WASHINGTON—As Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) circled the bases for an inside-the-park home run, Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-Mich.) heckled from the bleachers:
“If the rest of the Senate could move that fast, that would be helpful!”
These Washington lawmakers have not quit their day jobs. They are practicing for an annual baseball game—officiated by college umpires—that allows members of Congress to take a moment away from the deep divisions on Capitol Hill.
The annual Congressional Baseball Game will take place on June 12.
Proceeds from the seven-inning contest will go to charities such as the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington.
The game will be played at Nationals Park, which is home to Major League Baseball’s Washington Nationals and less than two miles from the Capitol. GOP and Democrat fans have their own sections on the lower level along the first base and third base lines.
Expect the lower bowl to be full, Ryan Thompson, president of the Congressional Sports for Charity Foundation, the game’s organizer, told The Epoch Times on a breezy June 4 evening ahead of practice at the Washington Nationals Youth Baseball Academy in southeast Washington on an immaculately groomed field.
Because of high demand, there will also be seating on the second level, Mr. Thompson said, noting that more than 24,000 tickets have been sold. The foundation is looking to raise $2 million in this year’s game to better last year’s effort, which brought in $1.8 million.
“I thought it was older than that,” Mr. Williams told The Epoch Times, noting that he has been preaching baseball fundamentals to all of his team members.
Mr. Williams, 74, was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 1971 MLB Draft, although he never made it to the majors. He coached the baseball team at his alma mater, Texas Christian University.
Previously Texas secretary of state and an owner of car dealerships, he entered the congressional arena in 2013 after feeling that nobody was fighting for him in Washington.
The GOP team has been practicing since March 1, according to Mr. Williams.
Rep. Greg Steube (R-Fla.) will be the GOP’s starting pitcher. The 46-year-old three-term congressman played outfield at Southeast High School and was picked for the Florida All-State team. He passed on offers to play in college and got an agricultural degree at the University of Florida.
During his interview with The Epoch Times, a foul ball flew overhead, almost striking a government-issued vehicle.
“Good thing that’s paid for by the government,” he said.
The bipartisan event started in 1909 as a collegial competition; the GOP team leads the series 45–42–1 and has won the past three games. The longest win streak is also held by the GOP, which racked up 11 straight wins between 1964 and 1974.
Another draw for the fans is that they get swag from the sponsors. In the past, that has included CSPAN water bottles and hats and Quorum baseball cards of the participants with non-baseball statistics such as the number of bills sponsored. Concessions—from D.C. staple Ben’s Chili Bowl to nachos and hot dogs—will also be available.
The game almost turned deadly in June 2017. During a GOP practice session one day before the game, a supporter of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) shot House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.), who was then the House Majority Whip. He was struck in the hip and suffered severe internal injuries.
Capitol Police were already on the scene because of the security afforded to Mr. Scalise as a senior member of congressional leadership. The shooter, James Hodgkinson, was arrested by Capitol Police.
Police Presence at Field
At this year’s practice, Capitol Police were present around the field, and Mr. Scalise’s security was stationed at the top of the bleachers.Before the 2017 game, players on both teams huddled for a group prayer in a moment of unity in solidarity with their wounded colleague.
Seven years later, Mr. Scalise remains thankful that he was able to overcome his injuries.
“It’s always great to just be able to come back out and play ball with my colleagues,” he told The Epoch Times.
“There was a time when I didn’t know if I'd even be able to walk again. And God’s definitely performed a lot of miracles and given me a second chance.”
In a more recent successful battle for his life, Mr. Scalise’s cancer is in remission.
Given his physical condition, Mr. Scalise will be the first batter for the GOP to have a teammate running the bases for him.
Despite that the event is designed to allow for differences to be set aside for one night, not everyone is on board.
Ms. Sanchez made a derogatory gesture to the GOP dugout during the 2022 game, which the GOP won 10–0.
The congressional game has aired on CSPAN and, more recently, on Fox Sports in 2022 and FS1 in 2023. For the past two games, Fox News senior congressional correspondent Chad Pergram served as an on-camera reporter and commentator. Fox News declined to make Mr. Pergram available for an interview.
The annual event, which lasts at least seven innings, makes it possible for a contentious political rivalry to be transformed into a friendly rivalry.
“We make really good friends on the other side of the aisle,” Mr. Scalise said, noting that “it’s good” to get away from disagreements in the House while raising money for charity.
Mr. Steube remarked that he has “gotten to know guys on the Democrat side,” such as Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.), “because there’s a camaraderie in the game” and, therefore, “it is an opportunity to kind of put the politics aside and play a little baseball.”
Still, the competitive spirit remains strong.
“[The Democrats] want to beat us as bad as we want to beat them,” Mr. Williams said.
The GOP and Democrat fans root for their own teams, although the game “is not angry like sometimes [congressmen] are on the House floor.”
“There’s always a lot more intensity when you’re in an election year, especially presidential election year, because you want the right kind of momentum going into November,” Mr. Scalise said.
