Power players or baseball players? The history behind the Congressional Baseball Game

Washington is stocked with powerfulness players. The president. White House officials. Cabinet secretaries. U.S. Representatives. Senators. Powerful aides. Lobbyists. Journalists.

But however astir shot players?

Democrats and Republicans convene Wednesday nighttime astatine Nats Park conscionable blocks from the Capitol for the yearly Congressional game.

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Since 1909, Democrats and Republicans person traded successful league committees for mound visits.

The Congressional Record for scorecards.

And parliamentarians for umpires.

Republicans are looking to support their winning streak live astatine this year's Congressional Baseball Game. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Rep. Roger Williams, R-Texas, is simply a erstwhile Atlanta Braves farmhand. He gets his squad retired connected the signifier diamond astir each greeting erstwhile lawmakers are successful league astatine 5:45.

"We’ve been moving retired since March 1," said Williams. "I deliberation we’re arsenic bully arsenic we were past year."

However, helium noted that springtime rainfall constricted signifier time. And, an wounded mightiness beset the GOP squad.

House Republican Conference Vice Chairman Blake Moore, R-Utah, started successful halfway tract for Republicans past year. Moore is 1 of the champion wide athletes for either team. Moore won the precocious schoolhouse Heisman Trophy successful 1997. However, Moore injured his collar bony diving to marque a prevention arsenic a goalie successful the Congressional shot crippled a fewer weeks ago.

Yes, there’s a Congressional shot game, too. And emblem shot game. And hoops game. And hockey game.

And voters sometimes wonderment wherefore thing ever gets done in Washington?

UNDER THE DOME AND ON THE DIAMOND

Anyway, Moore says his clavicle has healed. Ironically, helium tin golf. But can’t play baseball. And can’t scope up to enactment distant the dishes successful the cupboard aft dinner.

"That goes implicit truly good with my wife," said Moore.

A punishment for playing soccer?

"I fined him $500," said Williams – we judge jokingly.

Rep. Roger Williams, R-Texas, coaches his party's shot team. (Photo By Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

Rep. Jake Ellzey, R-Texas, played close tract past year. He moves to halfway tract successful spot of Moore Wednesday night. Rep. Marlin Stutzman, R-Ind., patrols close tract for Republicans.

Stutzman returned to Congress this twelvemonth aft an eight-year hiatus. Stutzman played successful six games before, hitting .083. Stutzman utilized to transportation for the GOP. But his services retired of the bullpen astir apt aren’t necessary. After all, Stutzman mightiness not lucifer up to different Hoosier State hurlers similar Tommy John and Don Larsen. On the mound, Stutzman sports an 0-2 grounds with a 14.44 ERA successful the Congressional contest.

That said, Williams does person a imaginable newcomer who tin throw: Freshman Rep. Pat Harrigan, R-N.C., is simply a rookie and a fireballer. 

"He’s my Ryne Duren," said Williams of Harrigan.

To the uninitiated, Duren was a flamethrowing all-star successful the 1950s and ‘60s – mostly with the New York Yankees and Cincinnati Reds. Duren wore Coke-bottle glasses. The enactment "Oh accidental tin you see" during "The Star-Spangled Banner" took connected a small much meaning for opposing hitters erstwhile Duren was connected the mound with his fastball.

Williams says Harrigan tin bring it. But his power needs work.

THE TRAGEDY OF PETER EDWARD ROSE

Rep. Linda Sanchez, D-Calif., enters her 3rd twelvemonth arsenic the Democrats’ skipper. She’s the archetypal pistillate to negociate the team.

Women archetypal played successful the crippled successful 1993. Former Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., on with erstwhile Sen. Blanche Lincoln, D-Ark., and existent Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., broke the sex barrier. Both Lincoln and Cantwell played arsenic House Members. Sanchez appeared successful 11 games and is 1 of the champion women to suit up. She deed .455, going 5-11 with 2 walks.

Sanchez bleeds Dodger blue. She historically wears a Fernando Valenzuela jersey portion managing. Valenzuela was 1 of the astir iconic Dodgers of each time, capturing the 1981 Cy Young Award with his screwball arsenic "Fernandomania" seized confederate California. Valenzuela died past fall.

Rep. Linda Sanchez, D-Calif., coaches the Democrats. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

But Sanchez utilized to propulsion for the "California" Angels – present the Los Angeles Angels. Sanchez switched her allegiance from the Halos to the Dodgers aft the Angels fto Nolan Ryan flight to the Houston Astros successful precocious 1979.

One wonders however Sanchez would person felt if she were a New York Mets instrumentality backmost erstwhile they traded Ryan to the Angels?

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Sanchez’s occurrence astatine the sheet hasn’t followed her into the Democrats’ dugout. Republicans person captured the past 4 contests – including the 2 which Sanchez managed. Republicans pounded the Democrats past year, 31-11. The GOP topped the Democrats 16-6 successful 2023. There was nary crippled successful 2020 owed to the pandemic. So the Democrats haven’t won since 2019. Republicans clasp a 38-23 vantage successful the "modern" epoch of the game. They began playing the Congressional crippled successful 1909. But precocious House Speaker Sam Rayburn, D-Texas, halted the crippled due to the fact that it became excessively violent.

There was a legendary collision astatine location sheet successful the 1956 game. Late Rep. Charles Curtis, R-Mo., was catching for the GOP. Rep. Olin "Tiger" Teague, D-Texas, steamrolled Curtis astatine the plate. Teague is buried astatine Arlington National Cemetery. But Teague buried Curtis astatine location successful that game. Orderlies hauled Curtis disconnected the aged Griffith Stadium tract connected a stretcher.

Lawmakers resumed the crippled successful 1962.

With her enactment hemorrhaging endowment connected the mound successful caller years, Sanchez whitethorn beryllium buoyed by an influx of freshmen – similar Rep. John Mannion, D-N.Y. – successful this year's showdown. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)

Sanchez is buoyed by astatine slightest 4 caller freshmen – oregon rookies – connected her club. Reps. Dave Min, D-Calif., Derek Tran, D-Calif., John Mannion, D-N.Y., and Johnny Olszewski, D-Md.

"Our main weakness has been not a batch of extent to our bullpen. And this twelvemonth we've got a mates of freshmen that tin throw. So we're hoping that with those additions, we tin bash a batch amended this year," said Sanchez.

Expect Mannion to enactment successful relief.

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Like astir Major League clubs, the Democrats request pitching.

"We had a large tally for a small portion erstwhile Cedric Richmond was connected the mound," said House Democratic Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., who pitches, catches and plays infield for the Democrats.

Former Rep. Cedric Richmond, D-La., is 1 of the top players successful Congressional Baseball Game history. He pitched successful college. He threw 80-mph-plus to stymie chap lawmakers. Richmond boasted an 8-0 grounds and a miniscule 2.64 ERA.

But Richmond near Congress to enactment for former President Biden successful 2021. The Democrats haven’t been formidable since.

Former Rep. Cedric Richmond, D-La., was 1 of the champion shot players to person ever seen the halls of Congress. (Photo by Caroline Brehman/CQ Roll Call)

Heading into Wednesday’s contest, Sanchez teased that her extremity with the Republicans successful the crippled is "making them cry."

"But we travel unneurotic and bash thing bully for the area," added Sanchez, noting the $2 cardinal the crippled raises for children’s charities successful the DC area.

But she concedes, "there’s ever trash talk."

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So Democrats effort to flight from their slump. The Democrats haven’t won nether Sanchez. But they’re oh-fer since House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., took implicit successful 2023.

"It's my anticipation that the Democratic comeback is going to statesman successful 2025 astatine the Congressional Baseball Game," said Jeffries past week.

But the Brooklyn Democrat said the aforesaid happening 2 years ago.

"I deliberation this is the twelvemonth for the big, Democratic comeback," said Jeffries successful June 2023.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., has been hinging connected a Democratic comeback for years. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

So, I questioned Jeffries successful the Capitol corridors precocious past week.

"You recognize since you've been the Minority Leader that the Republicans person defeated the Democrats by a combined people of 47 to 1?" asked yours truly.

"I besides recognize that my grounds arsenic an progressive subordinate of the Congressional Baseball Game team, I believe, was 9-1," replied Jeffries.

But is that due to the fact that of Jeffries? Or Cedric Richmond?

Statistics are paramount successful baseball. Whether you’re scoring astatine home. Or utilizing the Congressional Budget Office. Jeffries is 1-6 hitting successful his 9 games connected the Democratic squad. That’s bully for a .167 average. Well beneath the Mendoza Line. But helium did swipe 7 bases.

And this year, Democrats volition again effort to bargain a triumph against a talented Republican club.

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Gametime astatine 7pm ET connected FS1 Wednesday. Yours genuinely volition beryllium connected the telephone alongside workfellow Kevin Corke.