WINDY CITY THUNDERBOLTS ARE LOCKED IN FOR UPCOMING SEASON
The last time Bobby Jenks walked off a pitcher's mound on the South Side of Chicago – after a scoreless inning and two thirds against the New York Yankees on August 29, 2010 – it was the conclusion of a wildly successful six-year career with the Chicago White Sox, a career that included 329 total appearances, two All-Star selections, 173 saves – second most in franchise history – and, perhaps most memorably, a World Series ring. It was Jenks who got the final out for the 2005 White Sox, to wrap up their only world title in the last century.
The next time Jenks walks off the mound, it'll likely be to make a call to the bullpen in his new role as manager of the South Side's other team, the Windy City ThunderBolts.
While his credentials as a bona fide Chicago legend could lead the cynical fan to view his hiring as a mere public relations ploy, the critical observer will note that this is not Jenks's first taste of professional baseball in the coach's chair. He helmed the Grand Junction Rockies to a Pioneer League title in 2022, earning the league's Manager of the Year award in the process.
That experience as a Pioneer League skipper has made itself evident early in his tenure with his new club. Jenks has quickly turned the 2024 ThunderBolts into his own team, having bid a fond farewell to almost all members of last year's squad. In fact, the Bolts' initial roster features almost as many players from Jenks's old team as it does from last year's version of his new one. Highlighting the new group is infielder Joe Johnson, who was named the Pioneer League's top first baseman last year after posting a .370 batting average and producing a whopping 223 runs.
Other veteran additions from the west include Ethan Lopez, a .344 batter in his own right in 2023, and Tyler Sandoval, a defensive bulwark behind the plate. The lone returnee on the offensive side is outfielder Paul Coumoulos, who appeared in 79 games last season and batted .282.
Longtime ThunderBolt fans will have a slightly better sense of familiarity when looking toward the pitcher's mound, where several returning hurlers figure to make the pitching staff a strength of the team. Derrick Edington, who came on strong to wrap up the last campaign, finishing with a piddling 1.64 ERA, is back for his second go around in Windy City colors, and Justin Miller, the veteran of the staff, enters year five as a ThunderBolt. Taylor Sugg is also in his fifth season in the Frontier League. A former champion with River City, he'll get his second full chance as a starter after residing as a mainstay in last year's rotation.
The excitement in Crestwood is palpable in the lead-up to the May 9 opener against the Evansville Otters. The new guard will also get an early look at the rival East Division as the Tri-City ValleyCats make their second ever trip to Ozinga Field to conclude the opening weekend. (And seats are still available for the whole weekend! Visit wcthunderbolts.com or call (708) 489-2255 for tickets or more information!).
The new regime aims to disprove the old axiom that you can't teach an old dog new tricks. This venerable franchise is the second oldest in the Frontier League, having played their first game as the Cook County Cheetahs in 1999. Throughout this summer, the organization will be celebrating its 25th anniversary season at Ozinga Field and hope to be doing so in winning style. It's been 16 years since the ThunderBolts completed their most successful run, winning back-to-back Frontier League championships. They've spent the last decade and a half trying to regain that august form. But no championship drought will frighten the Bolts' intrepid new pilot. He's slain that beast before.
