United States Congressional Baseball Game

The Congressional Baseball Game is an annual baseball game played each summer by members of the United States Congress. The game began as a casual event among colleagues in 1909 and eventually evolved into one of Washington, D.C.'s most anticipated annual pastimes. In the game, Republicans and Democrats form separate teams and play against each other.

The game has raised millions of dollars for local charities in the District of Columbia. Spectators include crowds of congressional staffers and, occasionally, even dignitaries and presidents.

Representative John Tener of Pennsylvania, a former professional baseball player, organized the inaugural baseball game in 1909. The Boston Daily Globe observed, "The game was brewing for weeks and the members of the house were keyed up a high pitch of enthusiasm. Deep, dark rumors were in circulation that 'ringers' would be introduced, but when they lined up at 4 o'clock the nine Republicans were stalwart, grand old party men, while the Democrats were of the pure Jeffersonian strain." The Democrats drubbed their Republican opponents, 26–16, for the first of six consecutive wins. Republicans won their first game in 1916. Due to its growing popularity, the Congressional Baseball Game was first covered via radio in 1928. The radio broadcast continued in succeeding years.

Despite its appeal, the annual game occurred intermittently because of interruptions due to the Great Depression, the Second World War, and intervention by the House leadership. For a while the game was held biennially, until the Washington Evening Star newspaper sponsored it annually from 1946 to 1958. Despite the sponsorship, Speaker Sam Rayburn of Texas ended the game in 1958, saying it had become too physically straining on the members and was causing injuries. Speaker John McCormack of Massachusetts revived the game in 1962 with the support of the then-new Capitol Hill newspaper Roll Call. With the new sponsor, a best-of-five game trophy series was created, awarding a trophy to the team that won three of the five games. To date, 13 trophies have been awarded, ten to the Republicans and three to the Democrats.

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