I have a mildly insane friend who has two passions in life. The Detroit Tigers and the Democratic Party, not necessarily in that order.
Last year, as the world knows, the Tigers, who hadn’t had a winning season since 1993, shocked all of baseball and all of Michigan by, well, winning. They even ended up in the World Series.
Sure, they eventually lost, four games to one, but you could have become fabulously wealthy if, a year ago you had bet they would even get in the playoffs. That is, if you could have found anyone to take the bet. What they did was, in political terms, roughly equivalent to Dennis Kucinich being elected President.
Before last season started, a few of the less battered and emotionally abused Tiger fans allowed themselves to hope that maybe, just maybe, the team might win as many as they lost.
Instead they won the pennant, which I found exciting but curiously unfulfilling. It took me a while to figure out why I felt that way. The answer, I think, is that you have to work up to happiness. If you want a nice car or career or house, you will appreciate them more if you have to struggle for a few years first.
But suddenly last year we were transformed overnight from the outhouse to the castle. Just before the World Series, I asked my wacky pal how he felt about it all.
“Well, I’m conflicted. I want them to win, but I don’t really want them to win. Actually, they better not win. It would be better for the country.” I was tempted to ask what he had been smoking.
He then explained. “The Tigers got into the World Series in 1934 and lost. And you know what happened? Big Democratic gains in that year’s Congressional elections.
“Nineteen-forty, year a little like this one. They get in the series, lose it, and a month later, Franklin D. Roosevelt wins his third term. But then look what happens when they win the Series.
“Nineteen-sixty eight, the miracle team, win the series in seven. Richard Nixon is elected president. Then they win again in 1984. Ronald Reagan wins 49 of the 50 states.
“Look. The World Series would be nice. But America just can’t afford it this year.” This is a man who takes historical patterns seriously. But he seems to know what he was talking about. The Tigers got creamed in the series. Less than a month later, the Republican party got creamed at the polls. The Tigers took one for his other team. I called Nutso just before spring training this year.
Well, what can we wish for this year? “Sky’s the limit,” said he. “It’s an odd-numbered year. Baseball has nothing to do with politics in odd numbered years. So I am glad to clear that up for you.”
Next week, we’ll examine how Piston playoff results are influenced by Michigan’s Single Business Tax. Till then, play ball.
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