The annual Congressional Baseball Game for charity on Wednesday brought its annual display of passion and the joys of America’s pastime. The Republicans trounced the Democrats in dramatic fashion for the fourth straight year. The final score was 31-11.
Even before the game began, as the announcer called for the crowd to remove their caps for the national anthem, a voice from the Democratic section shouted “Free, Free Palestine.” This sparked a USA chant from the Republican side, quickly spreading across much of the stadium until the anthem began. The atmosphere became charged with patriotism, palpable to everyone present, whether they were passionate about government, baseball, or both.
Shortly after the anthem finished, climate protesters rushed the field and were met with a swift reaction, as security quickly tackled, arrested, and charged them with federal crimes for interfering with Capitol police. The protesters were swiftly escorted out of the stadium as the crowd sang the baseball anthem, “Goodbye.”
Despite the protesting drama, the baseball game was entertaining. With every hit, the crowd erupted in cheers or boos, depending on their allegiance, as if it were a playoff match. Memorable moments included Rep. Morgan Lutrell’s (R-TX) base-clearing stand-up triple in the top of the third inning, which reignited USA chants, Rep. Jake Ellzey’s (R-TX) diving catch in the top of the fourth, and even the boos when second gentleman Doug Emhoff was shown on camera in the Democratic dugout.
The game highlighted the good and the bad of politics as it does every year. One side booing when the other celebrates its success certainly seems to be a metaphor for today’s politics. No matter what rhetoric the respective “teams” may spew at each other, they make it a point to come play with each other. Friendly competition never hurt anyone, apart from those injured in the tragic batting practice shooting for the game in 2017.
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The game revolves around ideology, but it also transcends ideology in many ways. People sport the T-shirts of different office holders, yet there’s a sense of unity among everyone. Everyone contributes to charity by attending the event. The crowd even enjoys this sense of camaraderie by collectively wandering around Nationals Park and gathering free items from the game’s sponsors.
There is room for hope in the humanness of that, in the unity of bonding over a game so deeply American. There is room for hope in remembering that our representatives are just humans too. Speaker Mike Johnson can walk down the stairs to enjoy a baseball game like any other person, a hitter can celebrate after hitting a double, or a fielder can be disappointed after missing a play. The Congressional Baseball Game shows all of that when it brings together D.C. politicos every summer.