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The Baseball Project

Volume 1: Frozen Ropes and Dying Quail (Yep Roc)

By Jonathan Shipley
Published: July 15th, 2008 | 9:00am

Rocknroll vets Scott McCaughey (R.E.M., the Young Fresh Fellows) and Steve Wynn (Dream Syndicate, Gutterball) learned years ago that they had a mutual interest in baseball. It wasn't until last year, however, that they actually got down to writing fanboy baseball songs — recording them with the likes of Golden Smog drummer Linda Pitmon and R.E.M.'s Peter Buck — to make the Baseball Project's Volume 1: Frozen Ropes and Dying Quails. I'm already intrigued as to if there's to be a Volume 2. What will they sing about? Rod Carew's batting stance? Famed Atlanta Brave Dale Murphy and how he started out as a catcher? A happy-footed zydeco song on the infield fly rule?

Volume 1 certainly has a bevy of interesting tunes: "Fernando" is a soft, simple melody, about Fernando Valenzuela, the much loved L.A. Dodgers pitcher from a couple decades ago. "Satchel Paige Said" comes complete with harmonica and is a motivating song about Paige, one of the best pitchers of his time, (though he was never given a fair shake in the majors because of the color of his skin). And who can not like a song entitled "Ted Fucking Williams"? Especially with such delightful lyrics as, "I gotta give the Duke a hand but there's nothing that he can do better than I can. I'm Ted Fucking Williams."

The music itself isn't so bad, really — it's catchy. It's fun. It's rollicking. It's tongue-in-cheek and full of baseball tidbits that could be easily found on Wikipedia. I'm sure that amongst baseball fans it'll be played time and again, perhaps on the way to the ballpark to watch Manny Ramirez smash another ball over the Green Monster. Sure, fans of Harvey Haddix will dig it. Folks who remember Black Jack McDowell flipping off the fans at Yankee Stadium will think it's a hoot, but it's certainly not for everyone (particularly for people who don't know much about baseball).

In other words, the Baseball Project is not a shot out of the park, Bill Mazeroski-style. It's not an Enos Slaughter triple, even. It's a solid double, right in between center and left field. It's nearly rolled to the wall. The centerfielder throws it in and the album slides in under the tag.

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