Chatham's baseball hall-of-famer Fergie Jenkins is being honoured on a comemorative postage stamp to be unveiled next month. (Courtesy: John Oddi)Baseball hall-of-famer Ferguson Jenkins is being honoured on a Canada Post stamp to commemorate Black History Month.

The retired pitcher will be the guest of honour in his hometown at the Chatham Armoury on Feb. 5, where the stamp will be unveiled.

In 1991, Jenkins became the first Canadian to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. He was discovered by the Philadelphia Phillies at age 15, and spent much of his 18-year career with the Chicago Cubs before retiring in 1983.

Jenkins became the first and only Canadian to be inducted into baseball's National Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. (Courtesy: John Oddi)The Order of Canada recipient also has a star on Canada's Walk of Fame and had his number retired by the Cubs.

Jenkins said he's already seen the stamp and feels very honoured to be celebrated in such a meaningful way.

"I went to Ottawa a month ago, and I seen them producing them," he said. "Something like five million stamps are going to be produced and distributed around the country. Not many athletes get their faces put on a stamp, and it's commemorative for Black History Month. For me, it's quite an honour."

The stamp features a photo of the pitcher in his Chicago Cubs uniform taken from an August 1971 cover of Sport Illustrated, along with a more recent photo.

Funds raised from the sale of the stamp will aid the Fergie Jenkins Foundation in supporting black history initiatives throughout Canada.

Tickets for the event are $5 and can be purchased at cktickets.com.