United States Congressional Baseball Game

Party	Number of Wins
Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...	41
Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...	35
Ties	1

The Congressional Baseball Game is an annual baseball

Baseball

Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...

game played each summer by members of the United States Congress

United States Congress

The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....

. The game began as a casual event among colleagues in 1909 and eventually evolved into one of Washington, D.C.'s

Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....

most anticipated annual pastimes. In the game, Republican

Republican Party (United States)

The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

and Democrats

Democratic Party (United States)

The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

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

President of the United States

The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....

History

Representative John Tener of Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...

, 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

Democratic Party (United States)

drubbed their Republican

Republican Party (United States)

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.

The event has at times interrupted the work flow of Congress. In 1914, Speaker James Beauchamp "Champ" Clark of Missouri

Missouri

Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...

became frustrated with the Congressional Baseball Game interfering with legislative business. An Appropriations bill on Civil War cotton damage was to be debated on the House floor, but a quorum was not present because of the game. Speaker Clark sent the House Sergeant at Arms

Sergeant at Arms of the United States House of Representatives

The United States House of Representatives Sergeant at Arms is an officer of the House with law enforcement, protocol, and administrative responsibilities. The Sergeant at Arms is elected at the beginning of each Congress by the membership of the chamber...

to American League Field to return the Members to the House chamber. When the Sergeant at Arms Charles P. Higgins arrived, rain had already canceled the game. The House eventually achieved a quorum

Quorum

A quorum is the minimum number of members of a deliberative assembly necessary to conduct the business of that group...

, but adjourned without making progress on the bill because Members remained preoccupied with their unfinished work on the baseball diamond.

Despite its appeal, the annual game occurred intermittently because of interruptions due to the Great Depression

Great Depression

The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...

, the Second World War, and intervention by the House leadership. For awhile the game was held biennially, until the Washington Evening Star newspaper sponsored it annually from 1946 to 1958. Despite the sponsorship, Speaker

Speaker of the United States House of Representatives

The Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, or Speaker of the House, is the presiding officer of the United States House of Representatives...

Sam Rayburn

Samuel Taliaferro Rayburn , often called "Mr. Sam," or "Mr. Democrat," was a Democratic lawmaker from Bonham, Texas, who served as the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives for seventeen years, the longest tenure in U.S. history.- Background :Rayburn was born in Roane County, Tennessee, and...

of Texas

Texas

Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

ended the game in 1958, saying it had become too physically straining on the members and was causing injuries. Speaker John McCormack

John William McCormack

John William McCormack was an American politician from Boston, Massachusetts.McCormack served as a member of United States House of Representatives from 1928 until he retired from political life in 1971...

of Massachusetts

Massachusetts

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...

revived the game in 1962 with the support of the then-new Capitol Hill newspaper Roll Call
Roll Call
Roll Call is a newspaper published in Washington, D.C., United States, from Monday to Thursday when the United States Congress is in session and on Mondays only during recess. Roll Call reports news of legislative and political maneuverings on Capitol Hill, as well as political coverage of...

. 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, 12 trophies have been awarded, ten to the Republicans and three to the Democrats.

Locations

Games were initially held at American League Park

American League Park

American League Park was a baseball park that formerly stood in Washington, D.C., at the corner of Florida Avenue and Trinidad Avenue, NE. It hosted the Washington Senators from April 29, 1901 to September 27, 1902, when the team moved to National Park...

in northeast Washington, D.C., and its successor Griffith Stadium

Griffith Stadium

Griffith Stadium was a sports stadium that stood in Washington, D.C. from 1911 to 1965, between Georgia Avenue and 5th Street, and between W Street and Florida Avenue, NW. An earlier wooden baseball park had been built on the same site in 1891...

, which was built at the same location. In 1962, the game was moved to the new District Stadium (later known as Robert F. Kennedy Stadium), where it remained until 1972. For the next two decades, the teams played at the Memorial Stadium

Memorial Stadium (Baltimore)

Memorial Stadium was a sports stadium in Baltimore, Maryland, that formerly stood on 33rd Street on an over-sized block also bounded by Ellerslie Avenue , 36th Street , and Ednor Road...

in Baltimore, Maryland; one year (1977) at Langley High School in McLean, Virginia

McLean, Virginia

McLean is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Fairfax County in Northern Virginia. The community had a total population of 48,115 as of the 2010 census....

; and Four Mile Run Park in Alexandria, Virginia. From 1995 to 2004, the game was played in Prince George's Stadium

Prince George's Stadium

Prince George's Stadium is a multipurpose sports venue located in Bowie, Maryland primarily used for baseball. It is home of the Baltimore Orioles' AA affiliate in the Eastern League, the Bowie Baysox...

in Bowie, Maryland. From 2005 to 2007, the event returned to Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium

Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium

Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium, in Washington, D.C., United States, and the current home of MLS's D.C. United....

while awaiting construction of the new Washington Nationals

Washington Nationals

The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...

stadium in the District of Columbia. In 2008, the game moved to the newly built Nationals Park. The game raises more than $100,000 annually for local area charities.

Rosters

While the modern Congressional Baseball Game comprises both House and Senate Members, this was not always the case. From 1909 to 1949, House Members exclusively filled the rosters—although there appears to have been no prohibition against Senators. Bicameral baseball was inaugurated in 1950, when Senator Harry P. Cain

Harry P. Cain

Harry Pulliam Cain was a United States Senator from Washington who served as a Republican from 1946 to 1953. Today, Cain is mainly remembered for his very conservative and often highly controversial views as a member of the Senate, and as a friend and supporter of Senator Joseph McCarthy, but...

of Washington joined the Republican team and Senator-elect George Smathers

George Smathers

George Armistead Smathers was an American lawyer and politician who represented the state of Florida in the United States Senate for eighteen years, from 1951 until 1969, as a member of the Democratic Party.-Early life:...

of Florida

Florida

Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...

, a former Representative, joined the Democratic team.

In a few cases, former professional baseball players were elected to Congress and had a large impact on the game. In the case of Wilmer "Vinegar Bend" Mizell of North Carolina

North Carolina

North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...

, a former professional pitcher, the Republican team was victorious for each year that he played. Fielding a once-a-year team presented some problems for members, who often grew rusty when it came to batting. Strong pitching proved decisive in most games but, in 1963, neither team could field a pitcher. As a result, relief pitcher George Susce of the Washington Senators pitched for both teams. In 1917, Representative Jeannette Rankin

Jeannette Rankin

Jeannette Pickering Rankin was the first woman in the US Congress. A Republican, she was elected statewide in Montana in 1916 and again in 1940. A lifelong pacifist, she voted against the entry of the United States into both World War I in 1917 and World War II in 1941, the only member of Congress...

of Montana

Montana

Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...

tossed out the first pitch and kept score, becoming the first woman to participate in the annual event. More than 70 years later, in 1993, Representatives Ileana Ros-Lehtinen

Ileana Ros-Lehtinen

Ileana Ros-Lehtinen is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1989. She is a member of the Republican Party....

of Florida, Maria Cantwell

Maria Cantwell

Maria E. Cantwell is the junior United States Senator from the state of Washington and a member of the Democratic Party....

of Washington, and Blanche Lincoln

Blanche Lincoln

Blanche Meyers Lambert Lincoln is a former U.S. Senator from Arkansas and a member of the Democratic Party. First elected to the Senate in 1998, she was the first woman elected to the Senate from Arkansas since Hattie Caraway in 1932 and, at age 38, was the youngest woman ever elected to the...

of Arkansas

Arkansas

Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...

became the first women to break into the starting lineup.

In 1971, the first African American

African American

African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...

s joined the game. Delegate

Delegate (United States Congress)

A delegate to Congress is a non-voting member of the United States House of Representatives who is elected from a U.S. territory and from Washington, D.C. to a two-year term. While unable to vote in the full House, a non-voting delegate may vote in a House committee of which the delegate is a member...

Walter E. Fauntroy

Walter Edward Fauntroy is the former pastor of the New Bethel Baptist Church in Washington, D.C., and a civil rights activist. He is also a former member of the United States Congress and was a candidate for the 1972 Democratic presidential nomination, as well as a human rights activist...

of the District of Columbia and Rep. Ronald Dellums of California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

joined the Democratic roster. Despite Fauntroy's hitting prowess, the Democrats lost their eighth straight annual game, 7–3.

Uniforms and fanfare

In the early years of the game, each team wore a uniform that was either plain or had the words "Republicans" or "Democrats" embroidered on it. In modern games, members typically have worn uniforms of the professional baseball teams or college baseball

College baseball

College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. Compared to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a less significant contribution to cultivating professional players, as the minor leagues primarily...

teams in their congressional district or home state. In the 1920s, pomp and fanfare preceded each game. The United States Navy Band

United States Navy Band

The United States Navy Band, based at the historic Washington Navy Yard in Washington, D.C., has served the nation as the official musical organization of the United States Navy since 1925...

and United States Marine Corps Band traditionally kicked off the festivities with patriotic tunes. In 1926, the Republicans paraded into American League Field on a live elephant, while in 1932 both teams had costumed mascots entertain the crowds. During the 1960s, the teams had cheerleaders dressed in uniforms.

Game results

Scores, locations, and other details of past games are available here to the extent they are known.

Year	Location	Winner	Score	Notes
1909	American League Park American League Park American League Park was a baseball park that formerly stood in Washington, D.C., at the corner of Florida Avenue and Trinidad Avenue, NE. It hosted the Washington Senators from April 29, 1901 to September 27, 1902, when the team moved to National Park...	Democrats	26–16
1910	No game	–	–
1911	American League Park	Democrats	12–9
1912	American League Park	Democrats	21–20
1913	American League Park	Democrats	29–4	Game was called due to rain in the 4th inning. Members disputed whether it counted as a full game.
1914	American League Park	Democrats	–
1915	American League Park	Democrats	–
1916	American League Park	Republicans	18–13
1917	American League Park	Democrats	22–21
1918	American League Park	Republicans	9–5
1919	American League Park	Republicans	–
1920–1925	No information	–	–
1926	American League Park	Democrats	12–9
1927	No game	–	–
1928	Griffith Stadium Griffith Stadium Griffith Stadium was a sports stadium that stood in Washington, D.C. from 1911 to 1965, between Georgia Avenue and 5th Street, and between W Street and Florida Avenue, NW. An earlier wooden baseball park had been built on the same site in 1891...	Democrats	36–4
1929–1930	No information	–	–
1931	No game	–	–
1932	Griffith Stadium	Republicans	19–5	The official score of this game is disputed. Umpire Tunney ruled a high fly ball hit in the last inning by Republicans an out instead of a home run.
1933	Griffith Stadium	Republicans	18–16
1934–1944	No information	–	–
1945	Griffith Stadium	Democrats	–
1946	Griffith Stadium	Democrats	–
1947	Griffith Stadium	Republicans	16–13
1948	Griffith Stadium	Democrats	23–14
1949	Griffith Stadium	Democrats	16–10
1950	Griffith Stadium	Democrats	8–4
1951	Griffith Stadium	Democrats	7–3
1952	Griffith Stadium	Democrats	6–3
1953	Griffith Stadium	Democrats	3–2
1954	Griffith Stadium	Democrats	2–1
1955	Griffith Stadium	Republicans	12–4
1956	Griffith Stadium	Republicans	14–10
1957	Griffith Stadium	Democrats	10–9
1958–1961	No game	–	–
1962	D.C. Stadium	Republicans	4–0
1963	D.C. Stadium	Democrats	11–0
1964	D.C. Stadium	Republicans	6–5
1965	D.C. Stadium	Republicans	3–1	Roll Call Trophy
1966	D.C. Stadium	Republicans	14–7
1967	D.C. Stadium	Republicans	9–7
1968	D.C. Stadium	Republicans	16–1	Roll Call Trophy
1969	RFK Stadium	Republicans	6–2
1970	RFK Stadium	Republicans	6–4
1971	RFK Stadium	Republicans	7–3	Roll Call Trophy
1972	RFK Stadium	Republicans	7–2
1973	Memorial Stadium Memorial Stadium (Baltimore) Memorial Stadium was a sports stadium in Baltimore, Maryland, that formerly stood on 33rd Street on an over-sized block also bounded by Ellerslie Avenue , 36th Street , and Ednor Road...	Republicans	12–4
1974	Memorial Stadium	Republicans	7–3	Roll Call Trophy
1975	Memorial Stadium	Democrats	3–2
1976	Memorial Stadium	Democrats	5–4
1977	Langley High School, McLean, VA	Republicans	7–6	(Two rainouts forced the game to the alternative field)
1978	Four Mile Run Park	Republicans	4–3
1979	Four Mile Run Park	Democrats	7–3	Roll Call Trophy
1980	Four Mile Run Park	Democrats	21–9
1981	Four Mile Run Park	Republicans	6–4
1982	Four Mile Run Park	Democrats	7–5
1983	Four Mile Run Park	Tied	17–17	Ended after 9 innings
1984	Four Mile Run Park	Republicans	13–4
1985	Four Mile Run Park	Republicans	9–3	Roll Call Trophy
1986	Four Mile Run Park	Democrats	8–6
1987	Four Mile Run Park	Democrats	15–14
1988	Four Mile Run Park	Republicans	14–13
1989	Four Mile Run Park	Republicans	8–2
1990	Four Mile Run Park	Republicans	9–6	Roll Call Trophy
1991	Four Mile Run Park	Democrats	13–9
1992	Four Mile Run Park	Republicans	11–7
1993	Four Mile Run Park	Democrats	13–1
1994	Four Mile Run Park	Democrats	9–2	Roll Call Trophy
1995	Prince George's Stadium Prince George's Stadium Prince George's Stadium is a multipurpose sports venue located in Bowie, Maryland primarily used for baseball. It is home of the Baltimore Orioles' AA affiliate in the Eastern League, the Bowie Baysox...	Republicans	6–0
1996	Prince George's Stadium	Democrats	16–14
1997	Prince George's Stadium	Republicans	10–9
1998	Prince George's Stadium	Republicans	4–1	Roll Call Trophy
1999	Prince George's Stadium	Republicans	17–1
2000	Prince George's Stadium	Democrats	13–8
2001	Prince George's Stadium	Republicans	9–1
2002	Prince George's Stadium	Republicans	9–2	Roll Call Trophy
2003	Prince George's Stadium	Republicans	5–3
2004	Prince George's Stadium	Republicans	14–7
2005	RFK Stadium	Republicans	19–10	Roll Call Trophy
2006	RFK Stadium	Republicans	12–1
2007	RFK Stadium	Republicans	5–2
2008	Nationals Park	Republicans	11–10	Roll Call Trophy
2009	Nationals Park	Democrats	15–10
2010	Nationals Park	Democrats	13–5
2011	Nationals Park	Democrats	8–2	Roll Call Trophy

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