The Baseball Project
Supergroup blending rock music with baseball themes.
The Baseball Project is a supergroup that formed in 2007, bringing together Peter Buck, Mike Mills, Scott McCaughey, Steve Wynn, and Linda Pitmon. The idea came out of a conversation between McCaughey and Wynn during R.E.M.’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on March 21, 2007, held at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City. They brought in Buck on guitar and McCaughey on bass, with Pitmon on drums, and recorded their debut album, *Volume 1: Frozen Ropes and Dying Quails*, later that same year. The album was released in April 2008, and the band made its first public appearance on *The Late Show with David Letterman* in June 2008, after recorded material had already been released.
Buck and McCaughey had previously played together in Robyn Hitchcock and The Venus 3, The Minus 5, R.E.M., and Tuatara. Wynn, formerly the frontman of The Dream Syndicate and also a member of Gutterball, had performed with Pitmon in Steve Wynn & the Miracle 3. Pitmon also plays with Buck and McCaughey in Filthy Friends (alongside Kurt Bloch and Corin Tucker) and in a project with Luke Haines of the Auteurs.
In 2010, the band created a month-by-month, real-time commentary on the baseball season for ESPN.com, releasing one song each month as a free download. These tracks, along with a few unreleased extras from *Volume 1: Frozen Ropes and Dying Quails* and *Volume 2: High and Inside*, were collected in 2011 as *The Broadside Ballads*.
The second album, *Volume 2: High and Inside*, came out on March 1, 2011, on Yep Roc Records. The band followed it with a U.S. tour and appearances at spring training games in Arizona’s Cactus League. In 2012, Mike Mills began touring regularly with the group, taking over bass duties from Peter Buck, who then moved to his signature 12-string guitar role.
Their third album, *3rd*, was released in 2014 and marked the first time Mills played bass on all tracks for a Baseball Project recording. Shortly after, the band performed a special show at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. In 2019, they played a three-day residency at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland as part of the All-Star Game festivities.
The fourth album, *Grand Salami Time*, was recorded with early R.E.M. collaborator Mitch Easter at his Fidelitorium Recordings studio in Kernersville, North Carolina, and released on June 30, 2023, on Omnivore Recor
- formed
- 2007
- origin
- New York City, USA
- genre
- Rock / Americana
- members
- Peter Buck, Mike Mills, Scott McCaughey, Steve Wynn, Linda Pitmon
- notable_albums
- Volume 1: Frozen Ropes and Dying Quails (2008), Volume 2: High and Inside (2011), 3rd (2014), Grand Salami Time (2023)
- label
- Yep Roc Records, Omnivore Recordings
Lore & Background
The Baseball Project formed after Scott McCaughey and Steve Wynn discussed the idea at R.E.M.'s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction in March 2007. They invited Peter Buck to play guitar and Scott McCaughey to play bass, with Linda Pitmon on drums, recording their debut album Volume 1: Frozen Ropes and Dying Quails later that year. The album was released in April 2008, and their first public appearance was on The Late Show with David Letterman in June 2008, after recorded material had been released. The band also created a 'real time' commentary on the 2010 baseball season for ESPN.com, releasing one song per month as free downloads, later collected as The Broadside Ballads in 2011.
Their second album, Volume 2: High and Inside, came out on March 1, 2011, on Yep Roc Records
Reader's Guide
The Baseball Project occupies a unique niche as a supergroup that explicitly fuses rock music with baseball culture, a combination rarely explored in popular music. Their significance lies in their ability to attract accomplished musicians from notable bands—R.E.M., The Dream Syndicate, The Minus 5—and channel their talents into a thematic project that has produced four studio albums over 16 years. The band's work includes a real-time song-a-month commentary on the 2010 baseball season for ESPN.com, demonstrating an innovative approach to music distribution and fan engagement. Their performances at both the Baseball Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame underscore their crossover appeal between sports and music. The group's longevity and consistent output, from 2007 to 2023, mark them as a sustained creative endeavor rather than a one-off novelty. Their legacy is as a reference point for how niche interests can be explored through collaborative music projects, and they remain active with a dedicated following.
Did You Know?
- The Baseball Project's first public appearance was on The Late Show with David Letterman in June 2008, before any recorded material was released.
- The band recorded a 'real time' commentary on the 2010 baseball season for ESPN.com, releasing one song per month as free downloads.
- Mike Mills began touring regularly with the band in 2012, taking over bass duties from Peter Buck, who moved to 12-string guitar.
- Their fourth album, Grand Salami Time, was recorded with early R.E.M. collaborator Mitch Easter at his Fidelitorium Recordings studio.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is The Baseball Project?
The Baseball Project is an American rock supergroup that fuses classic rock and Americana songwriting with a deep love of baseball. The five-piece band came together in 2007 in New York City and has been active for nearly two decades.
How did The Baseball Project get started?
The project was hatched during a chat between Scott McCaughey and Steve Wynn at R.E.M.'s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction in March 2007. The pair then recruited Peter Buck, Mike Mills, and Linda Pitmon, and all five hit the studio later that year to record their debut.
Who are the members of The Baseball Project?
The lineup includes Peter Buck on guitar, Mike Mills, Scott McCaughey on bass, Steve Wynn, and Linda Pitmon on drums. Four of the five members are well known from R.E.M. or The Replacements, giving the group a distinctly indie-rock pedigree.
What albums has The Baseball Project released?
The band has issued four studio records: Volume 1: Frozen Ropes and Dying Quails (2008), Volume 2: High and Inside (2011), 3rd (2014), and Grand Salami Time (2023). Their catalog has been released through Yep Roc Records and Omnivore Recordings.
What genre does The Baseball Project play?
The group straddles rock and Americana, layering baseball imagery and narrative storytelling over jangly guitar work and tight rhythms. Their sound echoes the melodic sensibility of R.E.M. and the raw energy of The Replacements while keeping a distinctly Americana flavor.
More in American rock music supergroups 1-24
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