The loss—the GOP’s fifth in a row and their worst in over 85 years—proved so frustrating that some members asked Speaker of the House John Boehner to fire Barton, who has been a part of the game for 28 years. “Where has there been a shortstop that didn’t bat?” asks Rep. Mick Mulvaney (R-N.C.), who plays the position. “We had a fielding team, and a batting team, and a running team.”

Hear that? That’s the sound of sizzling drama from this piece by Alex Rogers on the “Crazy Competitive World of Congressional Baseball.”

Rep. Lou Barletta, R-Pa., pitches during the 52nd annual Congressional Baseball Game at National Stadium in Washington on June 13, 2013. Bill Clark—CQ-Roll Call/Getty Images