The number of women serving in Congress is at a record high—the 2012 elections brought it up to 20 in the Senate and 81 in the House—but Democratic Representative Linda Sánchez, from California's 38th district, was the only one among the total 58 members of Congress on the Nationals Park field Thursday night for that annual display of partisan bipartisanship: the Congressional Baseball Game. The men wore their shirt of choice, the field a medley of high school, college, and pro-team jerseys. Sánchez's jersey, meanwhile, sported a IX on the back, her annual tribute to that famous law amendment.
While staffers in suits (or, for the especially committed, team shirts) and family members holding signs (“I’d wiretap that,” read one) looked on, the Democrats crushed the Republicans 22-0—but it was Sánchez who stole the show. As she stepped up to bat in the third inning, Democratic supporters rose to their feet, chanting “Let’s go, Linda!” She hit a line-drive single to center field. In the fifth inning, after hitting another liner to the outfield, Sánchez stole second on a Republican fielding error. Two runs scored on the play.
As she jogged off the field after the play, Democratic and Republican players were in agreement: Sánchez was the star. She received at least IX high-fives.