Mixing politics and baseball?

Whodathunkit?

“There is a strong tradition in baseball of not mixing politics with the game,” Bill James, the Red Sox’ resident sabermetrics guru, said last week, flip-flopping gamely. “One-run, close-to-the-vest, Gene Mauch baseball,” he went on, referring to the old California Angels manager, who was a staunch traditionalist, “can be analogized as conservative baseball, whereas Red Sox beat-your-brains-in baseball could be regarded as liberal baseball.” Of course, the Yankees, who lead the league in home runs, also play beat-your-brains-in ball. “On the other hand,” James continued, “we are ‘conservative’ on the base paths, not because we are opposed to baserunning but because we don’t want to waste our resources.”

Nader is played by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays? Hmmm.