The Baseball Project

The Baseball Projectis asupergroupcomposed ofPeter Buck,Mike Mills,Scott McCaughey,Steve WynnandLinda Pitmonformed in 2007. The performers came together from discussions between McCaughey and Wynn atR.E.M.'s March 21, 2007 induction into theRock and Roll Hall of Fameatthe Waldorf-Astoria HotelinNew York City.They invited Buck to playbass guitarand Pitmon ondrumsand recorded their first album,Volume 1: Frozen Ropes and Dying Quailslater that year. Their first public appearance was onThe Late Show with David Lettermanin June of 2008, preceding the release of any recorded material.

The Baseball Project
The Baseball Project, 2011 (left to right: Steve Wynn, Linda Pitmon, Peter Buck, and Scott McCaughey)
Background information
Genres	Rock
Years active	2007–present
Labels	Yep Roc
Members	Peter Buck Scott McCaughey Linda Pitmon Steve Wynn Mike Mills
Website	www.baseballproject.net

Buck and McCaughey have previously played together inRobyn Hitchcockand The Venus 3,The Minus 5,R.E.M.,andTuatara.Wynn is the former leader ofThe Dream Syndicateas well asGutterballand has played with Pitmon inSteve Wynn& the Miracle 3. Pitmon also plays with Buck and McCaughey inFilthy Friends(withKurt BlochandCorin Tucker) and their project withLuke Haines(of theAuteurs).

The band also recorded a 'real time' commentary on the 2010 baseball season forESPN.com:one song every month made available as a free download. The collection was released in 2011 asThe Broadside Balladsand also includes a few unreleased extra tracks fromVolume 1: Frozen Ropes and Dying QuailsandVolume 2: High and Inside.

The second album from The Baseball Project,Volume 2: High and Inside,was released on March 1, 2011, on Yep Roc Records. The band followed the record's release with a tour covering the U.S. and appearances atspring traininggames in Arizona'sCactus League.Mike Mills begins touring regularly with the band in 2012, taking over bass duties from Peter Buck. Buck moves over to his signature 12-string guitar role around this time.

Their third album,3rd,includes Mike Mills playing bass on all tracks for the first time on a Baseball Project recording, and was released in 2014. Not long after that the band played a special show inCooperstown, New York,at theBaseball Hall of Fame.In 2019 they played a 3-day residency at theRock and Roll Hall of Famein Cleveland as a part of theAll-Star Gamefestivities in the city.

Their fourth album,Grand Salami Time,was recorded with early R.E.M. collaboratorMitch Easterat his Fidelitorium Recordings studio inKernersville, N.C.,and was released on June 30, 2023, onOmnivore Recordings.Special guests on release include Stephen McCarthy ofthe Long Rydersandthe JayhawksandSteve BerlinofLos Lobos.

Discography

Studio albums

• Volume 1: Frozen Ropes and Dying Quails(Yep Roc, 2008)
• Volume 2: High and Inside(Yep Roc, 2011)
• The Broadside Ballads(Book, 2011)
• 3rd(Yep Roc, 2014)
• Grand Salami Time(Omnivore Recordings, June 30, 2023)

EPs and singles

• The Homerun EP(Yep Roc, 2009, collaboration withReckless Kelly,Todd Snider,andThe Young Fresh Fellows)
• "El Hombre" (Euclid Recordssingle, 2012)

External links

• "Batter Up—To the Mic: The Baseball Project" from WBUR, Boston
• Archive from NPR
• Spotlight: The Baseball ProjectinRelix