Music and Baseball: A Perfect Harmony

When the Tacoma Rainiers head out on the road, right-handed pitcher Lindsey Caughel carries one more bag than the rest of his teammates.
It holds his Fender Stratocaster guitar, an instrument that began as a hobby and developed into a fundamental aspect of the 27-year-old reliever's daily life.

"I enjoy it a lot. It's a big part of my life for sure," Caughel said. "I come from a musical family - my dad plays guitar and my brother plays the drums."
Caughel has been learning how to play since he was 16 years old through a combination of his father's guidance and plenty of YouTube tutorials. He's made his way through a consortium of musical artists and genres, ranging from Jimmy Hendrix and Alice in Chains to blues and funk rock.
Caughel doesn't believe his guitar playing takes away from his career. Quite the opposite, actually.
"It's probably the best thing for my baseball career because it's always there," Caughel said. "Whether I go out and I pitch poorly or I go out and I pitch well, I'm going to come back and get back to center. It gives me something to do off the field which is really important."
Being able to mentally escape from his pitching career was a huge asset during the more trying times of Caughel's career. In July 2015, he was forced to have surgery on his right shoulder and missed the remainder of his season with Single-A Great Lakes.
"Baseball is what I do, it's not who I am," Caughel said. "Guitar is a big part of my identity and something that was there, a cornerstone to go back to even when baseball wasn't living up to my expectations."
A few weeks after surgery Caughel dove right back into playing his guitar, even though it took him a little bit longer to get his feel back on the mound. So long, in fact, he was bumped out of affiliated baseball and spent time in the independent American Association with the Lincoln Saltdogs and Sioux City Explorers.
Caughel thrived in Sioux City and caught the eye of a few major league teams, including the Seattle Mariners, who signed the right-hander to a minor league contract in November 2016.
Now that he's returned to affiliated ball and is pitching at the highest level of his career with Tacoma, Caughel is still staying grounded in his love of music. He isn't willing to be detached from his guitar on any trip, just in case.
"I bring it on every road trip," Caughel said. "You never know what's going to happen at this level, so the last thing that I would want is to be transferred to another affiliate and be stuck without it. I make sure to bring it with me and I carry it on all the planes. It's a hassle but it's also important to me so it's part of my life."
Caughel plays at home every day and in the countless hotel rooms he visits during the season. He's played with former MLB pitcher Bronson Arroyo and in front of families and friends, but not yet in front of a larger group of people - though he may be making his public debut soon.
"I'm getting married in October," Caughel said. "I'll probably jam with the band at the wedding so that'll be pretty cool."
For now, though, Caughel is enjoying his time in the highest rank of minor league baseball and learning new music along the way. He's currently making his way through Pink Floyd's illustrious catalog and will soon look to cross a major item off his bucket list in learning how to play Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven."
He's even written a couple songs of his own.
"I've written a couple tunes, I know that I can't sing so I try to stay in my lane," Caughel joked.
Though he loves combining various styles and creating his own distinct approach, Caughel doesn't think he'll pursue any sort of serious individual career in music after he's done with baseball. He's just glad his guitar will still be in his life when he moves on to his next chapter.
"Baseball could end tomorrow and the guitar will still be there," Caughel said. "It's definitely something I know will be there when this ride is over."