(RNN) – A gunman shot at Republican lawmakers and staff who were practicing for a charity baseball game scheduled for Thursday evening at National’s Field.
The Congressional Baseball Game is a tradition that began more than 100 years ago. According to the event’s website, Senate and House members from each party play against each other and raise money for a Washington, DC, area charity.
Rep. Joe Barton from Texas, one of the GOP coaches, was at the shooting and urged that the game to go on.
“This is a charity baseball game, we’ve played for more than 100 years. I can only speak for myself, I hope we can continue the game. In some ways, that’s what democracy is all about.”
The status of the game has not been addressed.
The other Republican coach is Rep. Roger Williams of Texas. Rep. Mike Doyle (D-PA) is the Democratic manager. The Republicans won last year, stopping a seven-game winning streak by the Democrats.
This year, the event raised more than $600,000, the most money in its history. The money will benefit the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington, The Washington Literacy Center, and the Washington Nationals Dream Foundation.
About 10,000 fans attend the game each year and pass through security, according to the Washington post.
Former baseball player Rep. John Tener, of Pennsylvania first organized the game in 1909. Democrats won the game 26-16, and won the next six games.
Weather, news events, the Great Depression and World War II have canceled the game, and sometimes the game was held every other year.
The game was discontinued by Speaker Sam Rayburn of Texas in 1958 because the game had become “too physical.”
In 1962, Speaker John McCormack of Massachusetts revived the game. Currently, the series is tied between the parties at 39-39-1.
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