BSN Exclusive: Golden High School's Melancon recounts Coors Field memories

DENVER – As a graduate of Thomas Jefferson High School and lifelong Denver resident, Kyle Freeland is undoubtedly considered the Purple Prince of Colorado.

The Centennial State has also churned out several other notable major leaguers around the game from the Yankees’ Greg Bird and Braves’ Kevin Gausman (both Grandview HS, Aurora) to the Cubs’ David Bote (Faith Christian Academy, Arvada) and the Mariners’ Marco Gonzales (Rocky Mountain HS, Fort Collins).

One such man from Wheat Ridge will be at Coors Field this week along with Freeland, albeit for the rival San Francisco Giants.

Mark Melancon, 2003 graduate of Golden High School, has fond memories growing up as a Colorado Rockies fan even during their early days at Mile High Stadium.

“I love coming back here,” shares Melancon. “Great memories. I get to stay with my folks. I enjoy it. I feel like this stadium is timeless. It’s got a great feel to it. I just have great memories.”

As a boy, Melancon can vividly recall his first and greatest memory at Coors Field.

“I caught a foul ball.” Staring into the distance, the details begin come back. “Line drive above the visiting dugout in the second deck. It was pretty cool.”

Even more reminiscing by the 34-year-old as he stands before his locker in the visiting clubhouse.

“Sitting in the outfield, watching guys get loose in the bullpen,” he adds.

He comes back to present day and talks about his new perspective down on the field where players like Steve Reed, Brian Fuentes and Pedro Astacio would ply their trade a generation ago.

“I still think they’re the best bullpens in the league, minus the new fence they put up,” Melancon adds. “It blocks our view.”

Before being drafted by the Dodgers out of high school, the eventual University of Arizona Wildcats pitcher summons a memory from his days a varsity player for the Demons.

“I played one game here,” he recalls warmly. “There was nobody in the seats, so there was no pressure. It’s always cool to play on a big league field, even ten years into this, it’s cool.”

After being selected in the ninth round of the 2006 MLB Draft and signing with the Yankees, Melancon would also spend time with Houston, Pittsburgh and Washington before becoming a free agent at the end of the 2016 season.

While the Rockies would sign Greg Holland during that offseason to be their closer, a union between Melancon and his childhood team was closer than you might think.

“I talked to Bud Black. I think they at least said they were interested. We didn’t get that far. Bud Black was interested and he reached out.”

Melancon signed a 4-year, $62MM pact with the Giants and serve a closer for parts of the last two seasons.

On Tuesday, that guy from Golden got a chance to warm up in those same exceptional bullpens for a potential save situation before San Francisco rallied for two runs in the eighth and five more in the ninth.

Though it’s common in these parts to wish for every Giants pitcher to give up a series of grand slams to favorite Rockies’ players, maybe this can be one exception to the rule for the Colorado kid… like just a two-run homer.