Reporter's Notebook: Lawmakers take to the field in strange spectacle of annual Congressional Baseball Game

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"Baseball is a Funny Game." – Book title by late Major Leaguer and baseball broadcaster Joe Garagiola

"Baseball is like church. Many attend. But few understand." – Legendary New York Giants, Brooklyn Dodgers, Chicago Cubs and Houston Astros manager Leo Durocher

"When you start the game, they don’t say ‘Work ball!’ They say ‘Play ball!’" – Hall of Famer and Pittsburgh Pirate Willie Stargell

Even if you are a baseball savant, you’ve probably never seen a ballgame like the annual Congressional Baseball Game at Nats Park Wednesday night.

Around 25,000 fans descend on the stadium to watch congressional Republicans face congressional Democrats on the diamond before a nationwide audience telecast on FS1.

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But the annual Congressional tilt is, to paraphrase Garagiola, not just a funny game. It’s a down-right weird one. The Republicans wear standardized uniforms. But each player dons a different cap – usually an homage to their local Big League club. Like Rep. Brad Wenstrup, R-Ohio, has worn a Cincinnati Reds hat. But others wear caps from local community colleges, high schools or even minor league clubs. Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., is the starting pitcher for the Republicans. Steube festooned his pate with a red "Make America Great" cap last year.

But it’s easier to calculate a player’s "Defensive Efficiency Ratio" (DER) or "Expected Fielding Independent Pitching" (xFIP) than to keep track of the uniform numbering scheme Republicans use for their players.

In short, there