Stephanie Montgomery is the wife of Kansas City Royals pitcher Mike Montgomery.
Follow Stephanie on Instagram and Twitter for tech news/ tips and baby cuteness. Check out her website for even more tech segments.
5 Fun Facts about Stephanie
- I grew up just outside of Seattle, Washington
- I used to work at Google
- I’m proficient in French
- I have a children’s book (about baseball, what else?) coming out this summer!
- I play video games – like Clash Royale – under the name MeoowMixx
How do you balance your life with Mike’s practice/game schedule?
For the most part, baseball doesn’t budge. The guys don’t get sick days, and they get very minimal time “off” for life events – paternity leave, for example, is 3 days. It’s also completely unpredictable, so I try not to plan anything in advance (which is hard, because I LOVE a good plan.” You know how it goes – “sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, sometimes it rains!”
I do my best to get work done or get a workout in during my son’s nap times. When the team is on the road, I work at night while I have the game on in the background. When Mike is home, we prioritize time together and I bring Max to as many games as I can. Sacrifices are definitely made, but every day in baseball really is a gift.
Was baseball part of your life before you met Mike?
Definitely. I grew up in a sports loving household and we went to a lot of Mariners games every year. Last month, we were actually watching Game 5 of the 1995 ALDS, and we saw me, my brother, mom and dad in the stands! It was hilarious.
I think growing up watching it made it easier to adapt to the schedules and behind the scenes logistics. It also makes watching 162+ games per year a lot more enjoyable!
What is your guys’ game day routine?
Before we had our son, the day would usually begin with sleeping in – especially after a night game! That’s no longer a thing, but we still always have breakfast together. In KC, we’ll go somewhere like Cracker Barrel (one of Mike’s favorites) on his start days. Then we’ll usually go on a family walk with our dog before he heads to the field.
If it’s a start day, Max and I go to the game. If it’s not, we’ll usually watch on TV and then I’ll wait up for Mike to get home so we can talk about our days for a little bit.
What is your favorite baseball memory (with or without Mike)?
I’m really fortunate to have so many great memories. I’d say celebrating the World Series in 2016. Then bringing our son, Max, to the ballpark for the first time.
You were at the 2016 World Series to see Mike pitch. What was that atmosphere like?
The World Series at Wrigley was INSANE. It was absolutely electric – and then came Game 7.
Looking back on it, I feel like I must have blacked out. And I wasn’t drunk! It was such an intense amount of emotion and adrenaline, I (like everyone else) was on a roller coaster the entire time.
I barely remember watching Mike jog in from the bullpen. But when he threw the last pitch and the Cubs won – and this, I’ll never forget – I fell to my knees in the aisle and cried tears of joy. For my husband, for the team, for the city of Chicago.
Does having a baby at home affect your and Mike’s daily life?
In every way. Our little dude keeps us on our toes and makes everything more interesting.
What’s been your favorite ballpark to visit?
I love going to Kauffman because the people are nice, and we’re thrilled to be back in KC. Then there’s Wrigley Field, which is iconic. Doing cartwheels on the grass and being able to sink into the ivy never got old. Fenway is special, too. I could keep going, but we might be here all day.
****
I wanted to thank Stephanie for doing this interview. It was great to talk with her and learn about life as a baseball wife and mom.
****
Ballpark Vibes 