Golden graduate Mark Melancon makes second All-Star Game appearance

Mark Melancon, a 2003 graduate of Golden, made his second appearance in the MLB All-Star Game on Tuesday night in Cincinnati.

Melancon, a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates, came on in the top of the eighth inning with the National League trailing 6-2.

He struck out the Yankees Brett Gardner, and the Blue Jays’ Russell Martin, before giving up a home run to Brian Dozier of the Twins. Melancon then got the Tigers’ Jose Iglesias to ground out to end the inning.

“It’s so neat. It gives me goosebumps just watching everybody and being a part of it. And, man, it’s — what talent. It’s just cool,” Melancon told MLB.com after the game. “(There were) just some special moments this time. It got to sink in. I really got to enjoy two days here. It still went extremely fast and busy, but good times all the way around.”

Pretty sweet! pic.twitter.com/DVjNYhn1fa

— Mark Melancon (@Mark_Melancon_) July 15, 2015

Melancon was also an All-Star in 2013, again with the Pirates, but did not appear in the game, which was hosted by the Mets in New York.

Only 12 products of Colorado high schools have ever been selected to play in the All-Star Game, according to Baseball-Reference.com. This season, Melancon became the seventh Colorado product to be selected to multiple All-Star Games.

Great American Ball Park, site of the 2015 MLB All-Star Game. (Photo: shan213/Flickr

So far in 2015, he is 1-1 with a 1.47 ERA and also has 29 saves. Last season, Melancon had a career-high 33 saves, to go along with a 1.90 ERA.

At Golden, Melancon was a two-sport star in baseball and football. He helped the Demons win the 2003 baseball title in Class 4A. Out of high school, he was picked in the 30th round of the MLB Draft by the Dodgers.

But Melancon opted instead to play college baseball, and he went on to star at Arizona, where he set the school’s single-season record for saves.

He spent three seasons with the Wildcats, and the Yankees then drafted him in the ninth round of the 2006 MLB Draft. He debuted in New York during the 2009 season.

Melancon was traded to Houston during the 2010 season, and was an Astro through 2011, when he had 20 saves. He was traded to the Red Sox after 2011, and only saw five chances to save games in 2012.

The Red Sox traded Melancon to the Pirates prior to the 2013 season, where he has since flourished. Through two-and-a-half seasons in Pittsburgh, Melancon has 78 saves, and a 1.61 ERA in 185 innings pitched. He’s also struck out 172 batters to just 27 walks.

In seven MLB seasons, the 30-year-old Melancon has 99 saves with a 2.74 ERA. He has 311 career strikeouts to 83 walks, and is 17-15.

Colorado products in the MLB All-Star Game

Source: Baseball-Reference.com