Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/56382
Stadium in 1969); 1973 through 1976 at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore; 1977 at Langley High School in McLean, Va.; 1978 through 1994 at Four Run Park in Alexandria, Va.; 1995 through 2004 at Prince George's Stadium in Maryland; 2005 through 2007 the game returned to R.F.K. Stadium, and since 2008 at Nationals Park.5 Efforts to generate interest in the game often involved the use of dignitaries and celebrities, as well as pre-game activities. The honor of throwing out the ceremo- nial first pitch has been awarded toHouse Speakers, House members, the heads of the executive and judicial branches, and commissioners of major league baseball. The dignitaries throwing out the first pitch have included Speakers of the House Joe Cannon, Nicholas Longworth (fig. 6), Sam Rayburn, and John McCormick; Rep. Jeannette Rankin; presidents Calvin Coolidge, Franklin Roosevelt and Dwight Eisenhower; Supreme Court chief justices Fred 4 THE CAPITOL DOME Figure 3. Rep.Nicholas Longworth (R-OH) prepares to take amighty swing during a congressional baseball game ca. 1911. Longworth later served as Speaker of theHouse from1925 to 1931. Vinson, who played in the 1926 game,6 and Earl Warren; and major league baseball commissioners Bowie Kuhn and Bud Selig. Celebrities were often used as umpires. Those who served as umpire included Washington Senators owner Clark Griffith and numerous stars from his team, boxer Gene Tunney (1932 and 1933), and entertainer Al Jolson (1933). In 1932, humorist Will Rogers declined an invitation to be one of the game's umpires due to a previous commitment.7 Military bands often performed prior to the game and in 1933 a wrestling match was part of the pre-game activities.8 1926, elephants and donkeys paraded around the field prior to the start of the game.9 leader of the executive branch focused much attention on the game.Not only did President Eisenhower throw out the first pitch of the game, he held aWhiteHouse reception for many prominent athletes prior to the game. The 43 athletes at the reception included Joe DiMaggio, boxer RockyMarciano, golferGene Sarazin, and numerous athletes from a variety of sports. The game that year was televised nationally on the ABC network. Thirty years later, in 1983, the game would be televised again, this time on C-Span.10 The game started as a stand-alone- In The game was broadcast on radio on several occasions, including 1928. The highest profile game may have been the 1953 game when, ironically, the event.However, for several years after the game's return in 1962, it was played as a time-limited event prior to aWashington Senators game. In 1972, following the departure of major league baseball from Washington, the game was played as a time-limited event prior to an exhibition WINTER 2012