X's manager looks forward to promising 2016

"This is my first Little Yellow Dog Auction," Montgomery said while standing with hundreds of others at the Ho-Chunk Center in downtown Sioux City in mid-December, joined by his wife, Tana, and their children, Tephen and Aspen.

The year was full of remarkable "firsts" for the tall Sioux City Explorers manager many have come to know as "Mongo."

The Explorers broke at least nine league records in 2015, a season that saw Montgomery direct the club to an astonishing 75-25 mark. The X's established league standards in road victories (38), stolen bases (188) and limited the opposition to 301 earned runs, 344 total runs, 750 hits and a miniscule .228 batting average.

Everything, it seemed, came up roses for the 41-year-old skipper, save for a loss to Laredo, Texas, in the league championship series.

"Steve has done a tremendous job on the field and in our community from the day he was hired," said John Roost, owner of the X's, in announcing a nine-year contract extension for his manager. "The future of X's baseball is as bright as ever, knowing Steve will continue to lead our franchise for another nine seasons."

"The people in this organization are phenomenal, top to bottom," Montgomery added. "We have a lot of hardworking people who wear a number of hats. I like that; I like the small-market, small-town team."

The native of Mecca, Ohio, who now resides in Florida, pledges to do all he can in his own regard come 2016, making Sioux City a "mecca" of sorts for independent baseball.

"As an organization and coaching staff we're very hungry to get back to the playoffs," Montgomery said. "We must make sure the guys stay hungry and committed to themselves and the team."

Montgomery has been committed to his craft, his sport, for as long as he can remember. His introduction into professional baseball came 22 years ago when the Kansas City Royals organization inked the 6-foot, 7-inch reliever to a contract and observed as he fashioned a 1.56 earned run average in 12 trips to the mound.

Incredibly, he was released. The Johnstown Johnnies of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, then signed the pitcher and he made the most of it, yielding zero earned runs in 33 relief appearances. It led to a signing with the Baltimore Orioles and cemented his appreciation for the career "save" independent baseball gave him.

Maybe that's why, after stints with the Dodgers and Red Sox organizations, Montgomery landed in Fargo, North Dakota, and pitched for three seasons before staying on as pitching coach for a decade.

He got his shot to manage in Sioux City two years ago and has since made the most of it.

"There's nothing like walking out that third base dugout and seeing the stands filled," he said.

Beyond the organizational support, "Mongo" credits his wife for heading up the household year-round. Pro baseball, after all, is a grueling occupation for families tied to runs, hits, errors and incessant travel.

"Tana is the real manager of the year," said Montgomery, who was named manager of the year in the 13-team American Association in 2015.

"For family life, baseball can be hard," he said. "You give up precious time that you could be spending with your family and you give it to the game. It's not the ideal thing, but it's what I know.

"I'm fortunate to have a strong wife who has been able to become what you'd consider a 'single mother' for five months each year," he added.

It is Tana, he said, who devotes so much of her time in getting Tephen and Aspen to their school and club commitments. Fortunately, for the X's skipper, he gets to reside at "home" for seven months per year, and makes the most of it by helping coach Tephen's baseball team and Aspen's soccer squad.

Once a manager, always a manager, perhaps.

Montgomery laughed about it.

"I'm very lucky on that aspect as sports are year-round down in Florida," he said. "For seven months, I get to attend and help coach my son's baseball team and my daughter's soccer team.

"Even though I don't know anything about soccer."

This summer, he said, look for the young Montgomery children to join Dad in the dugout for a week, if not two. If their presence coincides with a winning streak by the X's, all the better.