Kansas City, Mo. ? Jeff Montgomery became the 19th member of the Kansas City Royals Hall of Fame with his induction before Saturday’s game against Tampa Bay.

Montgomery is the Royals’ career leader in saves with 304 — 14th best in major-league history — and owns the club’s single-season record with 45 (tied with Dan Quisenberry). The Royals Hall of Fame began in 1986.

Montgomery thanked his family, his former teammates and the fans for their support through the years. He also thanked the 2003 Royals for injecting enthusiasm into the city this season.

“When I was writing my presentation, I was very emotional,” Montgomery said. “I broke down a couple of times. I wasn’t sure how I was going to be able to get through. Fortunately, I was able to get through without breaking down.

“I got the call in December, so I had a lot of time to build up to today. It’s kind of like getting engaged. You have a lot of time to wait until you get married. When that day comes, you’re very emotional.”

Montgomery, who was raised in Westerville, Ohio, was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds, his favorite team as a boy.

“I dreamed about playing in the major leagues, but I never thought it would come true,” he said. “When I got drafted, I thought, ‘It’s here. I’ve been drafted by the Reds, and I’m going to play in the big leagues.’ I found out very shortly that wasn’t the case. There were 150 guys in line in front of me in the organization.

“Eventually I had that dream come true.”

Montgomery said he never expected to be worthy of induction into any Hall of Fame, but as his career went on, he knew that it was possible.

“I didn’t really think much about it,” he said. “Once I started getting close to (Quisenberry’s) numbers, I thought if I could stay healthy, you never know.

“I was able to have a measure of success. I had coaches and managers and trainers who helped that happen.”

After the induction, Montgomery threw out the ceremonial first pitch. His catcher was his father, Tom Montgomery, whom Jeff Montgomery credited with teaching him about baseball.

“That was a moment that neither of us will ever forget,” Montgomery said. “My dad and I are really close. He was the best man at my wedding. He’s always been my sounding board. When I needed to talk about something, he was there for me.

“As I was walking on the field, I could see some tears in his eyes. I had to shift my focus or it would hit me pretty quickly as well.

“That was pretty special for both of us.”