Play Ball! Congressional Baseball Game for Charity Goes Ahead After Shooting

The 108th annual Congressional Baseball Game will be played tonight at Nationals Park in Washington D.C. with the first pitch scheduled for 7:05pm ET, one day after a shooter targeted a GOP practice and wounded five. Before we tell you about tonight’s game, a quick update on the status of the injured:

• House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA) remains in critical condition and has undergone a third surgery since his hospitalization to deal with the broken hip, damage to organs, and internal bleeding. He was visited by President Donald Trump Wednesday night who said Scalise was "in some trouble, but he is a great fighter and is going to be OK, we hope."

• Lobbyist Matt Mika has improved from critical to serious condition.

• Congressional staffer Zack Barth has been released from the hospital after being shot in the calf and was back at work today. You can watch him recount his experience with his boss, Rep. Roger Williams (R-TX) on CBS.

• Special Agents Crystal Griner and David Bailey of the Capitol Police are both expected to make full recoveries, though more details aren’t available.

The Congressional Baseball Game has long been an opportunity for lawmakers to do some bipartisan bonding on the diamond, with its official website calling it "the only annual partisan showdown beloved by all and enjoyed by thousands." Even members who won’t take the field take advantage of the occasion, such as Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-GA) who hosted a pregame barbeque for all lawmakers, staffers, police officers, and reporters today instead of the usual weekly GOP conference luncheon.

Republicans will take the field tonight without Scalise, who plays second base and spoke earlier this week about his enthusiasm for the sport. They’ll look to build on last year’s success, when they defeated Democrats for the first time in seven years in a closely contested 8-7 game. That game levelled the all-time record in the matchup at 39 wins for each party, and one tie. You can see if members of your state’s congressional delegation will be taking the field tonight by checking out the rosters.

Regardless of the outcome on the field, the biggest winners tonight will be three Washington D.C. area charities — The Washington Literacy Center, The Boys and Girls Club of Greater Washington, and the Washington Nationals Dream Foundation. Organizers told Roll Call that about 20,000 tickets have been sold and additional sponsors have made donations, raising over $1 million.

You’ll be able to watch the game live on C-SPAN, with an online stream accessible through this link.

(P.S. — If you see lots of Louisiana State University gear being worn, that’s because lawmakers are showing their support for Scalise, a proud alumnus of LSU which overnighted hats and shirts for the occasion.)

— Eric Revell

(Photo Credit: Rep. Mo Brooks via Flickr / Creative Commons)