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Sen Eric Schmitt preps for Congressional Baseball Game, hopes Trump could attend
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The schedule of the average congressional lawmaker is usually packed with meetings, hearings, television appearances and more.
However, some have June 11 circled on the calendar this year.
It is the time when any bad blood between Republicans and Democrats can go from the steps of Capitol Hill to the dirt and green grass at Nationals Park – the home of MLB’s Washington Nationals.
Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-MO) rounds the bases during the Congressional Baseball Game for Charity at Nationals Park on June 12, 2024 in Washington, D.C. (Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)
The Congressional Baseball Game is an annual event that pits the Republican and Democratic members of the House of Representatives and the Senate against each other on the diamond. The game has been played since 1909, when the Democrats defeated the Republicans 26-16. It has been played each year since then – aside from a handful of cancellations.
The Republicans hold the series lead and are on a four-game winning streak. GOP lawmakers won last year’s game, 31-11.
The game is something Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., looks forward to each year. Schmitt is a huge St. Louis Cardinals fan and played baseball at Truman State University. Schmitt released a sizzle reel before last year’s game and ended up having a few big hits in the blowout win.
“I feel good,” Schmitt told Fox News Digital ahead of the game. “We’ve got a good team and our coach, Roger Williams, gets us out there in the mornings pretty early for practices. So we’ve been out there sort of getting your timing back, taking fly balls. But there’s no substitute. The game, being in a Major League stadium with 30,000 people there, it’s for a great cause, has been a lot of fun.
“So, I enjoy it. I was joking with one of the other outfielders last year. I was like, ‘This is what I really wanted to do with my life – be in the Major League outfield for the Cardinals’ – but I ended up in the Senate. We get to do this once a year. It’s a lot of fun.”
Schmitt said the “most important thing” is winning the game and not breaking the scoring record which Democrats set in 1928, when they scored 36 runs in the game.
One of the key aspects of the game is the charity component. Both sides of the aisle raise money for Congressional Sports for Charity, which “provides support to worthy and effective charities serving vulnerable children and families in the Washington DC area as well as scholarships to deserving local youth,” according to the game’s website.
Rep. August Pfluger (R-TX) and Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-MO) celebrate with Rep. Jake Ellzey (R-TX) during the Congressional Baseball Game for Charity at Nationals Park on June 12, 2024 in Washington, D.C. (Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)
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“These charities include the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Washington and the Washington Nationals Philanthropies along with the United States Capitol Police Memorial Fund in gratitude to the brave officers at the Republican practice shooting on June 14, 2017,” the website said.
“My family comes in town. Our whole office is there. So, it’s a blast,” Schmitt said. “I think already this year they’re up to $2.8 million raised for local charities here. So, it’s a great cause and it’s a lot of fun and has become kind of a social thing for staff and others to go to the game. But for me, you get on that field, and you want to perform, and that’s a lot of fun.”
Presidents have been known to attend the game.
President Woodrow Wilson threw out the first pitch twice in the 1917 game as Clark Griffiths was unable to catch the ball. He also tossed the ball to a House rep in 1918. President Barack Obama attended the game in 2015, and President Joe Biden was there in 2021.
It is unclear if President Donald Trump will show up, but Schmitt was in favor of having him there.
“That’d be great. I don’t know if it’s on his calendar or not, or my friend (Vice President) JD Vance, I think it would be great to have him there,” Schmitt told Fox News Digital. “The first two years I played in the game, Biden was president. He was, you know, it’s a little different story there, but I would love to have President Trump there.
“I’ve actually gotten to play golf with President Trump. He knows a lot about sports. In fact, on Trump Force One and some of the campaign stops, we would have conversations about the greatest right-handed hitter of all time. Of course, my pick was Albert Pujols. But he knows his sports, and it’s a lot of fun kinda talking sports with him.”
Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., delivers remarks during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on the expected nomination of Pete Hegseth to be Secretary of Defense on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (Jack Gruber-USA TODAY)
Schmitt joked he did show the president a few highlights from the Congressional Baseball Game.
The teams for the Republicans and Democrats are set. Schmitt is one of four senators playing in the game.
Sens. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., Alex Padilla, D-Calif., and Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, will compete with Schmitt.
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The Detroit Lions defense needed some serious changes this offseason after the team’s efficiency dropped from the seventh-best scoring defense to 22nd in 2025. Detroit promised to look at everything, and while a complete overhaul of the scheme they’ve been using since 2021 was always unlikely, coaches have promised that they will tweak the system to fit the talent of their players.
Last weekend, the Lions drafted defensive players with five of their seven selections, showcasing that they need there was a talent deficiency on that side of the ball. But can their specific picks tell us anything about the strategic, schematic, or philosophical tweaks they are making to the team?
On one hand, all you have to do is look at the pure numbers of players at each position to suggest there may be some personnel changes in 2026. The Lions played more based defense (three linebacker sets) than anyone in 2025, but if you look at their depth chart right now (including the Lions’ two signings on Wednedsay), Detroit only has eight linebackers (including reported UDFA signing Erick Hunter) compared to 16 defensive backs. Detroit has several members of the secondary who can play in the slot, so is this a sign they plan on playing more nickel in 2026?
Additionally, the players they added to the defensive line seem to bring more pass rush juice than run stuffing. And Detroit has yet to really add a nose tackle to replace the likes DJ Reader or Roy Lopez. Has the team quietly admitted they’ve relied too much on stopping the run and need to tilt the scales a little more toward rushing the passer?
Or we could take things even further. With no true nose tackle, but several movable parts on the interior defensive line, could we see the Lions move to a 3-4 base defense? Given how much we’ve seen Aidan Hutchinson, DJ Wonnum, and rookie Derrick Moore play as a stand-up defensive end, Detroit would certainly have the personnel to make a change like that, especially considering it would only require two true off-ball linebackers. But is that too drastic of a change?
Erik Schlitt and I discuss that and a whole lot more in this week’s episode of the Midweek Mailbag. Other questions this week include:
Check out the full episode of the Midweek Mailbag on your favorite podcasting platform or just use the Spotify embed below.
Or if you’d prefer the video version of the show, it’s available on our YouTube page and Twitch Channel. And don’t forget to subscribe and set up notification so you can catch us live!
Here are some of the top concerts in Milwaukee this spring
Here are some of the top concerts to check out around Milwaukee this spring at venues ranging from American Family Field to Shank Hall.
Prost! Maifest, Derby Day, Spaces & Traces, and fine art shows converge this weekend along with Revolutionary War Days in Menomonee Falls. Here are a handful of things to do in the Milwaukee area.
Estabrook Park Maifest
Cue the polka music; it’s opening weekend at Estabrook Beer Garden, 4600 N. Estabrook Parkway. Start hopping to Carol & The Keynotes at 5 p.m. May 1, and raise your stein for free beer at the Lakefront Maibock keg tapping at 6 p.m. The Squeezettes perform at 11:30 a.m. May 2, followed by a Third Space Happy Place keg tapping and free beer at noon. The polka continues with Polka Steve at 3 p.m. May 3. discoverthemorthshoremke.com
Foxtown Derby Day & Maifest
It’s beer and dogs at Foxtown Brewing, 6209 W. Mequon Road, Mequon, from noon to 10:30 p.m. May 2. Watch dachshunds “ruff for the roses” at the first annual Wisconsin Dachshund Derby, and enjoy performances by the Happy Shotski Combo, the Dorf Kapelle Band, and The LoveMonkeys. The Maifest menu includes bratwurst, giant pretzels, grilled Chicago dogs, brisket and pork schnitzel, with mint juleps, Oaks Lily cocktails, and Foxtown Brewing’s Maibock and lagers to drink. foxtownhospitalitygroup.com
Downtown Derby Day
Don your best derby hat and watch the Run for the Roses on May 2. Saddle up to the Bar in Saint Kate – The Arts Hotel at 139 E. Kilbourn Ave. for a 1 p.m. Derby Day bash with bites and specialty drinks available for purchase, then watch the race on Saint Kate’s grand projector screen. Or at 4 p.m. trot over to the Lobby Lounge of the Pfister Hotel at 424 E. Wisconsin Ave. and sip a mint julep in the sophisticated atmosphere of the hotel. The main race takes place around 5:45 p.m. Both events are free and open to the public. Visit thepfisterhotel.com or saintkatearts.com.
Historic Milwaukee Spaces & Traces
Tour unique homes on Milwaukee’s upper east side from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 2. Guided by docents, the tour features nine homes, and a lecture by historian Brian Fette at 2 p.m. at Plymouth Church UCC, 2717 E. Hampshire St. Tickets are $40 and are available online at historicmilwaukee.org/spaces-traces-2026.
Old Falls Revolutionary War Days
The redcoats are coming to Old Falls Village Park, Pilgrim Road and County Line Road Q in Menomonee Falls, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 2 and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 3. As the U.S. approaches its 250th anniversary, watch the planting of the Liberty Tree ceremony and see Revolutionary War reenactors bring early America to life with battles, weapon demonstrations, encampments and uniform presentations. The event includes military vendors, historical displays, music and a beer garden. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for children (ages 5-11). oldfallsvillagepark.org
Free Range Art Show
A century-old farmstead hosts a fine art and craft spring show from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 2-3. View jewelry, pottery, fiber art, mixed media, wood work, paintings, cut metal art and sculptures in a historic Wisconsin barn at 6503 Pleasant Valley Road in Grafton. Free to attend. thefreerangeartshow.com
Art in the Garden
Shop the annual art and craft fair from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 3 at Boerner Botanical Gardens in Whitnall Park, 9400 Boerner Drive in Hales Corners. The fair includes over 50 local artists, crafters and vendors showcasing a wide selection of handmade home decor, garden art, jewelry and artwork. Admission to the fair is included with regular admission to the gardens. boernerbotanicalgardens.org
What’s new in Milwaukee-area theaters this weekend
“Animal Farm”: George Orwell’s 1945 novella warning about the dangers of communism traces how a movement for equality is systematically corrupted as truth is erased. See it at AMC Mayfair Mall; Marcus Theatres’ Hillside, Majestic, Menomonee Falls, Ridge, South Shore cinemas.
“The Devil Wears Prada 2”: Sequel to the 2006 film follows the shifting power dynamics in the fashion industry, with veteran employees facing a digitally driven landscape. See it at AMC Mayfair Mall; Marcus Theatres’ BistroPlex Southridge, Hillside, Majestic, Menomonee Falls, Movie Tavern Brookfield, North Shore, Ridge, South Shore cinemas.
“Deep Water”: A plane en route from Los Angeles to Shanghai is forced to make an emergency landing in shark-infested waters. See it at AMC Mayfair Mall; Marcus Theatres’ Hillside, Majestic, Menomonee Falls, Ridge, South Shore cinemas.
“Hokum”: A writer navigates a chilling game of deception after he is locked in the abandoned, haunted honeymoon suite of a rundown hotel. See it at AMC Mayfair Mall; Marcus Theatres’ Hillside, Majestic, Menomonee Falls, North Shore, Ridge, South Shore cinemas.
“The Story of Everything”: Documentary film exploring the origins of the cosmos and humanity, arguing that scientific evidence points to intelligent design rather than random chance. See it at Marcus Theatres’ Hillside, Majestic, Menomonee Falls, Ridge, South Shore cinemas.
Minneapolis police said a 69-year-old man was found dead after a shooting inside a north Minneapolis home. Chief O’Hara said Wednesday, officers responded at about 8:48 p.m. to a report of a shooting and found the man inside a residence on Bryant Avenue North, near 48th Ave. North
Police said he had an apparent fatal gunshot wound. Officers secured the scene and canvassed the area.
Police said homicide investigators are working to determine what led up to the shooting and, at this point, it does not appear random. “This is a tragic loss of life,” said Chief O’Hara. “Our thoughts are with the victim’s family and loved ones. We need anyone who may have information about what happened to come forward.”
Anyone with information can email policetips@minneapolismn.gov or call 612-673-5845 to leave a voicemail. People who want to stay anonymous can contact CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or submit a tip online at www.CrimeStoppersMN.org. Police said tips leading to an arrest and conviction may be eligible for a financial reward.
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