Jeff Montgomery, baseball player, 1987-1999

Jeff Montgomery

Born: 1/7/1962 in Wellston, OH, USA

MLB Debut: 1987-08-01 | Final Game: 1999-10-02

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 5'11" | Weight: 170 lbs

Full name: Jeffrey Thomas Montgomery

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Biography

Jeff Montgomery was a prominent relief pitcher in Major League Baseball, whose career spanned from 1987 until 1999. Born in 1962, Montgomery played the majority of his career with the Kansas City Royals, where he solidified himself as one of the premier closers of his era. He finished his career with a record of 46-52 and an impressive earned run average (ERA) of 3.27, showcasing his ability to perform consistently in high-pressure situations. Over his 13 seasons in the league, Montgomery recorded 733 strikeouts and secured 304 saves, a testament to his effectiveness and dominance on the mound. Montgomery was selected as an All-Star three times during his career, reflecting his status as one of the elite relief pitchers of the 1990s. His contributions to the Royals were significant during a period that saw the team striving for success in the competitive American League. Known for his reliable fastball and sharp slider, Montgomery played a crucial role in closing out games and often entered in the ninth inning to protect leads. His legacy continues to be felt, as he remains one of the franchise's all-time leaders in saves, and he is remembered for his fierce competitiveness and dedication to the game.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
46 52 700 1 0 0 304 868.7 785 316 81 296 733 3.27 0

Career ERA 3.27 vs. league average 4.20 across their career seasons — 22.1% better than league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Year Team Lg W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER BB SO ERA Lg ERA Pitcher PIV
1987 CIN NL 2 2 14 1 0 0 0 19.3 25 14 9 13 6.52 4.29 (-52%) 12.6
1988 KCR AL 7 2 45 0 0 0 1 62.7 54 24 30 47 3.45 3.73 (+8%) -
1989 KCR AL 7 3 63 0 0 0 18 92.0 66 14 25 94 1.37 3.71 (+63%) -
1990 KCR AL 6 5 73 0 0 0 24 94.3 81 25 34 94 2.39 3.86 (+38%) -
1991 KCR AL 4 4 67 0 0 0 33 90.0 83 29 28 77 2.90 3.91 (+26%) -
1992 KCR AL 1 6 65 0 0 0 39 82.7 61 20 27 69 2.18 3.75 (+42%) -
1993 KCR AL 7 5 69 0 0 0 45 87.3 65 22 23 66 2.27 4.19 (+46%) -
1994 KCR AL 2 3 42 0 0 0 27 44.7 48 20 15 50 4.03 4.51 (+11%) -
1995 KCR AL 2 3 54 0 0 0 31 65.7 60 25 25 49 3.43 4.45 (+23%) -
1996 KCR AL 4 6 48 0 0 0 24 63.3 59 30 19 45 4.26 4.61 (+8%) -
1997 KCR AL 1 4 55 0 0 0 14 59.3 53 23 18 48 3.49 4.39 (+21%) -
1998 KCR AL 2 5 56 0 0 0 36 56.0 58 31 22 54 4.98 4.43 (-12%) -
1999 KCR AL 1 4 49 0 0 0 12 51.3 72 39 21 27 6.84 4.71 (-45%) -

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
700 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.0

Career AVG .000 vs. league average .263 across their career seasons — 100.0% below league average.

Career OBP .000 vs. league average .331 across their career seasons — 100.0% below league average.

Career SLG .000 vs. league average .405 across their career seasons — 100.0% below league average.

Career OPS 0.000 vs. league average 0.736 across their career seasons — 100.0% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1987 CIN NL 14 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1988 KCR AL 45 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1989 KCR AL 63 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1990 KCR AL 73 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1991 KCR AL 67 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1992 KCR AL 65 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1993 KCR AL 69 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1994 KCR AL 42 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1995 KCR AL 54 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1996 KCR AL 48 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1997 KCR AL 55 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1998 KCR AL 56 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1999 KCR AL 49 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 700 1 86 103 6 9

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1987 CIN P 14 1 1 3 0 0
1988 KCA P 45 0 3 10 1 0
1989 KCA P 63 0 11 6 2 1
1990 KCA P 73 0 3 13 0 0
1991 KCA P 67 0 10 8 0 0
1992 KCA P 65 0 12 13 1 2
1993 KCA P 69 0 6 13 0 0
1994 KCA P 42 0 3 2 1 1
1995 KCA P 54 0 13 4 1 1
1996 KCA P 48 0 6 13 0 1
1997 KCA P 55 0 10 5 0 0
1998 KCA P 56 0 5 4 0 1
1999 KCA P 49 0 3 9 0 2

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 700

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1993 Reliever of the Year Award
1993 TSN Fireman of the Year
1992 Player of the Week Week of 1992-06-06

Salary History

Year Team League Salary
1999 KCA AL $2,500,000
1999 LAN NL $200,000
1998 KCA AL $2,800,000
1997 KCA AL $2,300,000
1996 KCA AL $2,150,000
1995 KCA AL $4,166,667
1994 KCA AL $3,166,667
1993 KCA AL $3,816,666
1992 KCA AL $2,460,000
1991 KCA AL $1,065,000
1989 KCA AL $95,000
Total Career Earnings $24,720,000

College History

School Name City State Years Attended
Marshall University Huntington WV 1981, 1982, 1983

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1993 Most Valuable Player AL 13th 15.0 392 0