The annual congressional baseball game between Democrats and Republicans is Tuesday night at Nationals Park, and both team captains are confident they can come away with a victory.
The sold-out game begins at 7:05 p.m. EST. Proceeds from the $10 tickets will benefit the Boys and Girls Clubs of America and the Washington Literacy Council.
"I'm looking for a win by maybe five points, which is what we had last year," Democrats' team captain Rep. Mike Doyle (Pa.) told ITK. Last summer Democrats beat the GOP 15-10.
The Dems will be playing with the same line-up of 27 players that made up the team last year, so Doyle's confidence may be well deserved. Starting on the mound will be go-to pitcher, Rep. Joe Baca (D-Calif.) (shown here warming up). "Baca's just such a consistent pitcher," said Doyle, "but what's great is that our back-up pitcher, [Rep.] Bruce Braley (D-Iowa) can strike people out, too."
As for the Democrats' strategy, expect to see an aggressive batting line-up and big offense right from the start. "When you only play once a year, you're going to make some errors," said Doyle, "so we've got to hit a lot, make contact, and score points so that we can afford a few errors."
As for who the Democrats' fear most at bat, Doyle thought for a minute. "[Rep.] Billy Shuster (R-Pa.) is a big hitter, and a good ballplayer."
Shuster is only one of more than two dozen Republican lawmakers who've been practicing together every day at 7 a.m. for more than two months. Team captain Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas) has made every practice. "We need dedication to get this trophy back," he told ITK, "so I've been out there every day."
Barton has come under fire from both Democrats and Republicans in recent weeks over an apology he made to BP executives in a committee hearing, but the controversy hasn't affected his baseball schedule.
"We'll start [Rep. John] Shimkus (R- Ill.) on the mound again this year," he said, "but there are a lot of players looking really good."
One of the most improved, Barton said, is Rep. Jack Kingston (R-Ga.). "Jack's come back from an injury last year, and it's great to have him back."
As Barton waxed on about his colleague in the Speakers Lobby, Kingston heard him and stopped. Asked where he felt his game had most improved, Kingston joked, "My game has improved most in ... Joe Barton's head!"
Also looking strong, Barton noted, are Reps. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) and Connie Mack (R-Fla.).
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