[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 161 (Wednesday, October 18, 1995)]
[House]
[Pages H10286-H10287]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           CLEVELAND TOPS SEATTLE FOR AMERICAN LEAGUE PENNANT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Washington [Mr. Metcalf] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. METCALF. Mr. Speaker, I made a friendly agreement with the 
gentleman from Ohio [Mr. Hoke] of Cleveland, regarding the recent 
battle between the Seattle Mariners and the tribe from Cleveland. I was 
really looking forward to using some of that genuine Cleveland slab 
steel that he promised as part of this to rebuild my 500-foot seawall 
at our home in Langley. Unfortunately, the Mariners were unable to pull 
out one more miracle finish in game six last night.
  I really have to hand it to the Cleveland Indians. They played a 
tremendous series. Their pitching was outstanding. I wish them the best 
in the World Series.
  Also, I know that the gentleman from Ohio will enjoy the salmon and 
the apples from the great State of Washington.
  Even in defeat, the Seattle Mariners proved to be a team of character 
and unmatched resilience. Time after time they came back from what 
seemed to be a hopeless situation. Whether it was Randy Johnson 
striking out the side to preserve a win or Edgar Martinez hitting a 
grand slam to win the game, we are proud of them.
  Mr. Speaker, we in Congress can learn a lot from both of those teams. 
Hard work, perseverance, and teamwork are the key to success. We need 
all the help possible in the weeks to come in our drive to balance the 
budget.
  Again, congratulations to the Seattle Mariners for an amazing season 
and good luck to the Cleveland Indians in the World Series.
  Mr. HOKE. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. METCALF. I yield to the gentleman from Ohio.
  Mr. HOKE. Mr. Speaker, first of all, I would like to express my 
gratitude as well as sympathy to the gentleman from Washington. Of 
course, it is easy to be magnanimous in victory, but I must say you 
really are a gentleman, and I appreciate the kind words with respect to 
our prospects in the World Series.
  I have to tell the gentleman that this is a particularly special time 
for anybody from Cleveland. We have been in the wilderness a long, long 
time, and as you all know, as you well know, the last time we were in 
the World Series 

[[Page H 10287]]
was also the last time that the Republican party was able to take over 
this Congress. I think that was in 1952 when we won the Congress.
  Now, the other thing that most people do not know is that in 1948 we 
also won the World Series when we controlled the Congress, the 
Republicans did, and the Indians went to the series then with the 
Braves again. Not the Atlanta Braves, of course, but at that time the 
Boston Braves. It was the Boston Braves at the time, and we won that 
series four games to two.
  So I think that those things are extremely good omens for the Indians 
in this World Series.
  By the way, I wanted to make sure that the gentleman from Washington, 
we remember what the Indians looked like here with the logo, and of 
course, as I understand it, people are going pretty crazy in Cleveland 
right now, as you can imagine, after 40 years of drought.
  I wanted to say one other thing if I might on the gentleman's time, 
and that is that I spoke with the distinguished Speaker of the House of 
Representatives, the gentleman from Georgia [Mr. Gingrich], who of 
course represents a part of the great city of Atlanta with whom the 
mighty Indians of Cleveland will be battling and what is undoubtedly 
going to be dubbed the most politically incorrect series of this 
century with the Atlanta Braves going against the Cleveland Indians.
  But I have made a proposal to Mr. Gingrich which he has accepted. He 
is not able to be here tonight, I have been informed, because he is 
trying to solve the last bits of the Medicare bill, but I made the 
following wager and that is that I have a beautiful tie that has 
Cleveland Indians on it, and he has agreed that if the Indians win he 
will wear that tie for an entire day that this House is in session, and 
he will also make a contribution of whatever special foods they have, 
hopefully Vidalia onions and peaches from the great State of Georgia, 
to a hunger center of my choice in Cleveland.
  If the Braves win, I will wear a Braves tie and also make a 
contribution of a slew of frozen pirogies to be sent down to a hunger 
center in Atlanta.
  I appreciate the Speaker accepting the wager.
  I really do appreciate the kind words of the gentleman from 
Washington [Mr. Metcalf]. I am looking forward to that smoked salmon, I 
have to tell you, and I am sorry that the season was curtailed for the 
great Mariners, but it could not be better for the Indians.
  Mr. METCALF. I thank the gentleman, and I might comment that I would 
have presented their logo even without the banner, but I do appreciate 
the banner.

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