Music Review: The Baseball Project

No, the "baseball project" isn't my desire to see the Red Sox play in as many different stadiums as possible (although that IS one of my on-going travel projects!). No, the Baseball Project is the brilliant idea of musicians Scott McCaughey and Steve Wynn. As their website says:

Rock n' roll vets Scott McCaughey and Steve Wynn have an unhealthy love for music undermined only by an even more unhealthy love of baseball.

My buddy Kelly strongly recommended their CD when I was in Boston last month, and I finally got around to ordering it. OMG - it is fantastic! They've come up with 13 baseball-themed songs, but they're not cheesy or don't stretch the point. They're in turns funny, poignant, and catchy!

For me, there are two stand-out songs. The first is "Ted F-----g Williams." According to the liner notes (which are also brilliant), Williams used to stand in for batting practice and shout that he was Ted F'g Williams "and I'm the greatest hitter in baseball." Check out these lyrics:

People say it's hard to like a man who doesn't fail and show he's human. But failure's not a sign of grace. It only means you don't know what you're doing. And everyone says "he Mick!" Mantle this, Mantle that -- it makes me sick. It's just so hard to see. Why do they like him better than me? I'm Ted F-----g Williams!

Awesome - I can so hear Williams saying that. And the tune is so catchy - I find myself singing along and shouting out that refrain very loudly!!

My other favorite is the last song on the CD, "The Closer." Listen to it and hear the voices of Jonathan Papelbon and Mariano Rivera:

If you're only in it for a little while you'd better make it count.

There are other goodies on the album - the Curt Flood salute "Gratitude," for example, and Scott McCaughey's explanation about what really happened to Black Jack McDowell ("The Yankee Flipper.") So, if you love baseball, and you love good music, check out The Baseball Project's first CD, Volume 1: Dying Quails and Frozen Ropes.

Volume 1? I can't wait for volume 2!