WATCH: Florida Rep. Goes Yard in Congressional Baseball Game, First in Decades

Michael LucianoSep 29th, 2021, 10:27 pm
 

During Wednesday’s annual congressional baseball game, Rep. Greg Steube (R-FL) smoked a home run over the left field wall at Nationals Park – an actual major league stadium – for what C-SPAN said is the first “outside-the-park” home run in the event in more than 40 years.

Steube, 43, was facing Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-CA), 42, in the third inning with the Republicans trailing 8-5 and nobody on. Aguilar delivered a creampuff over the heart of the plate, which Steube promptly smacked to left for a solo shot.

“That was a bona fide major league home run right there,” said C-SPAN’s analyst.

We will set aside the fact that aluminum bats were used in this game and nonetheless admire Steube’s feat, which C-SPAN Communications Director Howard Mortman said is the first over-the-wall home run in the congressional baseball game in more than four decades.

However, a 2012 account from Roll Call contradicts this claim. It notes that in 1997, Rep. John Shimkus (R-IL) hit a home run off the foul pole at Prince George’s Stadium in Maryland. It was believed to be the first non-inside-the-park home run hit since Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) went deep in Alexandria’s Four Mile Run Park in 1979.

In any case, Steube appears to be the first member of congress to homer in an actual major league stadium.

The Republicans defeated the Democrats Wednesday 13-12. It was the GOP’s first win in five years.

Watch above via C-SPAN.

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Michael Luciano - Senior Editor

Mike is a Mediaite senior editor who covers the news in primetime.