Photo (above): Fergie Jenkins honored by the London Majors during 1992’s Fergie Jenkins Night at Labatt Park. Photo by Jeffrey Reed/LondonOntarioSports.com.

Ed. Note: On June 2, the Majors announced that Fergie Jenkins Day would be postponed until Friday, July 29 due to Jenkins experiencing COVID-19-like symptoms. The tour of Labatt Park on June 3 at 1 p.m. is still scheduled. Contact the Majors ballclub or Sport Tourism London for more details.

by Jeffrey Reed, Editor, LondonOntarioSports.com

On June 3, Fergie Jenkins Day at Labatt Park will welcome back the Baseball Hall of Fame member from Chatham. But in fact, it will mark the 30th anniversary of Fergie Jenkins Day with the London Majors held June 5, 1992.

This year’s special day for Jenkins will see the 1991 hall of fame inductee throw out the ceremonial first pitch, sign autographs for fans and experience the newly-created Labatt Park Tours featuring memorabilia from events held at the world’s oldest continuous site for baseball.

Fergie Jenkins with his No. 31 uniform retired by the London Majors in 1992. Photo: Jeffrey Reed/LondonOntarioSports.com.

“Having Fergie Jenkins return to Labatt Memorial Park is a great opportunity for all sports fans in London to meet a baseball legend,” said. Tourism London’s director of sport tourism Zanth Jarvis. “Tourism London is thrilled to partner with the London Majors to welcome Fergie back to London to enjoy another Majors game and experience the new guided tours of Labatt Park.”

Fans wishing to meet Jenkins and to have their photo taken can do so at Labatt Park prior to the start of the game. Gates open at 6:30 p.m., with first pitch scheduled for 7:15 p.m.

1992 Fergie Jenkins Day A Smash Hit

Gary Alan Price MC’s Fergie Jenkins Night with the London Majors, June 5, 1992. Photo copyright Jeffrey Reed/LondonOntarioSports.com.

Back in 1992, a capacity crowd of close to 5,000 fans – huge by the standards of 30 years ago – came out to welcome not only a recently-inducted Baseball Hall of Fame inductee, but also a former London Majors pitcher.

In 1984, after retiring following 19 years of Major League Baseball service, Jenkins took former London Majors owner Arden Eddie up on his offer to join the ballclub. What a thrill it would be for both London baseball fans and the Majors.

Eddie recalled, “Fergie was just one of the guys riding the bus with us, telling stories. He was a classy guy. In fact, when someone got a hit off of him – which wasn’t very often – they never showed him up, never said a word. There was nothing but total respect for the man.”

Jenkins had just finished his professional playing days with the 1983 Chicago Cubs. He joined the Majors for the 1984 season. In 12 starts, he completed 10 games and finished 9-3 with 81 strikeouts, only seven walks and a 2.30 ERA. Jenkins also impressed with his bat, hitting at a .384 clip with seven doubles and three HR, 24 RBI and 12 runs scored. Jenkins’ nine wins were tops in the IBL that season, and his 81 strikeouts tied Stratford Hillers’ Dennis Coplen for first. London finished 21-11 and lost in a quarter-final playoff.

Arden Eddie with Fergie Jenkins at Labatt Park. Photo: Jeffrey Reed/LondonOntarioSports.com.

Jenkins returned to the Majors for 14 games in 1985, occasionally taking the mound and still impressing with his bat. Finishing with a .367 BA, Jenkins more importantly hit 1.000 with his teammates and the local baseball fans. London finished 16-20 and again lost in a quarter-final.

On June 5, 1992 the Majors retired Jenkins’ No. 31 while members of the 1984 and ’85 Majors ballclubs lined the first base line. Former London sports broadcaster Gary Alan Price acted as MC, while yours truly took photos for the club and Intercounty Baseball League (for whom I would form the league’s media relations office in 1994).

Beavers, Too, Honour Jenkins

Also on that night in 1992, the Eager Beaver Baseball Association (EBBA) honored Jenkins by making him an honorary lifetime member. That portion of the evening was labelled, Eager Beaver Night with the London Majors. EBBA was London’s original minor sports association, and one of the first minor baseball loops to form in Canada.

In ’92, EBBA president Don Burke presented Jenkins with a plaque that reads: “Presented to Fergie Jenkins for his outstanding baseball accomplishments and induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame, A truly great Canadian, we are very proud to make you an honorary member of the Eager Beaver Baseball Association June 5 1992, Presented by Donald Burke, President EBBA.”

Fergie Jenkins ready to throw the ceremonial first pitch at Labatt Park on June 5, 1992. Photo: Jeffrey Reed/LondonOntarioSports.com.

One of the highlights of the evening was Jenkins – clad in a suit and tie – taking to the mound and delivering the first pitch. Of course, the hall of famer threw a strike, right down the middle.

Distinguished Career 

No one knows more about Jenkins’ pitching talent than the batters who faced him while he threw smoke for the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, Texas Rangers and Boston Red Sox. After signing as a lanky all-around athlete from Chatham in 1962, Jenkins played four years of minor pro ball before suiting up for the Phillies on Opening Day in 1966. Between 1967 and 1972 while battling for a less-than-impressive Cubs club, he accumulated six consecutive 20-win seasons.

A winner of 284 games with 3,192 strikeouts under his belt, Jenkins won the 1971 National League Cy Young award and was the American League Comeback Player of the Year in 1974. Four times, Jenkins was named Canada’s Male Athlete of the Year. He’s a member of the Order of Canada, and was enshrined into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 1987.

In April 2015, Jenkins, along with shortstop Ozzie Smith, outfielder Rickey Henderson and pitcher Luis Tiant, was inducted into the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum’s Hall of Game. The museum, then celebrating its 25th anniversary, established the Hall Of Game in 2014.

Finally, this past Friday, the Cubs unveiled the Fergie Jenkins statue at Wrigley Field.

Tickets for Fergie Jenkins Day at Labatt Park on June 3 are available at https://bit.ly/3M2iyvf.\

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Award-winning print, broadcast and new media journalist Jeffrey Reed has worked as a sports media member in Southwestern Ontario since 1980. His first book, EBBA 40 Years of Baseball (1994) is London’s first baseball history book. He established the Intercounty Baseball League media relations office in 1994. Contact him at jeff@londonontariosports.com.