A's starter Frankie Montas had it all going his way last summer: A 9-2 record, including five consecutive wins, and a virtual ticket to the All-Star Game as of June 20.
The next day, he was suspended 80 games by MLB after testing positive for a performance enhancing drug.
In the months that followed, Montas kept himself in physical playing shape, but struggled with the mental anguish.
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“I ain’t going to lie, I think I went three-and-a-half weeks without watching a baseball game,” Montas admitted. “I wasn’t there, but, supporting my boys from the house. I missed it.”
“That was a dark place for him,” Manager Bob Melvin said. “To have to go through that and watch his team succeed, a guy that was so important to us over the course of the first half.”
It worked out that the A’s didn’t derail from the Montas suspension. Instead, they found steam from separate places starting in mid-June, and still managed to hit the 97-win mark by October. Montas says he was proud of how his teammates responded to the adversity, but the individual lesson wasn’t lost.
“I did learn a lot last year,” Montas said about being instantly removed from his job. “Being able to miss it, that woke me up. Like, you’re playing this for something. This is not just for you, but for your family and the fans. It just makes you appreciate the game a little more, and love a little more, too.”
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And now the focus turns to 2020. Montas and his high-octane fastball will be part of an elite rotation like Oakland hasn’t seen in decades.
“I’ve always thrown hard, had a good arm,” Montas said. “The thing for me was to try and control it. Through my progression in the minor leagues -- I was wild, was not a guy to go out and throw strikes. I’d walk five or six people. Trying to limit walks was a big challenge for me, and stepping up my game.”
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Montas says there’s no personal need to prove himself and that his performance from last season is exactly where he’d like to continue.
“He’s as driven as he’s ever been, and he’s smiling every day,” Melvin said. “He’s happy to be here and the guys embrace him, they understand he made a mistake. There’s always second chances, and he’s handling himself beautifully right now.”
