At the 2024 Congressional Baseball Game Division and Protest Abound

At Nationals Park, any hit is almost certainly a foul or a guaranteed out. But once a year, congress members fumble for fly balls and make our hearts stop diving for second base. The man to my left explains that the Democratic pitcher is getting tired, and “you can tell because he can’t lift his knees up to his letters.” With his gray t-shirt and slights to both teams, one can’t really tell whose side he’s on—my guess is baseball’s. And, while the crowd momentarily reveled in the spectacle of congressional baseball, fans were reminded that their rights were in the hands of the night’s pitchers and hitters as climate protesters rushed the field and were taken down almost immediately by Capitol police.

Founded in 1909, the Congressional Baseball Game is a longstanding tradition. Though Democrats won the inaugural six games, Republicans have dominated recently. Last Wednesday was no different, as the GOP beat Democrats 31-11 at Nationals Park. The event hosted a record-breaking 30,000 engaged constituents—or simply baseball lovers—and raised 2.2 million dollars for the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Washington, Nationals Philanthropies and The Washington Literacy Center—all bipartisan organizations. Also unanimously loved: the dog that chased frisbees around the outfield between innings.

The crowd, however, was more divided. Red and blue sections of congressional staffers wore T-shirts with their bosses’ faces. Everyone seemed to clap extra loud, supposedly assuring their seatmates whose side they were on. And, most notably, as eight protesters invaded the field and subsequently tackled, Republicans chanted “USA” while Democrats seemed unsure of how to respond.

The Congressional Baseball Game is certainly no stranger to protest. In fact, in 2017, during an anticipatory practice, then-Republican Whip Steve Scalise was shot and hospitalized alongside five others. In 2022, three climate protesters were arrested while others flew a banner that read “They Play Ball While The World Burns” and rained leaflets down onto the field. Last year, climate protesters delayed the Congressional Softball Game, another annual tradition that raises funds for breast cancer awareness.

This year was no different. Before the game, 20-30 Climate Defiance protesters blocked entrances to the stadium, opposing the game’s Chevron sponsorship and forcing police to open other access points. People complained about the longer wait time, wanting convenience over anything else. Later in the game, during the second inning, members of Climate Defiance jumped the stadium fences and stormed the field. Eight protesters were swiftly taken down and handcuffed as chants of “USA” rang out from the Republican side. Earlier pro-Palestine chants had been shouted down in the same manner. Some advocates were reportedly escorted out for holding Palestinian flags in the Republican section.

Ultimately, police cleared climate protesters, leaving a stirred—or perhaps emboldened—audience. The protesters, who are now facing federal charges, may not have stopped the game for long, but they certainly served as a reminder of the stakes of political polarization, nationalism, and dissent not just on the field, but on the House and Senate floors. For a moment, the contrast of protesters to the upbeat environment of the game popped the event’s seemingly bipartisan and generally cheerful bubble, reminding us that we are in the midst of an election year, worsening climate change, receding civil rights, and intensifying wars.

And yet, the game continued. As members of Congress grew tired and the score became more lopsided, constituents began to file out around the 4th and 5th inning, the game ultimately ending 31-11. Despite some worrisome slides to home plate, all went unscathed, save for an unfortunate umpire, who was leveled by Republican catcher Representative Morgan Lutrell.

And though Democrats might have to wait a year for redemption, political junkies need not wait long as the Congressional Women’s Softball Game is right around the corner. On June 26, Congresswomen from both sides of the aisle will take on the press corps at Watkins Recreation Center. The game’s proceeds will go to the Young Survival Coalition. And as the game takes place the same night as the White House’s Pride reception—an unfortunate double booking—we must remember that not just pride, but our democracy, is at stake.

The image featured in this article is licensed for reuse under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal License. No changes were made to the original image, which was taken by Andrea Hanks and can be found here.