Sunday, September 07

CHICAGO -- Colson Montgomery looked genuinely confused when I put forth the following question prior to Thursday’s series finale for his White Sox at Target Field.

“You heard the great things Byron Buxton said about you, right?” I asked, with true certainty in my voice.

Montgomery had not heard a single word of praise from the Twins’ All-Star center fielder, and he couldn’t be blamed for missing out. With his extra infield work and pregame preparation continuing to help him make a demonstrative difference at the plate, he’s just a little bit busy.

So, I paraphrased the sentiment in the moment. But here’s Buxton’s exact words to the Twins media during the White Sox four-game sweep in Minneapolis, the first of its kind for the South Siders since the Twins came to Minnesota.

“Just a baller. He goes up there and he takes great at-bats, quality at-bats,” said Buxton of Montgomery. “Honestly, it looks like he’s been in the league for a couple of years with some of the at-bats you see him take. How he carries himself, even when I talked to him a little bit when he’s at short, just seems like a big leaguer.

“He’s been one of the guys, younger guys I should say, that is coming up. It’s going to be fun competing with him over the next few years.”

Buxton wants to beat Montgomery every time he faces him, as a prime AL Central rival. But he added, “To see success like that early -- and a guy of that caliber -- that’s special.”

Special describes one of the ways the 23-year-old White Sox shortstop felt when apprised of Buxton’s comments.

“It’s pretty sick,” Montgomery said. “Somebody like him, who has been around the league, the accomplishments he’s had, he’s awesome, great player. It’s pretty cool to hear that from him.

“Veterans like that, it’s so cool how they just show respect to even rookies. He could easily not really say anything to me. Guys like that are very motivating.”

Guys such as Buxton reinforce the point to Montgomery how he’s a very successful big leaguer across just two months of action since July 4. Buxton’s assessment was not the first meeting of the mutual admiration society between these two.

That original session ran from Aug. 22-24 when the Twins were at Rate Field. It began with Buxton’s request for Montgomery to sign one of Montgomery’s cards and ended with Montgomery getting a signed Buxton bat in trade. Here’s how the exchange took place, per Montgomery.

“I signed that card, and I jokingly said to the visiting clubby, 'Ask him if I can get a signed bat?'” said a smiling Montgomery. “He was like, ‘You want me to ask him?’ I was like, ‘Sure. Why not?' He sent it over. It was cool.

“He does everything. He flies, he’s a great defender. At the plate, too, he’s got one of those aura things where they step to the box, and you are like, ‘All right, something might happen here.’ It’s pretty sick.”

An aura has developed around Montgomery, albeit through 51 games. In the ninth inning of Thursday’s 11-8 victory, Montgomery launched a Statcast-projected 454-foot home run to right field, marking his second home run this season beyond 450 feet and making him the lone rookie to do such a thing this season.

His .686 slugging percentage against breaking pitches, per Statcast entering Friday’s series opener in Detroit, ranks second in MLB with a minimum of 50 plate appearances ending in breaking balls. His 18 home runs since the All-Star break rank first in the American League.

Getting recognized by Buxton is a pleasant surprise, but Buxton is not the only veteran Montgomery has engaged in conversation on the field. That list includes Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper and Nick Castellanos.

“Just small talk,” said Montgomery, scoffing and laughing at the notion of giving power hitting advice to Judge. “Those guys, it’s pretty cool when you hear them say, ‘Keep swinging it’ and things like that. Game recognizes game, so it’s pretty cool. … You can learn a lot from watching veterans, even on other teams.”

“You’re seeing him really enjoy this stage,” said White Sox director of hitting Ryan Fuller of Montgomery. “So, looking at it from where he was to where he is now is a whole lot of fun to watch, but a ton of credit to him.”

The White Sox have played their best baseball since the All-Star break but still will fall well short of the postseason. The Birmingham Barons, the organization’s Double-A affiliate, hold a 7 1/2-game lead for the Southern League North’s second half title with a 77-53 mark overall. They should soon be pursuing playoff success.

“It’s been awesome,” said outfielder Braden Montgomery, the White Sox Minor League Position Player of the Month for August, who has a .775 OPS over 33 games with the Barons. “It’s really cool to see all the pieces come together. You talk about teams that are able to make a deep run in the playoffs, and it can’t be one-dimensional.

“You can’t just have one way to win. We’re able to get it done in multiple different ways, whether it’s from the big swing or from the bunt and get the guy over, stealing bases, and obviously we’ve got some great pieces on the mound.”

• Happy belated birthday to Ken "Hawk" Harrelson, the Hall of Fame broadcaster who was the iconic voice of White Sox television broadcasts for more than three decades. One of my favorite moments from the 20-year World Series reunion weekend was the thunderous fan response Harrelson received during the Saturday ceremony. It’s great to hear he’s feeling good and going strong.

• Chicago Bears prediction -- 11-6 record, playoffs, and a tremendous year for Colston Loveland. I’ll be there Monday night, so say hello if you can.

• My taxi driver Sunday night in Minneapolis was infinitely entertaining, offering up this piece of sage advice, among many, in making your voice heard: “The barking dog always gets fed.”

• The enormous hotel room I stayed in at the Westin would go for about $4,000 per month as a rental in downtown Chicago. I appreciated the upgrade.

“Now I know how it works here, how the game goes here. Trying to get better in the offseason, it’s going to be so important for me. I’m going to prepare well.” -- Catcher Edgar Quero

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