Politics and baseball are joined at the hip, as befitting national pastimes. William Howard Taft was the first president to throw out a ceremonial ball on the sport’s opening day, a ritual more honoured than not ever since, and the conclusion of both seasons in presidential election years closely follow each other on the calendar.

This year the script may have a different twist. Just before, or during, the World Series John McCain will launch a TV commercial accusing Barack Obama for being personally responsible for introducing the designated hitter rule into baseball nearly 40 years ago. For the uninitiated, this clearly marked the beginning of the end of civilization as we know it.