Now that Cal Ripken has bested Lou Gehrig, the obvious question for the sabremetricians is: Who holds the record for “doing lunch” in Washington? Consensus has it that the late public-relations man Robert Gray set a 2, 1304unch total that may be impossible to beat. Rain or shine, Democratic or Republican administration, from the glory days of Sans Souci to the closing days of Maison Blanche, Gray was there.

Former Democratic National Committee chairman Robert Strauss gave Gray a run for the money, but Strauss had to go onto the 2-year disabled list when named ambassador to Moscow during the Bush administration. Larry King was looking good there for a while, but they closed his favorite establishment, Duke Zeibert’s, and he just hasn’t been able to get into the rhythm since. Besides, King had a heart attack a few years ago, and had to spent a few days convalescing. Larry just couldn’t lunch hurt.