When, on Aug. 17, former Philadelphia Phillies president and CEO David Montgomery was given the team’s highest honor, induction on the wall of fame and the unveiling of his plaque on the Wall, the main message wasn’t about his management skills. It was about the way he treated his colleagues and employees. 

Montgomery, who lived in Wyndmoor until his death from jaw cancer in May 2019, joined the Phillies in the sales department in 1971 shortly after earning an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. Montgomery initially worked at Veterans Stadium, moving up the ranks and becoming the club’s executive vice president in the early 1980s and the president and chief executive officer in 1997.

During his tenure the team won five division titles, two National League pennants and the 2008 World Series. An amazing statistic of his time in office is that the Phillies sold out 257 consecutive games.

And, lest we forget, he managed the team’s departure from the deteriorated Vet to the brand new state-of-the-art Citizens Bank Park, now celebrating its 20th anniversary.

In a video tribute during the ceremony former player, general manager, and current broadcaster Rubén Amaro Jr. said “It would be hard to find someone who didn’t think David Montgomery was the best person in the world.”

That’s not an overstatement for the people who knew him or were at CBP for its alumni weekend and Montgomery’s honor.

(Full disclosure: Writing about David Montgomery without getting personal is hard. Not only did I know him as a baseball man and interview subject – I interviewed him almost two dozen times since 1994 – but he and I were members of the same church. Both before he was sick and after he was always more interested in talking about what I was doing than about himself.)

Shortly after Montgomery was diagnosed and treated for cancer, Marcus Hayes, a Philadelphia Inquirer columnist, wrote “It is the nature of baseball to nurture. It takes a patient patriarch to oversee the process of building a winner again and again. Montgomery is the template. He has, in his [then] 45 years with the Phillies, manufactured a model of inclusion to create the most functional of families.”

Amaro’s comment about Montgomery was echoed by many others. The words “family,” and “integrity” were repeated over and over.

Before the celebration at CBP on the 17th I talked to several long-time Montgomery colleagues. 

Chris Wheeler, who joined the Phillies two months after Montgomery and is best known for his time as a Phillies broadcaster from 1977 to 2014, said “David is one of the most, if not the most, honorable human beings I ever met in my life.

“If he told you something, you could take it to the bank. If you could trust somebody like that, that’s a hell of a trait.”

Dan Baker, the Phils’ PA announcer for more than half a century, said “David was very intelligent, very organized. He was a real people person. He was a great asset to the organization, to the city. David felt he had a responsibility to the owners, to the players, to the staff, to the fans. He was like a father figure.”

And Tom Burgoyne, for the last 30 years the Philly Phanatic’s best friend, said “He made everyone feel special and loved. That was it. He took the time to get to know the people who worked for the Phillies. He kept track of kids’ names and spouses’ names. That more than anything really contributed to the family culture here at the Phillies.”

Many others, players and colleagues, spoke during and after the official ceremony. The message was always the same: David Montgomery was a special man, an excellent executive, a delight to work with, and an inspiring leader.

Following the Wall of Fame ceremony there was a baseball game against the Washington Nationals. Christopher Sánchez pitched a two-hit complete game the Phillies won 5-1.

It was, many thought, the perfect ending for an absolutely great day.