White Sox’ 2005 reunion becomes ‘celebration of life’ in memory of Bobby Jenks

This weekend on the South Side gives White Sox fans a chance to celebrate the 2005 championship team.

It gives the guys who played on that team a chance to celebrate the one guy who’s not here.

Bobby Jenks, the big, bad closer for that 2005 squad and someone Mark Buehrle called “a little kid in a big-man body” died last weekend at age 44 after battling stomach cancer.

“This is not just only about us celebrating the 2005 season. We’re all going to sit here and talk about Bobby all night,” Cliff Politte told the Sun-Times on Friday. “We’re celebrating Bobby. It’s a celebration of life.”

Jenks was on everyone’s minds as the reunion weekend got underway. Buehrle mentioned Jenks in his thank yous after his statue was unveiled on the outfield concourse Friday. The White Sox debuted the No. 45 patches honoring Jenks that will be worn the rest of the season. No. 45 was painted on the pitcher’s mound for Friday’s doubleheader.

Perhaps the only 2005 player wearing a Sox jersey Friday night was Jon Garland. He was wearing Jenks’ No. 45.

“[He was] always there for people, always looking after people, always trying to help people, take care of them,” Garland told the Sun-Times, “because he knew the process that he had, he knew where he’d come from, he knew what he’d gone through, and wanted to help other people.”

Though there was obvious sadness – “I cried, I’m not going to lie,” A.J. Pierzynski said – it was clear Jenks’ teammates remembered him as someone special, someone fun to be around and someone who will spend a long time in their thoughts and conversations this weekend and beyond.

“I just remember the big smile and his laugh,” Politte said. “Every time I heard Bobby laugh, I’d turn around and smile. His laugh was just contagious.

“Bobby was just a good dude, man. He was always happy. … It sucks. Especially a week prior to this, that’s what’s the hard part. Bobby was just a good man. I miss him.”

Smith’s short start

Before the Sox ended a long day at the yard with a 5-4 walk-off win in Game 2 of their doubleheader with the Guardians, starting pitcher Shane Smith lasted just three innings in Game 1, a 4-2 loss.

The reason for the quick hook? The Sox are launching into an effort to manage their All Star’s workload in his first big league season.

“As we try to find ways to navigate the season with him, we just thought a shorter outing was appropriate today,” manager Will Venable said. “[We’re going to take it] start by start. We have to find ways to be creative. We have to find ways to do the right thing.

“The No. 1 priority is going to be to put us in the best spot to win a game. Second to that is going to be, obviously, putting Shane in the best position to navigate this season. We’ll reevaluate every turn of the rotation.”

After throwing a career-high 94 1/3 innings in the Brewers’ organization last season, Smith is already at 86 2/3 innings with two and a half months left on the schedule.

As for whether Smith will be able to pitch in Tuesday’s All-Star Game?

“We’re going to talk about that as we get closer,” Venable said. “Where he fits in his workload to be available for that game is something that we’ll talk about over the next couple days.”

And if Smith has any say?

“If they give me the ball,” Smith said, “I’m definitely going to throw.”