History
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.”1 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.
The event has at times interrupted the work flow of Congress. In 1914, Speaker James Beauchamp “Champ” Clark of Missouri
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. Speaker Clark sent the Sergeant at Arms to American League Field to return the
Members to the House Chamber. When the Sergeant at Arms arrived, rain had already
canceled the game. The House eventually achieved a quorum, 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, 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. Rayburn contended that
the game should be discontinued because it had become too physical. Speaker John McCormack of Massachusetts, revived the game
in 1962 with the support of a 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, 10 trophies have been awarded,
eight to the Republicans and two to the Democrats.
To learn
more about the Congressional Baseball Game, visit Oral History
of the U.S. House of Representatives.
John Tener, Chicago White Stockings Baseball CardImage courtesy
of the Library of Congress