9.42 Myth about the World Series

Opponents of the National Popular Vote Compact often use an analogy to the World Series to justify the current method of electing the President.

Tara Ross, a lobbyist against the National Popular Vote Compact who works closely with Save Our States, has written:

“The Series teaches us something about our Constitution.”

“The team that scores the most runs can still lose the World Series. As any baseball fan knows, that’s simply how it works. Teams earn the championship by winning the most games during the Series, not by scoring the most runs over the course of several games. Rules could be established to change this situation, but such rules would not accomplish the stated objective of the games: Awarding the championship to the best overall team.”[1051] [Emphasis added]

Michael C. Maibach, a Distinguished Fellow of Save Our States wrote:

“Those who disfavor the Electoral College say that the majority should always rule. … The sports world can teach us something. … The winner of the Series—the rules tell us—is the team that wins four out of seven games.”[1052] [Emphasis added]

There is indeed a similarity between the state-by-state winner-take-all method for awarding electoral votes and the fact that the team that wins four games in the World Series is deemed to be the national champion—regardless of which team scores more runs during the Series.

In 1960, the Pittsburgh Pirates scored 27 runs, while the New York Yankees scored 55 runs. However, the World Series’ scoring procedure awarded the championship to the Pirates.

One would think that a team that scored 55 runs, compared to the opponent’s 27, would, by any rational standard, be considered, to use Ross’ words, “the best overall team.”

Can anyone say that less sports prowess is demonstrated by a run simply because it was scored on a day when many other runs were scored?[1053]

If particular runs are to be devalued merely because they occur in proximity to other runs, would it not be equally appropriate to base the outcome of each individual baseball game (throughout the season) on the number of innings in which a team scored more runs?

While inequality in the value of a run in the World Series may be a harmless oddity from the world of sports entertainment, inequality in the value of a person’s vote requires more justification than it is simply what “the [current] rules tell us.”

Footnotes