Political baseball
Are the Dodgers the John Kerry of the National League? Are the Angels the Al Gore of the American League?
As baseball clubs build their 2007 rosters and candidates launch their 2008 campaigns, meaningful odds on the next World Series and the next presidential election are being posted. Line up the contenders side by side, and you notice some interesting coincidences.
Unless, in some cosmic way, they aren't coincidences.
Conveniently, America's Line lists odds for 30 declared, potential and imaginary presidential candidates, which matches the number of major-league teams. Here are the odds, from shortest to longest, as of Nov. 20.
The candidates: 1. John McCain, 9-2; 2. Hillary Clinton, 5-1; 3. Rudy Giuliani, 10-1; 4. Mitt Romney, 12-1; 5. Barack Obama, 15-1; 6-8. Evan Bayh, John Edwards, Al Gore 20-1; 9-12. Joe Biden, Wesley Clark, Mike Huckabee, John Kerry, 25-1; 13-14. Bill Richardson, Tom Vilsack, 30-1; 15-16. Chuck Hagel, Sam Brownback, 35-1; 17-23. Jeb Bush, Chris Dodd, Bill Frist, Newt Gingrich, George Pataki, Rick Perry, Tom Ridge, 40-1; 24-26. George Allen, Dick Cheney, Condoleezza Rice, 50-1; 27-28. Michael Bloomberg, Colin Powell, 100-1; 29. Ralph Nader, 5,000-1; 30. Michael Moore, 10,000-1.
The ballclubs: 1. New York Yankees, 3-1; 2. New York Mets, 5-1; 3. Detroit, 6-1; 4. Boston, 7-1; 5. St. Louis, 10-1; 6-7. Minnesota, Oakland; 8-13. Angels, Dodgers, Atlanta, Chicago White Sox, Houston, Philadelphia, 15-1; 14. San Diego, 20-1; 15. Cleveland, San Francisco, 25-1; 17. Florida, 30-1; 18. Cincinnati, 35-1; 19-21. Arizona, Texas, Toronto, 50-1; 22. Milwaukee, 60-1, 23-27. Baltimore, Chicago Cubs, Colorado, Seattle, Washington, 75-1; 28-29. Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay, 100-1; 30. Kansas City, 400-1.
I don't know how the self-styled maverick McCain would feel about being aligned with the establishment Yankees as No. 1 in their respective races.
But it's fitting that New York's Sen. Clinton lines up with the New York Mets at No. 2, Massachusetts Gov. Romney with the Boston Red Sox at No. 4, Florida Gov. Bush (tied for No. 17-23) with the Florida Marlins (No. 17), and Texas Gov. Perry (tied for No. 17-23) with the Texas Rangers (tied for No. 19-21).
Also, Edwards (tied for No. 6-8), who based his 2004 presidential campaign on a pledge to reunite the "two Americas," finds himself even with Minnesota, the team from the Twin Cities (tied for No. 6-7). And Virginia Sen. George Allen (tied for No. 24-26), stacks up next to nearby Washington (tied for No. 23-27), the town his father George Allen coached to the Super Bowl -- turns out the future isn't now for George Jr. or the Nationals.
The Dodgers and Angels, among clubs tied for No. 8-13, have their choice of political parallels: Bayh, Edwards, Gore, Biden, Clark, Huckabee (lone Republican in this group), Kerry, Richardson and Vilsack.
I guess the question is whose chances you like better: Dodgers and Angels in October, or Democrats in November?