The object of baseball is simple: hit the ball and score runs. If a team does these things well enough, they might get to the World Series, and a team wins the World Series by winning four out of seven games.

Most of us are familiar with this concept.

Understanding how the World Series works helps to understand why we need the Electoral College and why it still makes sense in the 21st century

My current state of Colorado has joined a movement to circumvent the Electoral College, awarding all electoral votes to the winner of the national popular vote instead of whichever candidate actually wins in Colorado.

Not only is this an affront to the people of Colorado, but with that kind of thinking they might as well abolish the World Series next.

Consider this imaginary World Series scenario, featuring the Colorado Rockies and the New York Yankees (hey…it could happen):

Game 1: Yankees win 10-1

Game 2: Rockies win 1-0

Game 3: Rockies win 1-0

Game 4: Rockies win 1-0

Game 5: Rockies win 1-0

Although the Yanks outscored the Rockies in total runs (10-5), the Rockies won four games and therefore the World Series, and Coloradans are celebrating! Unless, of course, we apply the current Colorado thinking about the Electoral College, which could send the Rockies home as losers.

Under the ‘eliminate the electoral college’ approach, the Yankees (being a big state with lots of voters) can run up the score in one game and then ignore the rest of the series (small/mid size states). But that is not how baseball works, and it is not how the electoral college should work either.

The Electoral College, like the World Series, is built on consistency across the board.

The World Series requires thinking through multiple games and multiple situations, not just loading up against one pitcher and one scenario in one game and ignoring the rest.

It requires a strategy for votes in states like Colorado. Which means candidates have to understand the issues and the people in Colorado. It requires a strategy for voters in every state and every city.

Each at-bat matters, each pitch matters, and each state matters. It is a strategy game unlike any other.

Our Founders were smart people. They created a system that would unite states that were very different, and would require leaders to consider those differences. While they were at it, they inadvertently set the foundation for America’s pastime.

We would be wise to follow in that kind of wisdom.