It was a bit of a role reversal: Mark Melancon, the Pirates’ closer, was writing a fan letter.
“I’ve been looking and comparing your product for the last few months, and I’ve become a fan,” Melancon wrote in March 2015 to EcoReco, an electric scooter company based in the San Francisco area. “At PNC Park in Pittsburgh, all of the players including myself have a long walk from the parking lot to the locker room. I am looking for something that would make it a quicker and more enjoyable stroll for 81 days of the year.