Beede seeks rhythm on and off the mound
Giants pitching prospect dabbles in rap, but baseball is his priority
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Tyler Beede plans to dabble as a rapper, not double as one.
Beede intends to launch a website (tylerbeede.com) that will feature about a half-dozen of his recordings, reflecting an interest in music that has gripped him since high school. For now, however, the rhythm he seeks is found on the pitcher's mound, not in the studio or on stage.
"This is the game that I love and this is the -- quote, unquote -- job that I would love to do for as long as I can," said Beede, the Giants' No. 1 selection (14th overall) in the 2014 Draft. "Music is just a little side hobby that kind of takes my mind off of things that are going on within the game or things off the field, too. ... It's nothing I take extremely seriously, but it's definitely something I enjoy doing."
Or, as Minor League teammate and fellow right-hander Derek Law said, "Some people lean toward golf to get out of baseball. He has this."
Beede, 22, acknowledged that his music would fit most easily into the category of Christian rap. It's an outlet, he said, that enables him to "portray and voice who I am off the field -- my values, my faith and everything of that nature. It gives me an opportunity to sort of humanize myself, be transparent about who I am and what I believe in."
Law, who teamed with Beede at Double-A Richmond last season, described the Massachusetts native as a surprisingly polished musician.
"He's actually not bad," Law said, observing that unsuspecting listeners to Beede's compositions react with slight awe when they learn the artist's identity: "'That's Beede?'"
Beede counts artists such as J. Cole and Mike Stud among his influences. Like most rappers, he has an alias -- "Beedah," a moniker that a friend gave him in junior high school. "It kind of just stuck from there," Beede said.
Anybody questioning Beede's commitment to baseball need only look at him. Freed from attending instructional league or participating in the Arizona Fall League, he added approximately 25 pounds to his 6-foot-4 frame, which he hopes will improve his stamina and help him maintain strength into a ballgame's late innings. After posting a 2-2 record with a 2.24 ERA in nine starts for Class A Advanced San Jose, Beede faded to 3-8, 5.23 at Richmond.
"I felt I got weaker and threw slower at the end of last year," said Beede, whose fastball has been recorded at a lively 97 mph. "So I just want to be more prepared for those months, especially if there's an opportunity for me to be called up and contribute, to be able to feel strong and feel like I can throw my best."