The Hall of Fame will posthumously present the Buck O’Neil Lifetime Achievement Award to longtime Philadelphia Phillies executive David Montgomery this summer.
Montgomery, who passed away last May at age 72, will be honored on July 25 during Hall of Fame weekend in Cooperstown, N.Y.
“During his life in the game, David’s integrity and dignity inspired all who knew him and worked with him,” said Jane Forbes Clark, chairman of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. “His positive impact on the baseball world will always be remembered and honored.”
In a career with the Phillies that he began in 1971 as a ticket office employee and scoreboard operator, Montgomery worked his way up to executive vice president in 1981, chief operating officer in 1992, and president and chief executive officer in 1997.
After taking a leave of absence from the Phillies following a cancer diagnosis in 2014, he returned in 2015 as chairman and remained active in that role until his passing.
Highlights of Montgomery’s tenure as an executive include the transition from Veterans Stadium to Citizens Bank Park in 2004 and a World Series championship in 2008.
He is the fifth winner of the award, which is “presented to an individual for extraordinary efforts to enhance baseball’s positive impact on society,” according to a press release. O’Neil, a Negro Leagues legend, was the first recipient in 2008, followed by Roland Hemond (2011), Joe Garagiola (2014) and Rachel Robinson (2017).
