Omaha artist cleans statue, talks College World Series trophy

'I'm very proud of all of this. I mean, do you know what it means to me to be an artist that was asked to do these things for the city?' John Lajba said

'I'm very proud of all of this. I mean, do you know what it means to me to be an artist that was asked to do these things for the city?' John Lajba said

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'I'm very proud of all of this. I mean, do you know what it means to me to be an artist that was asked to do these things for the city?' John Lajba said

The College World Series starts in one week.

Everyone is preparing, including polishing the iconic sculpture that sits outside "The Chuck."

Though a smaller trophy is just as iconic.

John Lajba and his son Harrison Lajba are spraying and brushing the Road to Omaha statue days before fans descend onto Omaha for The Greatest Show on Dirt.

"Every year, I try to reseal it, clean it and make it look as good as it looked when I installed it back in 1999," John Lajba said.

While this is tedious work for John Lajba and his son, it's not the only thing Lajba was asked to make. He also sculpts the Most Outstanding Player trophy.

"Just imagine being the MVP in one of the most important college sports," John Lajba said.

If you think it's just a copy of the original, you're wrong. John Lajba said it's inspired by the original.

"I put a mold around the wax, and then I melt the wax out as you would with jewelry, and I pour the molten bronze in where the wax was," John Lajba said. "I pour at 2,100 degrees Fahrenheit. The metal starts melting at 2,000 degrees."

Harrison also helps pour the molten metal.

It's a family effort and has been a part of Harrison Lajba's childhood.

"I was nine years old when he did it. I remember it being at his building. I remember him working on it," Harrison Lajba said.

Fans won't likely catch John Lajba down at the games, shaking hands with fans.

"I never come up to any of the fans and say, 'Hey, I did this sculpture,' but I do snoop," John Lajba said.

He's just honored that it means so much to everyone.

"I'm very proud of all of this. I mean, do you know what it means to me to be an artist that was asked to do these things for the city?" John Lajba said.