Kyle Teel would probably spin the decks more in the White Sox clubhouse if his DJ equipment hadn\u2019t been stolen earlier this year in Charlotte.<\/p>\n
Still, the rookie catcher has become a regular at controlling the pre-game tunes, often setting the vibe with house music \u2014 an upbeat genre compatible with Teel\u2019s naturally buoyant personality.<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel like I bring a good aux cord to the mix,\u201d Teel said. \u201cMusic is such an important thing pre-game because, like, it can set the tone for the day and create good energy before we go out there.\u201d<\/p>\n
While living in Charlotte, the Sox\u2019 Triple-A home, thieves took Teel\u2019s truck, in which his DJ equipment had been stored. He later recovered the truck, but his mixers were long gone.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut we can get new equipment. I have my laptop, which is most important,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Meantime, he\u2019s been playing around with Sox assistant clubhouse manager Tom Bafia\u2019s mixing equipment, though he hasn\u2019t broken it out for post-game celebrations like he routinely would when playing in the Red Sox minor league system.<\/p>\n
At that time, teammates called him DJ Base Monkey, which hasn\u2019t yet caught on in Chicago, but his energy certainly has.<\/p>\n
\u201cHis energy is interesting,\u201d Sox manager Will Venable said. \u201cThe best way I could describe it right is, the genuine enthusiasm for being at the baseball field that sometimes can be lost in the daily grind of being a professional baseball player. He brings that kind of energy that always reminds us that how special it is to be at the ballpark playing baseball, whether it\u2019s in the clubhouse, in the dugout, on the field.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith the way he plays, it\u2019s just high energy, but the kind of energy that is really wholesome, right? \u2029It\u2019s just the genuine enthusiasm for being a baseball player, which is what it\u2019s all about, and I think everyone feeds off of [it].\u201d<\/p>\n
The 23-year-old former first round draft pick was a prized return for the Sox in the Garrett Crochet trade with the Red Sox, which Teel feels like was fated, given his love for house music and Chicago being the birthplace of it.<\/p>\n
And the Sox are likely pleased with Teel\u2019s early numbers, slashing .283\/.375\/.409 with four home runs, 25 runs scored and 21 RBI through 51 career games entering play Monday while splitting time at catcher with fellow rookie Edgar Quero.<\/p>\n
Inspired by a host of house DJs, Teel pointed to Chicago area native John Summit as a go-to listen with a song catalog that is among Teel\u2019s favorites to mix, specifically, of course, \u201cSummertime Chi.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI love the city,\u201d Teel, a New Jersey native, said of living in Chicago since being called up in early June. \u201cThis is my favorite time of the year now, where the weather starts to get a little bit cooler and it\u2019s just beautiful here\u2026House music was invented here. I feel like it\u2019s just meant to be.\u201d<\/p>\n
Teel has dabbled with string instruments all his life, mainly playing guitar and bass.<\/p>\n
With that music background and his gravity toward house music, Teel figured, \u201cI might as well learn how to DJ too.\u201d<\/p>\n
And so he taught himself how to spin decks and mix songs while in the Netherlands playing for the 2022 USA Collegiate National Team. He became the team\u2019s impromptu post-game DJ, playing for his teammates that included future MLB All-Stars Paul Skenes and Jacob Wilson, along with other big leaguers Rhett Lowder, Wyatt Langford and others.<\/p>\n
Teel\u2019s energy in the Sox clubhouse is unmatched, bouncing around rooms always with a smile. Sometimes he can be seen lugging a pair of boomboxes on his shoulders through the Rate Field tunnel to the locker room.<\/p>\n
So far, he hasn\u2019t fielded any complaints about his song choices on the aux.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey love it,\u201d Teel said of his teammates. \u201cI wouldn\u2019t say that I\u2019m always on aux, but like a lot of times I am and they love it. I feel like we got good energy in this clubhouse.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The 23-year-old rookie catcher and house music enthusiast taught himself how to DJ a few years ago and he\u2019s become a regular controller of the White Sox pre-game music in the clubhouse.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":83414,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-83413","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb"],"yoast_head":"\n