has anyone ever hit a homerun in the congressional baseball game
Congressional Baseball Game In 1909, Rep. Joseph F. O'Connell of Massachusetts hit the first home run, gaining three runs for the Democrats. In the same year, Republican Rep. Edward B. Vreeland of New York was the first player to be withdrawn due to an injury. In 1957, Rep. Gerald Ford of Michigan hit the first known grand slam, while playing for the Republicans.[17] In 1979, Republican Rep. Ron Paul of Texas hit what was believed to be (at that time) the first home run hit over the fence.[18] Rep. John Shimkus of Illinois is the only other player to hit an out-of-the-park home run, doing so in 1997.[18] Paul was inducted into the Congressional Baseball Hall of Fame prior to the 2012 game.[19]
Origins of baseball The earliest known published[a] rules of baseball in the United States were written in 1845 for a New York City "base ball" club called the Knickerbockers.[28] The purported organizer of the club, Alexander Cartwright, is one person commonly known as "the father of baseball". The rules themselves were written by the two-man Committee on By-Laws, Vice-President William R. Wheaton and Secretary William H. Tucker. One important rule, the 13th, outlawed "soaking" or "plugging", putting a runner out by hitting him with a thrown ball, introducing instead the concept of the tag; this reflected the use of a farther-traveling and potentially injurious hard ball.[b] Another significant rule, the 15th, specified three outs to an inning for the first time instead of "one out, all out" or "all out, all out." The 10th rule prescribed foul lines and foul balls and the 18th forbade runners advancing on a foul, unlike the "Massachusetts game" in which all batted balls were in play. The Knickerbockers also enlarged the diamond well beyond that of town ball, possibly to modern size depending on how "paces" is interpreted.[c]