Fergie Jenkins will be the 5th Chicago Cubs legend with a statue outside Wrigley Field. The Hall of Fame pitcher will be honored during the 2022 season.

When Chicago Cubs Chairman Tom Ricketts spoke to Hall of Fame pitcher Fergie Jenkins last week on a Zoom call, he had a request.

Ricketts asked for Jenkins’ permission for the team to build a statue of the right-hander and display it outside Wrigley Field.

“I said, ‘Go right ahead, I’d love to have one,’ ” Jenkins said Tuesday.

Jenkins’ statue is scheduled to be unveiled during the 2022 season, with the location still to be determined. The statue will be the fifth outside the ballpark, joining other Cubs legends Ron Santo, Billy Williams, Ernie Banks and Harry Caray.

“When I first signed a pro contract, I just wanted to get to the big leagues, and I was very fortunate to stay healthy and play on some good ballclubs and put some numbers up and good things happened,” Jenkins, 78, said. “Having the number (31) retired and now the statue, this is something that I don’t think an athlete ever can think about this happening to them. But it’s happened in my lifetime, and I’m really, really happy.”

During two stints with the Cubs totaling 10 seasons, Jenkins won 167 games, threw 154 complete games and 29 shutouts, recorded six saves and posted a 3.20 ERA in 401 games, 347 of them as a starter. His six 20-win seasons are tied for the most in franchise history with Mordecai Brown. In 1971, Jenkins became the first Cub to win the National League Cy Young Award.

Jenkins was a workhorse during his career, at one point producing four consecutive seasons (1968-71) of 300-plus innings. That stretch was bookended by two seasons of 289 1/4 u2153 innings. Those totals are unheard of nowadays.

“Athletes are just as strong and they can endure what I did, but management just don’t let them do it for some reason and I can’t figure that out,” Jenkins said. “Some guys are stronger than others. Why don’t you let them test their ability to go a little further into games, to win more ballgames and to pitch more innings?”

Jenkins would like his statue to feature the follow-through of his delivery. He referenced some photographs he has from his playing days and a Sports Illustrated cover that featured his follow-through.

“We’ll try to come to an agreement on what what’s easy for (the artist) to do,” Jenkins said, “and what’s easy on the eyes.”

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