Phillies to Begin Season-Long Tribute to Late David Montgomery Starting Monday

By Matt Rappa, Sports Talk Philly editor

The late David Montgomery's legacy will never be forgotten, given his impact not only with the Philadelphia Phillies organization as an executive in multiple roles, but also throughout the game of baseball.

Montgomery passed away at 72 on Wednesday following a five-year battle with cancer, and the Phillies, returning home from a Missouri road trip and set to start a seven-game homestand on Monday, have many plans to honor him.

Starting Monday's home game against the Milwaukee Brewers, the club will begin wearing a patch for the rest of the season with Montgomery's initials, DPM. Montgomery' high school, Penn Charter, is also now donning a similar patch.

Also on Monday, a moment of silence will take place, along with all fans receiving a commemorative scorecard, since Montgomery "kept score of every Phillies game during his career in baseball, which spanned nearly half a century," according to the Phillies.

On Thursday, June 6, Montgomery will be honored again with a Celebration of Life at Citizens Bank Park, the venue in which he played a huge role in its planning, development and construction in the early 2000s. The service, which is open to the public, will begin at 3:05 p.m.; gates will open at 2 p.m., and parking will be free.

"One of David's favorite times of the year was the MLB Draft," said David's wife, Lyn. "We couldn't think of a better way to celebrate David's life, and his love of the game, than to invite his friends, colleagues and Phillies fans into his second home at the conclusion of the Draft."

In lieu of flowers, the Montgomery family kindly requests that contributions be made to:

Phillies Charities Inc.
Citizens Bank Park, One Citizens Bank Way
Philadelphia, Pa. 19148

Entering Monday, the Phillies have a three-game lead over the Atlanta Braves atop the National League East. Montgomery would be proud.