There is a terrible habit among political writers, one not to be
encouraged under any circumstances, to derive symbolism from the
events leading up to the World Series of baseball. These symbols
are then applied to the Presidential campaign in a pathetic
effort to be artistic or humorous or some such nonsense. I for
one would never stoop to such a practice, but to illustrate my
point let me show you how it is done.
This year’s Democrat primary featured a historic Civil War
between two Chicagoans, Hillary Clinton née Rodham of solid Cub
pedigree vs. Barack Obama, a South Side member of the University
of Chicago professoriate whose neighborhood demands White Sox
fealty. Strikingly, both the Cubs and the White Sox made it into
the playoffs this year, representing the two candidates fighting
after other challengers had left the field.
Sure enough, the Cubs were eliminated in three straight games,
baseball’s version of the three-and-out in football. In parallel
fashion, Hillary was roundly defeated. Then the White Sox at
least managed to win one game. This signifies Obama’s current
edge in the polls. But eventually the Tampa Bay Rays left the Sox
darning and sewed up the first series. Does this mean that Obama
will eventually go ignominiously downhill to utter desolation? Of
course not, and only a very crass political pundit would pretend
that one thing had anything to do with the other. And yet, it is
food for thought…
Ha! Leaving the wishful thinking category behind for a moment, we
should take a moment to celebrate the astonishing new champions
of the American League, the Tampa Bay Rays. Not only had they
never played in the postseason before, they had not even won more
games in a season than they lost. They began play in 1998, and
their best mark in a decade was 70-92, a sorry trail of futility.
Suddenly they explode to 97-65, win the League title from the
defending champion Red Sox, and will now contend for the world
championship with the Phillies. The Bay Rays against the Philly
Phillies in the World Series of Alliteration.
Which brings us to another Obama-McCain comparison. The Tampa Bay
payroll this years was $45 million, about what John McCain has
left to spend on his campaign. The Boston payroll was circa 145
mil, that figure also almost identical with Obama’s war chest
down the stretch. It would be absurd to suggest that the outspent
ball club upending the deep-pockets city slickers could be a
harbinger for the election, and so I will certainly suggest no
such thing.
What is it about Florida teams in the postseason? This may be one
of the oddest statistics of all: no Florida franchise has ever
lost a postseason baseball series. The Florida Marlins are 6-0
and the Rays are now 2-0. Perhaps our lifestyle of ease and
comfort amid paradisiacal beauty helps us to be less tense on the
one hand, more confident on the other. In an election where
Florida may decide the Presidency just as it did in 2000, the
McCain camp would be well advised to take heart from this… whew,
got carried away again.
Back to the nuts and bolts of the baseball match-ups. The Rays
have a hitter named Evan Longoria, whose body is positioned in
even languor before he swings, unlike most players who like to
jump and twitch and coil and spring. He times his stroke
perfectly and concentrates all his energy in the precise spot of
the ball. This can be the mark of a great campaign, not to flail
but to be precise and powerful. Oy, I went there again.
Okay, I confess, I cannot resist. I see the Rays as a perfect
metaphor for a campaign of underdogs, unfairly tagged by the
performance of prior squads playing under the same banner, short
on resources but long on spirit and good will. Now batting for
the Tampa Bay Rays, the first baseman, John Sidney McCain. Go
Rays!
