The Baseball Project Pay Tribute To America’s Game

Documentary-maker Ken Burns made an impressive television series on baseball. Quirky singer/songwriter Dan Bern has written a number of baseball-related songs. And now a collaborative project involving R.E.M.'s Peter Buck and Scott McCaughey and Dream Syndicate/Gutterball frontman Steve Wynn and his girlfriend and Miracle 3 drummer Linda Pitmon has been put together under the name The Baseball Project.

Their Volume One: Frozen Ropes And Dying Quails debut will be released on July 8 via Yep Roc. McCaughey and Wynn are both huge baseball fans, and they wrote 13 songs touching on the trials and tribulations of such players as Ted Williams, Curt Flood, Satchel Paige, Fernando Valenzuela, Jackie Robinson, Willie Mays, Ed Delahanty, Harvey Haddix, Sandy Koufax, Mark McGwire, “Black” Jack McDowell and many others. After a week of writing, refining by Pitmon and rehearsing at McCaughey’s Portland, Ore. home in December, they were joined by Buck at Jackpot! Studios to record the album with producer/engineer Adam Selzer (M. Ward, Norfolk & Western).

While this is the first full-blown baseball project for McCaughey and Wynn, they’ve referenced players in song in their other bands. McCaughey’s Young Fresh Fellows name-checked former Milwaukee Brewers slugger Gorman Thomas on “Aurora Bridge” from their 1986 album, Refreshments. Wynn honoured Hall Of Famers Mickey Mantle and Stan Musial in a 1990 solo song called “Kerosene Man.” He also wrote “Second Best” for the 2005 baseball-themed romantic comedy Fever Pitch.

Such is the pair’s love for the game that more songs appear likely, which is why they subtitled their debut Volume One.

Though no tour plans have been announced, a series of summer concerts in ball parks seems appropriate. Maybe The Baseball Project can slip in a few gigs between R.E.M. tour dates.

Here are the songs on Volume 1: Frozen Ropes And Dying Quails:

”Past Time”
”Ted Fucking Williams”
”Gratitude (For Curt Flood)”
”Brook Man”
”Satchel Paige Said”
”Fernando”
”Long Before My Time”
”Jackie's Lament”
”Sometimes I Dream Of Willie Mays”
”The Death Of Big Ed Delahanty”
”Harvey Haddix”
”The Yankee Flipper”
”The Closer”