Breaking: The Phillies rename the Citizens Bank Park wall after legendly player.
A prominent character in the history of the Philadelphia Phillies and the person who spearheaded the revitalization of Citizens Bank Park in 2004 has had a portion of the outfield wall at the stadium named after them.
During the late David Montgomery’s posthumous induction into the Philadelphia Phillies Wall of Fame on Saturday, the team revealed that the angled wall in left-center field would now be known as “Monty’s Angle” in remembrance of the late player. Above the 409-foot sign on the wall is a placard that reads “new name.”
Mongtomery, a native of Philadelphia and University of Pennsylvania alum, started working for the Phillies in the business and sales divisions in 1971. He and Bill Giles eventually bought the organization together in 1981. Before assuming the role of club president for Giles in 1997, he was the executive vice president.
Under Montgomery’s direction, the Phillies enjoyed their greatest run of success in team history, winning the 2008 World Series, five consecutive NL East titles from 2007 to 2011, and back-to-back NL pennants in 2008 and 2009.
After battling cancer of the jawbone in 2014, Montgomery took a leave of absence, and in 2015 he became chairman. On May 8, 2019, he went away at the age of 72.
Major League Baseball awarded Montgomery the Buck O’Neil Lifetime Achievement Award in 2020; in recognition of his services to the team and the community, the Phillies inducted Montgomery into the Wall of Fame in 2024.
The ballpark, which Montgomery worked to become a reality, hosted the ceremony. Montgomery had a fondness for the vintage atmosphere and distinctive dimensions of Connie Mack Stadium throughout the 1950s and 1960s, which served as a major inspiration for the retro-classic design of Citizens Bank Park.
In its 20 years of use, the angled wall has produced a lot of spectacular and memorable plays, including several inside-the-park home runs by players like Chase Utley, Bryce Harper, and J.T. Realmuto. Now, the unique aspect of the field of play will honor the executive who made it happen.
