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The schedule of the average congress lawyer is usually filled with meetings, hearings, TV performances and more.
However, on June 11, some have circled on the calendar this year.
This is the time when any bad blood between Republicans and Democrats can go from the steps of the Capitol Hill to dirt and green grass in Nationals Park – the home of MLBS Washington Nationals.
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Senator Eric Schmitt (R-MO) rounds out the bases during the Congress Baseball Fighting for charity in Nationals Park on June 12, 2024 in Washington, DC (Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)
The congress baseball match is an annual event that sets the Republican and Democratic members of the House of Representatives and the Senate against each other on the Diamond. The game has been played since 1909 when the Democrats defeated Republicans 26-16. It has been played every year since then – except for a handful of cancellation.
Republicans have the series’ lead and are on a four-game-winning row. GOP legislators won last year’s match, 31-11.
The game is something that Senator Eric Schmitt, R-MO., Looking forward to every year. Schmitt is a huge St. Louis Cardinals fan and played baseball at Truman State University. Schmitt released a Sizzle real before last year’s match and ended up having a few big hits in the blowout victory.
“I’m doing well,” Schmitt Pakinomist told Digital ahead of the game. “We have a good team, and our coach, Roger Williams, gets us out there in the morning pretty early for practice. So we’ve been out there that kind of to get your timing back, take fly buns. But there’s no replacement. The game that is in a bigger league stage with 30,000 people there, that’s for a big case, has been a lot of fun.
“So I enjoy it. I joked with one of the other outfielders last year. I was like, ‘This is what I really wanted to do with my life – be in the Major League Outfield for Cardinals’ – But I ended up in the Senate. We get to do this once a year. It’s a lot of fun.”
Schmitt said the “most important thing” is to win the game and not break the scoring record that the Democrats set in 1928 when they scored 36 races in the game.
One of the most important aspects of the game is the charity component. Both sides of the time collect money for congress sports for charity, which “provides support for worthy and efficient charities serving vulnerable children and families in the Washington DC area as well as scholarships to deserve local youth,” according to the game’s website.
Rep. August Pfluger (R-TX) and senator Eric Schmitt (R-MO) celebrate with rep. Jake Ellzey (R-TX) during the Congress Baseball Character for Charity in Nationals Park on June 12, 2024 in Washington, DC (Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)
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“These charities include Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Washington and Washington Nationals Philanthropies along with the United States Capitol Police Memorial Fund in gratitude to the brave officers of the Republican practice shooting on June 14, 2017,” the site said.
“My family is coming in town. Our whole office is there. So it’s an explosion,” Schmitt said. “I already think this year they are up to $ 2.8 million raised to local charities here. So it’s a big case and it’s a lot of fun and has become a kind of social thing for the staff and others to go to the game. But for me you come in that field and you want to perform and it’s a lot of fun.”
Presidents have been known to participate in the game.
President Woodrow Wilson threw the first pitch twice in the 1917 game when Clark Griffiths was unable to catch the ball. He also threw the ball to a house representative in 1918. President Barack Obama participated in the game in 2015, and President Joe Biden was there in 2021.
It’s unclear if President Donald Trump will show up, but Schmitt was to have him there.
“It would be great. I don’t know if it’s on his calendar or not, or my friend (Vice President) JD Vance, I think it would be nice to have him there,” Schmitt told Pakinomist Digital. “The first two years I played in the game, the bite was president. He was, you know it’s a slightly different story there, but I would very much like President Trump there.
“I actually have to play golf with President Trump. He knows a lot about sports. In fact, Trump forces one and some of the campaign stops, we wanted to have conversations about the biggest right -handed hitter of the time. Of course, my choice was Albert Pujols. But he knows his sports and it’s a lot of fun to talk to him.”
Senator Eric Schmitt, R-MO., Characterizes comments during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing about the expected nomination of Pete Hegeth to be Defense Minister on Tuesday, January 14, 2025 in Washington, DC (Jack Gruber-usa today)
Schmitt joked that he showed the president a few highlights from the congress baseball match.
The teams of Republicans and Democrats are set. Schmitt is one of four senators playing in the game.
Sens. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., Alex Padilla, D-Calif., And Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, will compete with Schmitt.
