In the modern era, there has never been quite as concentrated a dose of potentially campaign-altering events as the coming three weeks could produce. By the end of that period, Obama and McCain will have announced their vice presidential running mates, staged four-day infomercials for their candidacies and delivered what are likely to be the single most important speeches of the general election.

For those who revel in the unpredictability of politics, this calendar is ready-made for enjoyment.

To use a baseball term, the era of small-ball is over. Small-ball is a strategy employed by baseball managers to manufacture runs through the use of bunting, hit-and-runs, and base stealing, rather than waiting around for someone to hit a three-run homer. The most effective small-ball team of all-time was the 1998 New York Yankees. While Sammy Sosa and Mark McGuire were breaking Roger Maris' single-season home run record, the Yankees were mashing out a record-setting 116 114 wins without fielding a single player that hit 30 dingers. The 1982 St. Louis Cardinals were the best small-team ever seen in the National League. George Hendrick led that team with a paltry 19 round-trippers. Small-ball can be very, very effective but it relies heavily on execution.

In political terms, small-ball is an effort to win each news cycle through careful management of the press, and a disciplined message machine. You don't try to make big news or go for the kill. You avoid risk, you don't swing for the fences. This summer has seen both campaigns follow a strategy of small-ball. But there is nothing small about selecting your vice-presidential pick or delivering your nominating speech. As for McCain, he's running low on outs, and he needs to have some big-run innings now before Obama brings his closer and locks down the win.

For political junkies, things are about to get interesting again.