CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- (WBBM NEWSRADIO) —Hall of Fame pitcher Ferguson Jenkins is the latest addition to the brand-new “statue row" on the North Lawn of Gallagher Way.
The town crier of Jenkins’ hometown of Chatham Kent in Ontario, Canada made it official:
“Oh, yay. Whereas on December 13th, 1942, in Chatham Ontario Canada, a boy was born. Ferguson Arthur Jenkins by name. Whereas the Chicago Cubs saw the potential, they knew he'd develop into something very, very special," George Sims began.
Hundreds of fans, friends and family members were on hand for the official unveiling.
Jenkins, 79, was traded to the Chicago Cubs by the Philadelphia Phillies 56 years ago. Jenkins won a Cy Young Award and had a record six straight 20-win seasons in Chicago.
"Never did I imagine I'd be a 20-game winner, being an All Star, winning a Cy Young and being a member of the 3,000 strike-out club, or even being in the Hall of Fame. But now the statue is sitting beside my fellow teammates, Ernie, Billy and Ronnie, believe me I'm humbled. I stand here a proud man, also humbled," Jenkins said.
Former Cub Billy Williams was also on hand to see his friend's statue unveiled.
"He was such a great athlete,” he said, smiling. “From the time Fergie joined the club, we became friends. We found our interests are the same. To my teammate and friend, from the bottom of my heart, congratulations.”
The sculpture was commissioned by The Fine Art Studio of Rotblatt-Amrany, the same company that produced the statues of Banks, Santo, Williams and Harry Caray at Wrigley Field and the Michael Jordan statue outside Chicago's United Center.
Lou Cella is the statue’s sculptor.
"When we got here, I just looked at it. Statue row is really nice. The Cubs really outdid themselves on this one. I really love it,” said Cella, who consulted Jenkins when designing his piece.
"This is actually based on the cover of Sports Illustrated in 1971. That's the uniform we followed. It's such a beautiful shot and that was everything that we were trying to convey in it,” he said. “It looks like they’re trying to field a team, doesn't it?
"The ballplayers are really beautiful. They look like a team. It creates a focal point to a space that really didn't need it but boy, does it enhance it.”
Jenkins thanked the Ricketts family, which owns the Cubs, saying, "And now my dreams have come true.”
He said he got a look at the piece before the unveiling so he tried not to choke up in the moment today.
"I had an opportunity to grasp it all end and understand that now isn't the time to cry," Jenkins said. "The icing on the cake is my uniform being retired. Now this is the cake.”
Jenkins was enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 1991 and had his No. 31 retired by the Cubs in 2009.
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