just be on the roster!  He closed out the World Series!!  #RIPBobbyJenks #2005forever,” wrote former White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski, was on the Chicago team that swept the Astros in the World Series, wrote.

Bobby Jenks was a legend in MLB. For the White Sox, he is still a benchmark of grit and fighting spirit, something the team needs badly at present. Hence, he deserves a better choice of wording, especially regarding his untimely demise.