David Montgomery (baseball)
Encyclopedia
David Montgomery is the part-owner, general partner, president, and chief executive officer
of the Philadelphia Phillies
.
. Before attending college, Montgomery worked as a diaper delivery boy and a high school baseball coach. Montgomery is a 1964 alumnus of the William Penn Charter School
in Philadelphia and as an undergraduate attended the University of Pennsylvania
where he was first a liberal arts
major, and then a history
major. Montgomery continued to attend Phillies games as a college student with future governor Ed Rendell
, where he recalled "[trying] to eat all the food that $5 could buy... as they shared their thoughts with the players". He also attended the Wharton Business School as a graduate student, graduating in 1970. During his tenure at Wharton, he also coached the linemen for the varsity football
team at Germantown Academy
.
, Montgomery reached out to former Phillies ace Robin Roberts, whose son he coached at Germantown, about a job with the baseball club. Montgomery was hired as a member of the Phillies' sales department in 1971, becoming director of sales and marketing in the mid-1970s and the head of the business department by 1980. During the early 1970s, he was also the team's scoreboard operator.
Montgomery, along with co-owner Bill Giles
, purchased the team in 1981 for $30,000,000 ($ today); Giles, the primary owner, named Montgomery the executive vice president of the team. In 1997, when Giles left the team presidency to become the chairman and focus on winning a new stadium for the team, he recommended Montgomery to replace him as team president. In so doing, Montgomery became the first native of Philadelphia to run the club in over 60 years. One of his focuses with the team has been brand development, evidenced by the team's commitment to signing successful players to long-term contracts prior to the opening of Citizens Bank Park
in 2004.
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
of the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
.
Early life and education
As a child, Montgomery attended Phillies games at Connie Mack StadiumConnie Mack Stadium
Shibe Park, known later as Connie Mack Stadium, was a major league baseball park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. When it opened April 12, 1909, it became baseball's first steel-and-concrete stadium. In different eras it was home to "The $100,000 Infield", "The Whiz Kids" and "The 1964 Phold"...
. Before attending college, Montgomery worked as a diaper delivery boy and a high school baseball coach. Montgomery is a 1964 alumnus of the William Penn Charter School
William Penn Charter School
William Penn Charter School is an independent school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, founded in 1689 by William Penn...
in Philadelphia and as an undergraduate attended the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
where he was first a liberal arts
Liberal arts
The term liberal arts refers to those subjects which in classical antiquity were considered essential for a free citizen to study. Grammar, Rhetoric and Logic were the core liberal arts. In medieval times these subjects were extended to include mathematics, geometry, music and astronomy...
major, and then a history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
major. Montgomery continued to attend Phillies games as a college student with future governor Ed Rendell
Ed Rendell
Edward Gene "Ed" Rendell is an American politician who served as the 45th Governor of Pennsylvania. Rendell, a member of the Democratic Party, was elected Governor of Pennsylvania in 2002, and his term of office began January 21, 2003...
, where he recalled "
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
team at Germantown Academy
Germantown Academy
Germantown Academy is America's oldest nonsectarian day school, founded on December 6, 1759 . Germantown Academy is now a K-12 school in the Philadelphia suburb of Fort Washington, having moved from its original Germantown campus in 1965...
.
Baseball career
After interviewing for positions with Scott Paper and Quaker Oats and being encouraged by Rendell to apply for a job with the Philadelphia 76ersPhiladelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers are a professional basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . Originally known as the Syracuse Nationals, they are one of the oldest franchises in the NBA...
, Montgomery reached out to former Phillies ace Robin Roberts, whose son he coached at Germantown, about a job with the baseball club. Montgomery was hired as a member of the Phillies' sales department in 1971, becoming director of sales and marketing in the mid-1970s and the head of the business department by 1980. During the early 1970s, he was also the team's scoreboard operator.
Montgomery, along with co-owner Bill Giles
Bill Giles (baseball)
William Yale Giles is the chairman and part owner of Major League Baseball's Philadelphia Phillies.-Personal:He is the son of former National League president Warren Giles...
, purchased the team in 1981 for $30,000,000 ($ today); Giles, the primary owner, named Montgomery the executive vice president of the team. In 1997, when Giles left the team presidency to become the chairman and focus on winning a new stadium for the team, he recommended Montgomery to replace him as team president. In so doing, Montgomery became the first native of Philadelphia to run the club in over 60 years. One of his focuses with the team has been brand development, evidenced by the team's commitment to signing successful players to long-term contracts prior to the opening of Citizens Bank Park
Citizens Bank Park
Citizens Bank Park is a 43,647-seat baseball park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex, and home of the Philadelphia Phillies. Citizens Bank Park opened on April 3, 2004, and hosted its first regular season baseball game on April 12 of the same year, with the...
in 2004.