Mark Melancon thrives off the moments that send his adrenaline into overdrive, and that’s not just when the fate of a game rests on his shoulders.
The new San Francisco Giants closer spends his life away from baseball seeking out adventures that include swimming with sharks, mountain biking, hot air ballooning and trying to keep his drones away from a crash landing.
His thrill-seeking nature is part of his identity. Given the qualities that comprise most of baseball’s closers, that’s no surprise.
If history teaches us anything, it shows that to be successful in this position, you have to take a walk on the wild side.