MLB reporter Scott Merkin posted a article today about how alcohol was becoming a problem for White Sox closer Bobby Jenks. I wanted to post a few of the quotes from Bobby Jenks on why he decided to quit drinking.
"I just got tired of it, plain and simple," Jenks said. "When you want a bad habit out of your life, either you wean yourself off or you quit cold turkey.
"For me, it was easier to just quit. It was to the point where it was easy for me to lose control. I got to the point where not for my sake and my family's sake, but everyone's around me, it was just time to back off and live my life not for myself.
"Everyone says you live for your family," said Jenks, the father of four. "But when you are doing something like that, you are living selfishly and I was tired of living that way."
Jenks talked to his wife, Adele, previously about this particular decision. He didn't feel as if alcohol had turned into an issue until this past offseason.
What led Jenks to see his drinking as a trouble spot? It was a daily pattern of unwanted behavior.
"Getting [drunk] every night. Let's put it plain and simple," Jenks said. "When I took a long, hard look at myself and saw where I was headed, at that point, I was headed in the wrong direction.
"Not just mentally, but physically, as well. I needed to make a change. I have four kids. You look at yourself, and it was like even if I have a few occasional ones, I didn't even want that at all."
So, Jenks won't be partaking in that occasional beer after a tough ballgame. It's a plan working for him, one already making a noticeable change in his life, aside from showing up to camp 25 pounds lighter.
"This sounds [strange]," said Jenks with a smile. "But everything is brighter. You are not waking up with this film over your head or in front of your eyes. You feel cleaner."