TribTalk: Why the congressional baseball game is about more than a game

Editor's note: Texas Tribune reporters don't usually write pieces for TribTalk, but we've made an exception for this commentary by Washington Bureau Chief Abby Livingston, a member of the press team in the Congressional Women's Softball Game.

WASHINGTON — There are few things more ridiculous than the annual gathering of members of Congress who pitch, hit, run, throw and catch on the field at Nationals Park.

…………"First of all, this baseball game benefits charity," said U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey of Fort Worth, who is making his debut on the Democratic team this year. "We practice before the business day begins, and this is one of the handful of times where we do get together in a bipartisan manner, where we have fun and socialize — which is important for any sort of business."