Phillies honor David Montgomery, name spring training indoor facility after him

By Matt Rappa, Sports Talk Philly editor

The entire Philadelphia Phillies organization gathered Thursday morning at the Carpenter Complex to honor its lifelong front office member, Chairman David Montgomery.

As part of the gathering, the Phillies renamed their indoor facility at their spring training complex to the "David P. Montgomery Baseball Performance Center." Gulf Coast League Phillies manager Roly de Armas, who has managed minor league affiliates within the organization for 30 seasons starting in 1979, delivered a speech, along with Managing Partner John Middleton.

Among those in attendance at the ceremony were major and minor-league players and coaches, front office personnel and scouts, notes The Athletic's Matt Gelb.

“Our minor league complex in Clearwater has many Phillies legends attached to it.  Among them are Ruly Carpenter and Paul Owens, two key architects of the Phillies’ first World Series title in 1980,” Middleton said. “David’s steadfast commitment to player development, combined with his role in helping the club win its second World Series championship in 2008, makes this tribute doubly meaningful.”

Montgomery has served in various roles with the Phillies in his near-50-year tenure in the game. After graduating with a MBA from the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School, Montgomery started his upward track within the organization as a sales office employee upon the opening of Veterans Stadium in 1971. Montgomery soon received promotions to marking director and director of sales, before becoming executive vice president after the 1981 season. Eleven years later, Mingomery became the chief operating officer, and in 1994 became a co-general partner. In 1997, he succeeded Bill Giles as general partner and chief executive officer.

Montgomery assumed the position of chairman in January 2015, just months after undergoing surgery to remove cancer from his right jaw bone.

“David Montgomery has always spoken of the importance of player development, and the City of Clearwater is proud to join with the Phillies in not only honoring Mr. Montgomery, but also in acknowledging his desire to help players reach their full potential in the major leagues,” Clearwater Mayor George Cretekos said.

The $4 million, 20,921-square-foot David P. Montgomery Baseball Performance Center opened in 2013, and is used year-round by the Phillies and its Single-A affiliate, the Clearwater Threshers for "training, rehabilitation, and daily workouts," notes philly.com's Matt Breen. When opened, the Performance Center was the first of its kind, indoor climate-controlled training center utilized by a major league club in spring training, per Breen.

Thursday's ceremony was the first of two for the Phillies this week, as they prepare to head north to begin the regular season, March 29 in Atlanta. On Friday, the City of Clearwater and the Phillies will unveil Monument Park at Jack Russell Memorial Stadium, honoring five of the club's Hall of Fame members who played at their former spring training facility from 1955-2003.