- God has blessed me in somany ways and perfect weather.

I think it's the bestweather in the world.

I'm thankful that I've had toreally work hard to get here,

and my talent hasn'ttaken me the whole way.

- [Narrator] Along the way,San Diego Padres' Mark Melancon

has played thirteen seasonswith eight different teams.

The four-time all-star closerenters the ninth inning

to hold the lead and secure a win.

- People will say,you're a control pitcher

that uses his knowledge toknow the strike zone well.

- That's a nice way of sayingI don't throw that hard.

So, that's all right.(both laughs)

Everybody wants to throwa hundred miles an hour,

but I think that masks a lot of details.

Unfortunately, I don't havea hundred miles an hour

so I have to be better at the details.

A lot of times whenyou have so much talent

you overlook those little things.

- [Narrator] Attentionto detail provides Mark

with a broader perspective,

serving him in bigger challenges,

personally and professionally.

- [Interviewer] Pandemic, whatdid you learn about yourself

and your family?

- Time, time itself is so valuable.

Our kids grow up so fastand I have three young ones,

and a year ago you know,

we started this thing andnow we're coming out of it,

but I'm so thankful in howwe've gotten to grow together

as opposed to beingseparated in our own lives.

The whole time aspect has reallyhit me hard in a good way.

- What is your go-to pitching?

- Cutter, curveball aremy two go-to pitches.

My cutter is basicallya little bit offset,

four-seam fastball.

My curveball is a knuckle curve.

I just rest my finger on topand hold down like a hammer.

- [Interviewer] So whenyou're in the bullpen

as the game progresses,

how do you deal with the timing mentally

and the rhythm as it approaches?

- I have checkpoints throughout the game.

I know in the third inning,

I gotta have this stuff done.

When it gets to the fifth,

I'm in this situation,

and the seventh I knowmentally, physically,

I gotta be here.

And then the eighth and then I'm rolling.

- And you're kind of flyingon standby, aren't you?

- Yeah.

- Are there momentswhen you are out there,

of companionship with Him,

in the moment of your pitching?

- All the time, yeah, oh yeah.

It's usually when bases are loaded,

or you know, second, third no out.

(Mark laughs)

I just have left it up to Him and said,

you know what, whatever happens here,

I know that you're gonna be with me

and I'm gonna give it all I have here,

but whatever happens,

I know it's gonna be for the best.

Kind of the stress just goesaway from you at that point.

Having somebody like the Lordout there, it's pretty nice.

- So the focus finality of a closer,

what's your mindset whenyou step on that mound?

- Hard to explain but the tunnel vision

that you have when you'reout there is really cool.

You can't really match it anywhere else.

It truly is tunnel vision.

Focus level is off the charts.

It's pretty unique in that way.

- [Interviewer] Straightthrower, thrill seeker,

that's how you're known.

Walking with cheetahs,diving with great whites.

So, is there one that you've got

in the back of your mind that's next?

- Ski the Swiss Alps.

I'm looking forward todoing that at some point.

I've skydived and rode bikes down

the world's mostdangerous road in Bolivia,

and all those things havebeen really thrill seeking,

but I'm looking forward to spending

some of these things withmy kids as well as my wife.

Skiing down the SwissAlps would be a blast.

- [Narrator] Mark has reinvented himself

over the course of his career,

similar to the ongoingtransformation of his faith.

- You know, just likeyour walk with Christ,

it's changing, it's growing,

it's becoming more mature.

I feel like that witheach team that you learn

a little bit about each person,

and I feel like that with God,

it's growing with time.

And the more He puts mein different situations,

the more I grow with Him.

- [Interviewer] What's most misunderstood

about the Christ that we follow?

- That we have to dosomething to receive Him.

Something external, some good deed.

I feel like it's such a false narrative.

I think what helped memost is when I had kids.

I realized that boy, I'm gonnalove them unconditionally.

And I know that He onlydoes that so much more

than we do with our kids.

So, I can't imagine His love for us.