Phillies honor David Montgomery with a patch, scorecard, and moment of silence
Montgomery's seat was empty on Monday night with a bouquet of flowers and a scorecard saving his place.
If you needed to find David Montgomery during a Phillies home game anytime in the last 48 years, there was a good chance he was tucked somewhere in the ballpark with a scorebook in hand.
Montgomery, who rose from a Phillies fan in Roxborough to team president, was devoted to keeping score of every Phillies game. So it was a fitting gesture on Monday night - the first home game since Montgomery died on May 8 after a five-year battle with jaw cancer - that every fan received a scorecard with Montgomery on the front page.
The Phillies honored Montgomery on Monday night by chalking his signature on the grass in foul territory, raising a flag with his initials - DPM - above Ashburn Alley, and sewing a patch with his initials onto the right sleeve of their uniforms. The Phillies will wear the patch for the entire season.
The Phillies will host a celebration of Montgomery’s life on June 6 at Citizens Bank Park. The service, which begins at 3:05 p.m., is open to the public with free parking. They Monday’s game against the Brewers with a video tribute and a moment of silence.
Monday night’s video ended with a shot of Montgomery’s seat at Citizens Bank Park, the spot he willed himself to on opening day to keep score one last time. His seat was empty on Monday night, with a bouquet of flowers and a scorecard saving Montgomery’s place.
“He loved baseball. This was a pure love of the game and the people who were in it,” Phillies managing partner John Middleton said. “The players, the umpires, the front office on the other team, everyone. He loved everything about it.”