Hardball Academy

WED 9.23
NYC
Hardball Academy

Further proving the common ground provided by America’s pastime is the latest recording by erstwhile R.E.M. sideman/Young Fresh Fellows/Minus Five founding member Scott McCaughey and the Dream Syndicate’s Steve Wynn. Along with R.E.M.’s Peter Buck and drummer Linda Pitmon, the quartet is The Baseball Project and has released Vol. 1: Frozen Ropes and Dying Quails. With McCaughey and Wynn being rabid baseball fans, the indie-rock flavored songs on this collection span the game’s history and touches on players (Ted Williams, Willie Mays, Harvey Haddix) and colorful chapters of the sport (free agency, steroids). McCaughey went so far as to include “The Yankee Flipper,” a song written from a personal perspective about the infamous time when ex-Bronx Bomber Jack McDowell flipped off the Stadium crowd after getting a bad outing. After a particularly trying crossing at the Canadian/Buffalo border, McCaughey talked about The Baseball project, fantasy baseball and his personal link to McDowell.

Q: How did the Baseball Project originate?

SM: It was just drunken conversations between Steve Wynn and I where we both came to the conclusion that we each thought about making a whole record full of songs we’d written about baseball. So we decided to do it together since we both had the idea. The fact that we decided to collaborate made it that much easier and something that would happen because we spurred each other on. We started writing a few songs and thought it was great because it was actually happening, so then I booked some recording time, so we had to make it. Once you book the recording time, its game on (laughs).

Q: Tell me about the “Yankee Flipper.”

SM: That’s actually a true story. It’s all my recollection along with help from the other parties involved of an evening in New York with Jack [McDowell] and Dennis [Diken] from the Smithereens, who’s an old friend of mine and Mike Mills and I. We had this accidental night on the town that apparently didn’t end real well for Jack. The next game was the one where he got shelled and then he flipped off the crowd as he was being taken out of the game. Then Mike and I were always like, “Oh shit, was that our fault?” We always felt bad about it so that’s why writing the song was sort of my sharing a little bit of the blame with him. It’s funny because Steve [Wynn] and Linda [Pitmon] were at some kind of All-Star Game Fanfest and Jack was there and they talked to him. He said he loved the song and didn’t blame us at all. He’s a cool guy and apparently he’s okay with the song.

Q: Are you a Seattle Mariners fan?

SM: I am indeed but I grew up in the Bay Area, so I grew up following the San Francisco Giants and Oakland A’s rabidly as well. I lived in Seattle for twenty-five years as well, so I definitely became a Mariners fan, which was sometimes dodgy when both them and the A’s were good, which doesn’t happen that often.

Q: What is the inherent appeal of baseball for you?

SM: I just think it’s a beautiful game. People think it’s boring but I like the pace because it really allows you to enjoy every movement that happens. I fell in love with it when I was a kid. I love reading box score s. That’s kind of been my meditation in life. There’s something really calming about it. I’ve always had a head for remembering statistics, which also goes to my music fandom where I’d read the liner notes on the back of every record. And know every single guy that would play on ever single record. But what did I do yesterday? I don’t have any idea. But I still remember games I went to when I was ten years old and who played on what record that I bought back in 1972.

Q: Do you do fantasy baseball at all?

SM: I do. I resisted for a very long time because I knew I’d get obsessed with it and I don’t think I had enough free time to do that. But when we did The Baseball Project album, Steve Gardner at Yep Roc said he thought it would be a cool thing if we put together a little fantasy league together with other musicians. Sort of something that could=2 0go hand-in-hand with the release of The Baseball Project. So at that point, I couldn’t say no. Mike Mills from R.E.M. had been trying to get me to join for years because he’s in all sorts of leagues and I always said I couldn’t cause I’d spend too much time with it. It has come true. I spend way, way too much time on it. Mike is in our league too and he’s in four other leagues as well and I still don’t think he spends as much time on it as I do in the one league that I’m in. I’ve just gotten way too in to it.

Q: How are you doing with it?

SM: I’m battling for first place right now. We have a ten-team league and I’m one point in front. I don’t really care if I win, it’s just fun to be involved. But to give you an idea of how much time I’m spending on this, we don’t have a limit on moves in our league. So I have like 150 moves and everybody else in the league tops out at about 50, so I’m obviously spending more time than everybody else, so I guess I should be in first place.

An Evening with the Minus Five, The Baseball Project and Steve Wynn IV @ the Bowery Ballroom
6 Delancey St. 8 p.m. $15 adv. $17 DOS.  212-307-7171