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The Congressional Baseball Game is a summer institution in Washington. Every year, staffers, reporters, lobbyists and interns spend a night combining American politics and America’s pastime. The game pits Democrats versus Republicans in fierce but friendly competition often held in a Major League stadium played to benefit charity.

Despite their disappointing performance at the ballot box in recent years, Democrats have dominated on the diamond. With the election of former college pitcher Cedric Richmond to their ranks in 2010, Democrats have won five of the past six games. Richmond, a Louisiana Democrat, is also a good friend of Scalise and vouched for the House Majority Whip when reports emerged that Scalise had once spoke before a white supremacist group in 2002.

Although a number of former pro athletes have served in Congress including former Kentucky congressman and senator Jim Bunning, who was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1996, perhaps the most impressive athletic achievement in the game came from an unlikely figure. In 1979, Ron Paul became the first member of Congressto hit a home run over the fences at the annual baseball game.

