Chatham-Kent fans won’t have to wait much longer to have their very own statue of legendary Cubs pitcher Fergie Jenkins.
A full-size replica of the massive bronze sculpture outside Wrigley Field is scheduled to arrive this summer.
It will be revealed at a celebration of Jenkins and his career on Saturday, June 10 at the Chatham-Kent Civic Centre.
"Having this statue unveiled in my hometown will be very special," Jenkins said in a statement. "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. Thank you to Cubs Chairman Tom Ricketts for allowing us to cast the same statue that sits outside Wrigley Field."
The statue dedication will take place at 3 p.m. and is open to the public. According to officials, the ceremony will include MLB ballplayers, Chicago Cubs organization members, and other celebrities.
Fergie forever. pic.twitter.com/KtuBxl1hUX
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) May 20, 2022
"Fergie embodies a lot of the great qualities we see throughout Chatham-Kent," said Mayor Darrin Canniff. "We're thankful for the generosity of the anonymous donor and FirstOntario Credit Union, the Cubs organization, and of course Fergie himself. 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."
Jenkins had a legendary career with the Cubs, which included winning a Cy Young award and a record six straight 20-win seasons in Chicago.
He is one of two Canadian-born Hall of Famers and was Canada's first major league baseball player to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Jenkins pitched 18 seasons in the majors and tallied more than 3,000 strikeouts.