This quote from the Yanks’ uber-relief prospect following Triple-A Scranton’s 2-0 win over Buffalo yesterday is just too good. Via Chad Jennings:

“The game of baseball is challenging,” [Melancon] said. “It’s really the game, it’s not the opponents. It’s getting strike one. It’s getting the first out. It’s throwing to the glove. Obviously I’m giving respect to the hitters but at the same time, if you locate the ball it really does not matter who’s up there. You know, sometimes guys are going to get a good pitch and hit it far, but you can’t worry about that. You have to worry about what you can control, and that’s throwing my pitches well.”

I mean, wow. Could he have said it any better?

We’ve been hearing how great Melancon’s makeup is since he was drafted, and that quote shows it. The 23-yr old from Colorado has come back from Tommy John surgery better than anyone could have expected, and has put himself in a position to be a factor out of the Yanks’ pen as soon as next April. He’ll be a fan favorite rather quickly.

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We’ve all heard about Mark Melancon. We know he’s one of our Tommy John Rehab Watch guys, and we know that the buzz is growing surrounding Melancon. We heard he could be the next eighth inning guy for the Yanks and a possible replacement for Mariano Rivera when that time finally comes. But just who is Mark Melancon? Today, Tyler Kepner answers that question in a profile on the 23-year-old. Check it out.

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We have some resolution to the Amazing Disappearing Mark Melancon Box Score situation.

As Mike noted in last night’s inauguraul Down on the Farm, Mark Melancon appeared in the MiLB.com Tampa Yankees box score last night, but the young pitcher did not throw a pitch. Considering the hype surrounding Melancon and the fact that he’s one of our Tommy John pitchers, we were worried.

Yankee fans flew into a panic! What happened to Melancon? The guys on NYYFans.com couldn’t figure it out; Chad Jennings had no leads. It was an information black out. And then Yankees1010 rode to the rescue, directing us to this Saberscouting post:

Mark Melancon is not hurt. He didn’t enter the game after throwing warmup pitches (that I took video of and analyzed like the Zapruder film), because T-Yanks Manager Luis Sojo forgot to put him on the roster. Just a simple brain fart. Don’t feel bad for freaking out though Yankee fans, until the game ended and this was figured out, Yankee brass in the stands were in a state of panic as well.

Way to be, Luis. Way to be. Don’t scare us like that.

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