Fergie Jenkins statue to be unveiled in June

A statue immortalizing Fergie Jenkins will soon be unveiled in the Baseball Hall of Famer’s hometown of Chatham.

Officials with the Municipality of Chatham-Kent will unveil the nine-foot-tall bronze statue outside the Civic Centre on June 10.

A ceremony celebrating Jenkins’ baseball career will also take place, which is expected to include MLB ballplayers, members of the Chicago Cubs organization, as well as other celebrities.

“Fergie embodies a lot of the great qualities we see throughout Chatham-Kent; tenacity, kindness, hard work, and a will to succeed,” said Mayor Darrin Canniff in a news release. “For many years to come, this statue will serve as a great reminder of what Jenkins has done both for the game of baseball and for the community of Chatham-Kent.”

The statue was given to the municipality by an anonymous donor and will be an exact replica of one unveiled by the Chicago Cubs outside Wrigley Field in May 2022.

“Having this statue unveiled in my hometown will be very special,” said Jenkins in a news release. “I’m very proud to be from Chatham, it is a great town and I’m excited for everyone to get a chance to see it.”

Jenkins had a legendary career with the Chicago Cubs between 1967-1972, which included a record six straight 20-win seasons in Chicago. He is one of two Canadian-born Baseball Hall of Famers and was Canada’s first Major League Baseball player to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. He pitched 18 seasons in the majors and recorded more than 3,000 strikeouts.

The dedication ceremony will take place at 3 p.m. on June 10, and will be open to the public.