United States Senator from Missouri Eric Schmitt broke the internet with his viral diving catch during the annual congressional baseball charity game involving members of the United States Congress. Representing the Republicans, Schmitt made a thrilling catch in the bottom of the third, with his side up 3-0, in the exhibition game at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C.
The state senator chased a high pop fly that was about to land well inside the left-field line and dove to grab the ball. While Schmitt caught the ball with the heel of the glove, the momentum he carried after covering considerable ground left him face-down in the red dirt, which also left his nose slightly bloody. But an elated Schmitt immediately got up and celebrated the win with his teammates.
Take a look at the thrilling sequence of play here:
On Wednesday night, Republicans won their sixth straight year, beating Democrats 11-2 at the Congressional Baseball Game for Charity at Nationals Park. This tradition, dating back to 1909, gives members of Congress a break from strenuous legislative duties to compete and raise funds for charitable organizations.
Over 32,000 spectators attended last night’s game, setting a record with $3.2 million raised, organizers reported. Last year, the Republicans had ruthlessly won the game, beating the Democrats 13-2, and carried that positive momentum in this year’s edition of the event.
Senator Eric Schmitt Talked About His Legislative Push in Collegiate Sports
Speaking in an exclusive media interview during the Republicans’ batting practice the day before the congressional baseball game, Senator Schmitt reflected on his party’s legislative push to bring about positive changes in collegiate sports to make athletes’ lives easier.
“It’s really about protecting women’s sports, Olympic sports, and having some rules. Right now, the NCAA can’t really be enforcing rules, so it would give antitrust protection and say, “Hey, you’ve got one time to transfer, you’ve got five years of eligibility, and you’ve got the portal that can get fixed,” and then also provide some additional revenue opportunities, but with a unified rights deal among the conferences, that is the right direction to go in, and a lot of it’s education because people see what the challenges are,” said Senator Schmitt.
Schmitt’s dedication to his craft fuels his optimism for next year, especially as Republicans anticipate former Major League Baseball player Mark Teixeira joining their ranks after winning a congressional seat in November. The Republicans will be eyeing further to extend their winning streak over the Democrats in baseball, at least.
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