Mark Melancon On Calm Demeanor: 'It's Just Me'
BRADENTON (93-7 The Fan) – Closer Mark Melancon sat down with "The Fan Morning Show" at Spring Training in Bradenton this week to talk about getting ready for his third season with the Bucs.
The soft-spoken and modest Melancon explained why a lot of other closers seem to be bursting with personality.
"A lot of it is mental, and I think guys enjoy the craziness of it," Melancon said. "Because if you're too narrow, I think the pressure can get to you. So, guys have that as an outlet somewhere else - whether that's in their beard, their clothing, or their music - whatever it is."
Melancon said he's just cut from a different cloth.
"Coming up in the bullpen with Mariano Rivera, I learned a lot just watching him," Melancon said. "I respected the way he went about things. And honestly, that's just more of my personality, is to be pretty simple. Simple is how I'd put it. I just respect the guys that play this game every day, and I don't want to disrespect the game in any way."
When Melancon was asked why he is the way he is, he wasn't quite sure how to answer.
"I definitely don't want to wake any sleeping dogs out there," Melancon said. "I don't know how to answer that. It's just me."
"The Fan Morning Show" will be broadcasting live from Bradenton all week long.
The interview can be heard here: