A considerable portion of land in the United States and, particularly, in California is currently on fire. Migration patterns of wildlife not considered human are known to have been altered already due to the permanent climate change that has persisted for decades. Safe water and food are both becoming scarce.

Armed conflicts and outright assaults continue unabated to the profit of some and destruction of many. Simultaneously, we are led to believe that the office of president of the United States is the most powerful office in the world, where the “leader of the free world” attempts to solve the big problems of the day. So, what are the issues that are meant to be debated as the two (as usual) candidates convene for us?

1. Inflation. Who can be blamed for the persistent ancient form of grand theft? Why, the president, of course.
2. Immigration. Let’s all get going on having the torch that Liberty is holding replaced with her middle finger pointed skyward.
3. The Supreme Court.Let’s give them a 12-year mission to explain the infield fly rule to all of us with limited intellect and no other cases can be considered until they do.
4. Abortion. Ain’t nobody’s business but her own.

National politics is eerily akin to how it was in 1968 and the baseball season, with its lack of .300 hitters resembles the 1968 season in that regard as well. However, there is no threat of a starting pitcher equaling Denny McLain,who won 31 games that season. Bob Gibson pitched about as well as anyone ever and lost nine games despite an earned run average of 1.12. Juan Marichal pitched 326 innings, which would be the equivalent of three seasons for many of today’s twirlers.

But I have a question that I don’t think Statcast can answer. Are we witnessing the highest total of broken bats in baseball history or have I become too easily distracted? Both may be true. And, as of this writing,, the Detroit Tigers and St. Louis Cardinals conceivably could still meet in this year’s World Series. History does not ever really repeat itself, except for television commercials.