About the CSL

Gene Howard launches a high pitch for another home run that powers the Yellow Journalists to a third place finish in last year's tournament!

The Congressional Softball League was established in 1971 by a group of professional staff members at the U.S. House of Representatives.  Originally, the league consisted of two divisions: a Balls and Strikes “A” League with structured divisional play that led to championship playoffs along with the more casual “B” as in “Beer-drinking” League.  In 1977 the “B” division played its first unofficial season-ending championship tournament with 12 teams participating thanks to the organization by players from the House Narcotics Committee “Roaches” team whose logo featured a batter holding a bat-sized rolled “cigarette.”  Without a staff member to organize another playoff the following season which was an election year (or the Roaches’ bat had finally turned to ash), the B division season ended anti-dramatically without post-season play.

In 1979, Gary Caruso reserved lighted fields at Bolling Air Force Base and hosted a 14-team tournament won by the House Public Works Committee.  Since then, the tournament has grown to as many as 70 teams and evolved from single-elimination to a double-elimination group pod play format.  Games eventually moved to better lighted fields at Andrews Air Force Base, but abruptly ended at that location…last played on the Sunday afternoon before September 11, 2001…ironically, a day when Air Force One was practicing “touch and go” exercises just beyond left field while teams participated.

Competition throughout the years included play by representatives and senators, chairs of the DNC and RNC, CEOs and Executive Directors, media personalities, White House Press Secretary Jody Powell and Hill staff early in their careers who would one day become nationally known.  Participating teams have included former (Ford’s “Out House Gang”) and while-in-office White House teams during Bush 41 and Clinton’s term, as well as currently the Obama White House. Teams participating throughout the years were organized in such offices as the Speaker of the House, the Supreme Court, several cabinet-level or agency head office teams from State, Defense, Treasury, Education, DHS, SEC, HHS, Trade Rep, Commerce, EPA, Justice, Transportation, Energy, GAO, GPO, GSA, Secret Service, FBI, OPIC, Census, PBGC and United Nation’s Ambassador along with U.S. House and Senatorial offices, other Federal agencies, various courts, trade organizations, media outlets, alumni groups and many professional organizations both public and private.

The Congressional Athletic Association is a non-commercial, recreational organization which organizes the softball teams from the U. S. Congress, Federal agencies and private companies and organizations playing in the Congressional Softball League.  Players, sponsors, teams and league officials are members of the Amateur Softball Association (ASA) and are covered by liability and participation accident insurance through ASA.  Team fees are based on a $24 per-player fee.  Teams are free to play as many or few games each summer both against league teams as well as outside the league during the course of the season.  The casual league’s playoff season-ending tournament accepts any team registered in the league regardless of record or number of games played…that’s what casual means!

Still after three decades of games with thousands of players participating, it is never too soon each early spring to hear, “Play ball!”