It helped create an aura of inevitability on the ground in key swing states.

CNN: Analysis: Obama won with a better ground game

As the pitch came in, he pulled the bat down, angled it parallel to the ground, and took a level swing a swing very different from the homer-seeking, flailing uppercut that has become standard among current players, who have produced the highest strikeout numbers in baseball history.

NEWYORKER: Artful Dodgers