Yesterday, news came out that former MLB Pitcher and current Windy City Thunderbolts (Frontier League) manager, Bobby Jenks, has been battling stage 4 adenocarcinoma, which is a type of stomach cancer.
We here at Indy Ball Island send all our healing thoughts and prayers to Bobby as he continues his fight. We hope that his goal of being back in the dugout is able to be fulfilled this season.
Although Bobby kept his diagosis quiet for awhile, he recently did a 20 minute interview with MLB.com to “get the news out.”
During a 20-minute interview with MLB.com Saturday morning from his hospital bed in Portugal — the family moved there to be closer to his wife’s family — Jenks detailed these brutally tough last five months. He was stunned to hear the word “cancer,” but in an honest turn true to his nature as a player, was not completely surprised despite his always strong 275-pound stature.
“You know, the shit I was doing in my 20s and early 30s, no normal person would have survived,” said Jenks, mincing no words as is his custom. “So, in one way, I’m grateful to be alive. In another way, I’m not surprised this happened. It goes to show you have to take care of yourself from top to bottom with nutrition and exercise and having a good daily plan.”
Now, he is focusing on being as healthy as he can be to survive.
Jenks, now a married father of six, has his two younger children (11 and 5) living with him and his wife in Sintra, Portugal. He spoke Saturday of previously changing his life for the better, cutting out alcohol and drugs, and eating healthier. He recently completed his first season as manager for the Windy City Thunderbolts, an independent professional baseball squad located in Crestwood, Illinois, a southern suburb located 27 miles outside of Chicago.
After getting over the shock from the diagnosis, Jenks quickly changed his focus toward wellness.
“Now it’s time to do what I got to do to get myself better and get myself more time, however you want to look at it,” Jenks said. “I’ll tell you one thing: I’m not going to die here in Portugal.
He also revealed in the interview that he lost everything in the recent fires in California.
Compounding matters is the recent loss of everything in the Palisades fire, including all of Jenks’ personal baseball memorabilia. The lone item remaining is his World Series ring, which he had with him while managing Windy City.
“I’ve got one suitcase left to my name,” Jenks said. “It’s all gone. Everything else I’ve ever done. I have everything, first to first. All those things are irreplaceable.”
Jenks did tell MLB.com that he has set a goal to come back and manage the Windy City Thunderbolts in 2025.
We wish him nothing but the best on his journey and look forward to seeing him manage once again.
The complete interview can be found HERE on mlb.com
Last week, the Trois-Rivières Aigles announced that they have re-signed utility player James Smibert for the 2025 season.
Smibert, listed as a rookie in the Frontier League last year, is really only a rookie in classification. He has had a long and winding road in baseball before completing his first full season in the league.
The Mississauga, Ontario native is anything but your typical Canadian. Growing up, it wasn’t ice skating and hockey, but American sports such as baseball, football and basketball that caught his eye.
He ended up in North Carolina where he played four years of NCAA D2 baseball at the University of Mount Olive.
However in 2020, COVID cut his college career short. Smibert decided to focus on training and being prepared when baseball resumed, but when the 2021 independent baseball season rolled around, he found himself without a team thanks to travel and visa restrictions.
I was originally signed to the Aigles, but unfortunately COVID had other plans, and that team was terminated for the year.
Me and a couple of buddies decided to go to the Frontier League draft and see if we would have a chance at the other US teams, not knowing at the time we had no chance due to visa limitations and restrictions.
From there, I impromptly booked a last minute flight to Ogden, Utah to tryout for the Ogden Raptors in the Pioneer League.
Short story short, I had the best tryout of my life and was asked to stick around and be with the team, and they would work to get me a visa. Unfortunately it was too late and the visa would take too long. After a month on the team I decided that I didn’t have time to sit around and just practice anymore, I needed game reps and that led me to Joe Torre and the Black Sox.
So I booked another flight to Washington, PA and ended up playing in the Yinzer League. It was a place where I could develop and be on the field and play everyday. At the end of the year, I got called up to play in Canada for a series with Sioux City in the American Association. It was only for a few games, but being there, I knew I belonged and could play this game at a competitive level, and I would do everything in my power to give my chance the best opportunity to get back there playing in one of the top 4 Indy ball teams.
The next offseason I picked up all my stuff and moved to Florida during the Canadian winter so I could be on the field and get as many live at-bats and play as many games as possible
I can’t say enough positive things about Joe Torre and the Black Sox. He’s helped me a lot and given me opportunities to compete at a high level and develop… Not only as a baseball player, but as a better human being. I’ve developed a relationship that goes beyond the game: from travelling around the country, to living on couches, to making life long friends in the process.
It’s not always easy when you’re going through it. There are times you want to quit, but you gotta find a way to keep pushing and keep going.
After a taste of pro ball, Smibert started the 2022 season with a brief stint in the Atlantic (1 game with the Charleston Dirty Birds) and the Frontier (8 games with the Québec Capitales) Leagues before heading to the Intercounty Baseball League. The IBL is the top independent baseball league in Canada with teams comprised of elite college players as well as former professional (including ex-MLB and MiLB) players.
He played two seasons developing and playing every day in the IBL. He considers it a great move towards being an every day player in a higher indy league.
The competition In the IBL is very good especially from the top teams. There is some very talented players that have played independent ball, high level college, affiliate ball and even former MLB players.
The thing that the IBL falls short on is the overall depth within the league; However even with that being said, it is very competitive.
The IBL is a great way to develop and play infront of thousands of fans each and every night. The team that I played for was the Welland Jackfish, and we routinely had two to three thousand fans at every game.
The Welland Jackfish was a first class organization and, I would say, the most professional team in the league. We had team buses to the games, pre and post game meals, and the players get taken care of very well. Welland is a small town, but the members of the town really rally around the team and the players. It’s like one big family.
The talent in the league is very good and leads to many opporunities. Many players, especially coming through Welland, have had success at the next level. Some names that come to mind include James Bradwell, Justin Gideon, Brendon Dadson and Jake Polancic to name a few.
After two seasons in Canada, he headed down under to Perth to play a season of winter ball in sunny, summer Australia.
Playing in Australia was a huge stepping stone for me. It definitely helped with my development. I was able to play games a couple of times a week. In addition, I was able to work a full time job. The climate was ideal. I lived in Perth, Western Australia, and I don’t think it rained more than 3 times when I was there. This gave me a great opportunity to be outside and play with a great group of guys.
I played on a team called the Mellville Braves, a winning organization in the state league. I was surrounded by a lot of talented players, some who played in affiliated ball. Others represented austrailia in world competitions.
I’m very grateful for my teammates and the relationships I formed over there. It was truly a once in a lifetime opportunity.
That once in a lifetime opportunity even involved a short call-up to the Perth Heat in the Australian Baseball League, the top independent league in Australia. He posted a .250 average in 4 games with the Heat.
With COVID restrictions lifted and yet another season of development under his belt, Smibert headed to the 2024 Frontier League draft.
The Frontier League tryout is a very long day. There are hundreds of players from all over the country and world coming to the tryout with the hopes of getting drafted. There’s a lot of sitting around, talking with the players, and hanging out. But when your name is called it’s time to perform, no excuses.
And perform he did. Smibert was given another shot with the Trois-Rivières Aigles and never looked back. He played in 80 games during the 2024 season with a .246 average, 5 HR and 35 RBI. The utility player proved to be solid draft pick who quickly became a mainstay in the lineup.
With his resigning for the 2025 season, it is clear to see that the long and winding road filled with obstacles beyond his control helped develop Smibert into a valuable assist in the Frontier League.
He has even turned that journey into his own company and clothing line, Smack Smack.
“Smack Smack isn’t just gear—it’s a story. Each piece embodies the hardships, tribulations, and journey to success.
There’s a lot of life lessons and valuable information that I have learned through this whole process. Through all the ups and down, I wouldn’t change any of it. Not only has it made me a better baseball player but also a better man. Smack smack ! – James Smibert
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