This story was excerpted from Ian Browne’s Red Sox Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
Kenley Jansen had just achieved the biggest personal milestone of his career, becoming the seventh pitcher in history to reach 400 saves. In a room that adjoined the clubhouse following the game on May 10 in Atlanta, the Red Sox celebrated their teammate with a stirring tribute that included video messages from a plethora of people who have impacted his career.
Then came the gift, which took Jansen’s breath away.
It was a four-string bass guitar with "Jansen" and "74" (his jersey number) inscribed on it. And below that, it says “400 saves club” with the logos of the three teams Jansen compiled those saves for -- the Dodgers, Braves and Red Sox.
“That’s really cool," Jansen said. "I didn’t see that coming. That surprised me so much."
While Jansen is a closer by night, he is an avid bass guitarist by day. With his latest addition courtesy of his teammates, Jansen now owns five bass guitars.
But this one is too special for Jansen to wear out. Expect it to go somewhere on his wall of fame at some point soon.
“Of course, I’m going to play a few times on it, but that’s a souvenir,” Jansen said.
So how did Jansen turn playing the bass guitar into his favorite hobby?
“Music’s in my family. I grew up around music. I had an uncle [Jose Utigregorio] in Curacao who was really good at playing the bass. When he passed away in 2017, that’s when it started for me,” said Jansen. “One of the anchors of the family dies, and he always wanted me to play. He wanted me to do it so bad, and I was never too much into it.”
Now he is very into it. Jansen estimates he has been taking bass guitar lessons since 2018, when he was with the Dodgers.
In fact, Jansen had just come from a lesson prior to this interview on Friday at Fenway Park.
What type of music does Jansen like to play?
“So lately, I’ve been playing a lot of Motown music and R&B,” Jansen said. “Also, I’ve been playing gospel music. It’s been great. I’m enjoying it."
During the season, Jansen plays one of his guitars every day when the Red Sox are home. He said he doesn’t take his guitar on the road.
While Jansen doesn’t perform for his teammates, he loves playing at home in front of his wife and four children.
He recalls one public appearance, though.
“I did a recital, a Christmas showcase, two years ago, and nailed it,” said Jansen.
For the 35-year-old Jansen, his guitars are relaxation, a soothing escape from the stressful life of closing.
“It just puts you in a space that you want to be. You understand how stressful this game can be and even when you do good, it’s still a stressful game,” Jansen said. “I love embracing that stress that comes in the ninth inning, but you don’t want that to overtake your life too much.
“You want to be comfortable in your space when you’re not around baseball. I’m OK to not be comfortable when I'm here at the field, which is a great way to keep me on my toes. But when I get home, I want to enjoy my time with my family and play music.”