Speed Reads

america's pastime

Democrats crush Republicans — in the 57th Congressional Baseball Game

The emotional star of the 57th Congressional Baseball Game for Charity on Thursday evening was House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.), who returned to the field after being badly wounded last June when a gunman opened fired on the Republicans while they practiced. And Scalise, starting at second base, fielded a grounder and threw the batter out at first in the first play of the game. But the star player of the 2018 matchup was Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-La.) — a friend of Scalise who helped escort him off the field after a few pitches — whose pitching and three-run inside-the-park homer helped propel Democrats to a lopsided 21-5 victory. Congress first played its friendly baseball game in 1909, and last year it raised $1.5 million for Washington-area charities.