Over at Ace of Spades on Wednesday I was reminded of this great scene from Field of Dreams:

And they’ll walk off to the bleachers and sit in their short sleeves on a perfect afternoon. And find they have reserved seats somewhere along the baselines where they sat when they were children. And cheer their heroes. And they’ll watch the game, and it’ll be as they’d dipped themselves in magic waters. The memories will be so thick, they’ll have to brush them away from their faces. People will come, Ray. The one constant through all the years Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It’s been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game, is a part of our past, Ray. It reminds us of all that once was good, and that could be again.” Field of Dreams, 1989

Baseball remains a respite from the worries and troubles of our lives, including our politics. And so it has been for well over a century and a half. Through Civil War, two World Wars, flu pandemics and cultural unrest, baseball has survived and thrived. On long and lazy summer evenings while listening and watching, kids who only have a stick and a ball could dream of being that player who wins in a walk off. Parents have been teaching the game to their children in backyards in every part of the country since 1845.

The past 10 days have been a dream for those of us now weary of the scandals and the acrimony of this presidential campaign.

It was a World Series that didn’t want to end. Seven games, extra innings, and even a rain delay. Every pitch was a story. Two cities—long suffering—were embroiled in a contest that could have been won by either team. And even as Cubs fans cheer their victory, their respect and even love for Cleveland and the Indians was a great reflection of the goodness of our people and our country. Baseball fans not wildly devoted to one or the other team hated to see either team lose. And all of America seemed to be watching.

But now that the games are over, we have less than a week to make a decision. Both sides seem to believe the election of the other poses an existential threat to the country. A woman so beset by scandal and corruption that even Shoeless Joe Jackson would be embarrassed, and an amateur politician who sometimes appears to be unable to close the deal on a deeply flawed opponent.

Hillary Clinton is not worthy of the office. She’s not worthy of our country. She’s not worthy to lead us. Perhaps America will do the right thing and send her and her husband to the retirement they so richly deserve.

But in the event voters make a terrible mistake, we need to be confident that we can prevent her from ending the game. With the memory of that which can still make life in America sweet still fresh in our minds, let us redouble our efforts to preserve and protect the things we hold dear. And even if she takes the oath of office in January, baseball will be played in April and Indians fans can dream of baseball in November once again.