Mike Montgomery Talks About Being Moved to the Bullpen
Mike Montgomery, the man who threw the last pitch in the Chicago Cubs game 7 World Series victory, was supposed to finally get his shot at starting. It seemed as if it was a given. Montgomery had proven himself and had earned his chance. The front office seemed to be behind it, Joe Maddon seemed to be behind it, hell, they even joked about it at the Cubs Convention.
But we learned yesterday he wasn’t tapped to be a starter. Instead, the Cubs opted to go with newcomer Brett Anderson. Many had thought this would be the case when the Cubs signed Anderson. He (Brett) had been successful as a starter, and there was uncertainty with him pitching in relief.
Perhaps more importantly, Mike was so good in his role last season, he became too difficult to replace. Not to mention the club also lost Travis Wood, and the uncertainty of Rule 5 draftee Caleb Smith was cause for concern.
Mike had just become too important in his 2016 role. Had they moved him to the rotation they were creating another, a more difficult question to answer.
Luckily, Mike has the perfect attitude. From all accounts, he enjoys the pen, that mentality, and is excited to do it again.
Now don’t be fooled. Montgomery will start this season. He’ll be the proverbial sixth starter. Expect him to earn starts when someone is injured, needs an extra day, and of course, once the team incorporates a full six-man rotation. But even if he isn’t starting, I absolutely love his attitude. He’s willing to be in the pen and loves it. He’s willing to start and loves it.
If you could clone him, every team would love to have him.
