Plans are coming together for the Fergie Jenkins statue unveiling in downtown Chatham.
The statue dedication ceremony will take place on Saturday, June 10 at 1:45 p.m. in front of the Chatham-Kent Civic Centre on King Street.
Fergie's daughter, Kelly Jenkins, said her dad is "super pumped" for the event.
"He's looking forward to seeing everyone, all of his friends, his family, sharing in this. For him, it's like coming full circle and coming home, and he's very appreciative to everyone who's worked so hard to make this day happen," she said.
MLB Hall of Fame pitcher Fergie Jenkins. (Submitted Photo)
After the statue is unveiled, there's going to be a family-friendly after-party at Sons of Kent Brewing.
"The first 300 kids that show up will get free hot dogs, a free baseball, we have face painting, we have tattoos," said Kelly. "My dad is very excited and is very encouraging to have everyone come out and celebrate this special day with him."
The after-party will also feature games for the kids, live music, and the Fergie Jenkins Pilsner from Sons of Kent will be available.
The statue being unveiled is a replica of the one that was dedicated to Fergie in Chicago at Wrigley Field in 2022. Kelly said the statue itself should be arriving sometime next week to be installed.
"The gentleman who made the statue, the artist who did the original statue in Chicago, he, himself is actually coming to Chatham with a team to make sure it gets here safely and gets put where it needs to go," said Kelly. "So we're really excited that he's coming down to do that."
Kelly added that seeing a statue honouring her dad, in his hometown, will be surreal.
"We were in Chicago about this time last year when the Cubs dedicated the statue down there. But to have it here in our hometown is just a whole other level, and to be able to share it with the community and with friends and family is just very special," she said.
Jenkins played professional baseball from 1965-1983. During that time he was the first Canadian to win the Cy Young Award. A premiere pitcher of his era, Jenkins was a National League All-Star for three seasons and finished his career with 284 wins and 3,192 strikeouts.