Colson Montgomery took some swings — and made solid contact — during batting practice at the Chicago White Sox complex in Glendale, Ariz., in a video the team posted last month on Twitter.
Suddenly, Sox manager Tony La Russa, who was observing behind the batting cages, stepped in front of the camera and smiled in approval of what he saw from the left-handed hitter.
The tweet went viral with more than 300 retweets and 2,500 likes. Even Montgomery didn’t see La Russa’s guest appearance coming.
“When the video came out, I saw me hitting, so I just thought it was that,” Montgomery said with a smile during a Zoom call Wednesday. “I really didn’t read the caption on it. So at the very end I was pretty surprised to see Tony coming in.”
Montgomery, who turns 20 on Sunday, is back in Glendale participating in the team’s minicamp as he prepares for his first full professional season.
“It’s a great group of guys here,” Montgomery said. “A lot of talented dudes out here. (I) kind of get to see what everybody has to offer and all their skills and all their talents.”
After the Sox drafted him last July out of Southridge High School in Indiana with the No. 22 pick, Montgomery got a chance to showcase his skills in the Arizona Complex League. The shortstop had a .287/.396/.362 slash line with seven doubles and seven RBIs in 26 games.
“When you draft shortstops or up-the-middle-type players, you are looking for certain qualities,” Sox assistant general manager/player development Chris Getz said Tuesday. “I feel like Colson has that. We know that the amount of baseball he’s played might be a little bit less than some other players coming into our system, but Colson is pretty polished. I noticed that and our scouts did as well when he was an amateur.
“On the professional side and what he accomplished last season in Arizona, being around him in various minicamps, this guy, although he hasn’t played as much as other people, I feel like he’s going to catch up quickly and accelerate. I look forward to what the 2022 season holds for him.”
Montgomery called 2021 a “whirlwind.”
“Especially from just being out of high school, state finals game and then getting drafted and then out to Birmingham (Ala.) for a little minicamp and then right into rookie ball,” he said. “All kind of quick, but took it in stride (and) had a lot of guys here helping me through everything.”
His first couple of days in rookie ball stood out.
“It’s definitely not like high school baseball,” Montgomery said. “Everybody’s good. Everybody’s here for a reason. That jumped out at me and really showed me how hard you’ve still got to work and that there are guys who are really talented also out here.”
Montgomery played baseball, basketball and football in high school. Asked if he missed the hardwood, he said, “for sure.” But he added that he very much looks forward to being at a ballpark full-time.
“Going home and all my siblings in the wintertime, they’ve got basketball going on,” Montgomery said. “I’m seeing them play and also watching the boys basketball team play at my high school. Watching them play is kind of making me miss it a little bit.
“But also I think back that my job is to play baseball for a living, so I’m really excited about it. I’m really excited for the season and especially for the future.”
Getz said Montgomery has a “sweet swing” and the defensive tools to go with his 6-foot-4 frame.
“You don’t see too many guys with his size at the shortstop position nowadays, but there are examples,” Getz said. “There are guys historically, and we believe based on his foot speed and his ability to see the field and the strong arm that he has that he’s going to be able to be a shortstop in this game for a long time.”
Montgomery is taking that next step at the minicamp.
“I’m really looking forward to the full season, the more minor-league game-like situations and stuff,” Montgomery said. “Just going to keep a positive mindset with it all and stay consistent throughout the whole year and limit my ups and downs.”
