The Republicans have two coaches, longtime manager Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas), and Rep. Roger Williams (R-Texas), a recent arrival to Congress with a deep history in baseball. One of those shot Wednesday was a staffer for Williams.
The Democratic manager is Rep. Mike Doyle (D-Pa.), whose squad had won seven straight games until last year’s narrow loss. The overall series is deadlocked at 39 wins each, with one tie.
The teams have a group of assistant coaches that include congressional aides, former aides and lobbyists who have expertise in the game. While the game itself is a highly secure environment — fans must pass through the magnometers to get into the stadium — the practices are not considered a secure event.