. Mike Welch had a successful minor league career, making the AA All-Star team while playing for the Binghamton Mets. In 1993, while Welch was playing for the Pittsfield Mets, he was awarded the relief pitcher of the year award. Welch was later on traded to the Philadelphia Phillies, where he started his Major League career. Welch holds the world record for most strikeouts recorded in a American Legion game, racking up 20 strikeouts in the Northeast American Legion Regional Tournament.