Richard Hyatt: Memories of Jeter at Golden Park

Derek Jeter wasn’t waiting on the Hall of Fame when Mike Welch saw him. He was standing in line for leftover hot dogs and hamburgers at a Golden Park concession stand.

Jeter was a promising shortstop for the Greensboro Hornets playing in the 1993 South Atlantic League All-Star Game. Even then the New York Yankees were paying his salary.

Mike and Beth Welch had adopted Chad Townsend of the Columbus Red Stixx. It was their first year in a volunteer job they held for 18 years. Mike remembers where they were standing when the tall first baseman pointed in the direction of the food line.

"See that guy over there? Do you know who that is? That's Derek Jeter, the Yankees first-round draft pick. Keep an eye on him. He's gonna be great," Townsend said.

Jeter reminded us of his greatness Thursday. He played his final game in the Bronx and his performance was worthy of Broadway. In the ninth inning, with the score tied, he hit a walk-off single that made Yankee Stadium explode.

His postgame meal Thursday was tastier than the food he had 21 years ago, but on both occasions he was an all-star.

The Welch family gave a lot to baseball that season and for years to come. They washed clothes, served home-cooked meals and coaxed players through slumps. Their daughter is married to Matt Spring, a former Columbus Catfish catcher she met at the ballpark.

Jeter's retirement after 20 seasons in the big leagues makes Welch think about the talented players that have passed through our town.

"It makes me regret that I didn't go over and get him to sign a baseball or something, but baseball is a funny sport. It's so difficult to predict who will make it and who will not," he said.

The South Atlantic League produced several players that made it to the majors that season, but it's eerie to consider that two members of the 1993 Hornets are on their way to Cooperstown. Jeter will get his ticket punched in five years, and the year before that Mariano Rivera's plaque will be hung.

That one moment sticks in Welch's mind, and if Golden Park could talk, it would share 78 years of memories.

"There are so many great stories at Golden Park," Welch said. "Now it sits empty."

This story was originally published September 27, 2014 at 11:11 PM with the headline "Richard Hyatt: Memories of Jeter at Golden Park."