Longtime MLB scout Dick Groch died Wednesday, according to his family. He was 84 years old.
A cause of death was not disclosed.
Groch worked in the scouting department throughout his MLB career with the New York Yankees, Montreal Expos and Milwaukee Brewers.
The Yankees held a moment of silence for Groch before Game 3 of their American League Wild Card Series against the Boston Red Sox on Thursday.
For the Yankees, Groch was tasked with scouting Derek Jeter in 1992 and determining whether he was considering playing at the University of Michigan.
Groch thought highly of Jeter. He believed Jeter had the potential to be a Hall of Fame player.
The scout said, per the Yankees, ‘He’s not going to the University of Michigan; the only place Derek Jeter is going is Cooperstown.”
After 20 years with the Yankees, the shortstop was selected as a first-ballot Hall of Famer in 2020.
‘RIP Dick Groch. My Yankees scout who believed in me and signed me,’ Jeter wrote on social media. ‘Thoughts and prayers are with your family and loved ones.’
Groch left the Yankees in 2002, following Doug Melvin to the Milwaukee Brewers.
