The Washington Nationals are looking for outgoing and energetic athletes, gymnasts, dancers, cheerleaders, promotional models and “overall outstanding personalities” to join the on-field entertainment team this season at Nationals Park.
Tryouts to join the Nat Pack, the team’s “fan ambassadors” who lead cheers and take part in fan promotions throughout the season, will be held January 28-29 at Nationals Park, and applications are due by next Monday, January 23. Candidates are asked to send their photo, resume, and cover letter to entertainment@nationals.com. Details here.
In keeping with tradition, we expect the all-important 2012 presidents race auditions to occur at Nationals Park on February 18, but according to the team, this year’s dates have not been finalized. Presidents race tryouts traditionally occur on Presidents Day weekend, with applications due a week prior.
Stay tuned. The Nats have promised details on this as well as the national anthem tryouts soon.
A Nats fan “since the beginning,” Bowman, 33, never bought season tickets because his family lives in Ashburn, Virginia, and could only take so many taxing rush hour drives through suburban traffic to reach Nationals Park. “I’m not near the Metro,” Bowman says, “and the drive can be hard.”
This season, he’s teaming with two friends to do something about it.
The three Virginia natives have joined to launch Ballpark Bus to Nationals Park, a service that shuttles fans en mass from restaurant parking lots in suburban Maryland and Virginia to Nationals Park and back.
“We want to turn something mundane like getting to the game into something relaxing and fun,” said Bowman. “The Ballpark Bus adds to the total fan experience.”
The service will start taking reservations at BallparkBus.com in March, well in advance of the Nationals April 12 home opener. Until then, the website points to their new Facebook page, where they are asking for feedback to determine which locations have the most demand.
The service will rely on the web and social networks to schedule fan buses based on need. “It’s a new concept of mass transit on demand,” says Bowman.
Fans can request a free reservation to any game from the participating restaurant that’s closest to them. Once a request has been made, “social tools” help fans recruit additional passengers from their own social networks and on the website. When enough reservations are made, the location is officially added to the ticketing schedule, with those early reservations receiving a discounted seat price.
Ballpark Bus will drop fans off just outside the first base entrance to Nationals Park at Potomac Avenue on the Anacostia River, which should add to the appeal compared to remote parking or Metro.
In addition to the Facebook page, Ballpark bus has posted a video showing how it works:
Bowman, who is an Art Director at a local agency, plans to add some “fun promotions” for bus passengers, but isn’t pitching Ballpark Bus as a party bus. The team is still working out whether alcohol will be allowed.
Pricing has not been published, but “will be competitive with other forms of transport to the park such as Metro and parking,” said Bowman. “A top priority for us is to keep the price down so its family friendly.”
Bowman is hoping the service can help grow the ranks of Nationals fans from locations as disparate as Loudon, Fairfax, Montgomery, Prince Georges, Prince William and Anne Arundel counties, adding “We want to get information from the riders and build it around what they want.”
As of this morning, the site’s Facebook survey showed an early preference for locations along I-66 (Tysons, Fairfax, Centerville, Manassas), followed by the Dulles Toll Road (Reston, Herndon, Sterling, Ashburn), I-270 (Rockville, Gaithersburg, Germantown), and I-95 South (Springfield, Lorton, Woodbridge).
Posted on December 24, 2011 by Presidents Race Fan
For your enjoyment this Christmas weekend, the Washington Nationals released a behind-the-scenes video from the racing presidents’ guest appearance earlier this month in The Washington Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker at the Warner Theatre.
The clip features an interview with director Septime Webre, who praises Thomas Jefferson for his “confident, nuanced artistry,” George Washington for his “virtuosic high kicks,” and Teddy Roosevelt for his “sophisticated” port de bras, but when pressed, he confessed that the hero of San Juan Hill was the most difficult to work with.
“Teddy did throw a diva fit at a moment during rehearsal,” said Webre, “but I had to put him in line.”
Photo by Theo Kossenas Photography via the Curly W Blog
Posted on December 20, 2011 by Presidents Race Fan
Hosts Chris Rose and Kevin Millar gave a shout out to the blog Monday as they issued their predictions for the 2012 presidents race on The MLB Network’s “Intentional Talk.”
Rose predicts an 0-81 campaign for Teddy, but Millar was more optimistic, predicting that 2012 will be a big year for the Bull Moose Party.
The Washington Nationals’ own racing presidents will make a special return guest appearance in The Washington Ballet production of Septime Webre’s “The Nutcracker” at the Warner Theatre on Wednesday, December 14.
The Nationals racing presidents in last year's Washington Ballet production of "The Nutcracker" at the Warner Theatre
A Washington tradition, the Webre production stars George Washington as the Nutcracker, and features guest appearances by local celebrities throughout the season.
This will be the second year the presidents have appeared in the classic. This video from Mojo Factory Productions shows a behind-the-scenes glimpse of last year’s appearance, including an impressive arabesque by Abraham Lincoln:
Tickets are available at the historic Warner Theatre Box Office, or via Ticketmaster.
Posted on November 22, 2011 by Presidents Race Fan
If you’re like most Americans, you’re facing two big decisions right now: 1) what to get friends and family for the holidays, and 2) which political party to support in 2012.
I’m happy to report that Teddy Roosevelt’s Progressive Bull Moose Party is back to solve both of these problems.
Remarkably, 2012 marks the 100th anniversary of the Progressive Party, founded by Teddy Roosevelt and nicknamed the “Bull Moose Party” after Roosevelt was shot in a failed assassination attempt and later declared “I’m fit as a bull moose!”
The party was formed by the popular former president to challenge his successor, fellow Republican William Howard Taft, whom he feared had drifted too far to the right.
Among other things, the Progressive platform of 1912 promoted social insurance, disclosure of campaign contributions, registration of lobbyists, and government regulation of the securities industry. Yes, some things haven’t changed much in 100 years.
The Bull Moose Party 2012 section is filled with new designs and items promoting a simpler platform for 2012: “Let Teddy Win!”
New items at the shop include jewelry, christmas ornaments, clocks, laptop skins, iPad covers, water bottles, nightshirts, pajamas, baby items and much more including, of course, lots of t-shirts in all shapes and sizes.
It’s been nearly two years since I last mentioned the store, so with over 150 new items, it seemed worth a post. As always, your purchases support this blog with a markup of a few dollars, sometimes less. I wish Cafepress prices were lower, but everything is backed by their no-questions-asked satisfaction guarantee.
A side note: It’s gratifying to see our readers wearing Let Teddy Win! gear at Nationals Park. The movement is strong, but oddly, our t-shirts have started showing up in some strange places. Who is this guy? (Warning: misogynist video not suitable for children).
UPDATE: CafePress has a coupon code FB50 which can be used today for free shipping on orders of $50 or more.
Posted on November 11, 2011 by Presidents Race Fan
The Washington Nationals have remained silent on the Wilson Ramos kidnapping at the request of government and law enforcement officials, but that didn’t prevent the team from quietly supporting the impromptu candlelight vigil tonight in front of Nationals Park.
The vigil was organized entirely by fans via Twitter in a matter of hours. Those who braved freezing temperatures to show their support for the Ramos family arrived to find tables set up with coffee and hot chocolate, courtesy of the team.
The Nats also let it be known that the area around the center field gate fence is open territory for signs to be left in support of their catcher.
9:50pm UPDATE: The Ramos family has just confirmed that they received a call from authorities telling them that Wilson Ramos has been found and freed!
11:00pm UPDATE: Statement from Washington Nationals GM Mike Rizzo: “The news from Venezuela tonight is reassuring. Though details are limited and we have not yet talked directly with Wilson, we are thrilled with reports that he has been rescued and is being safely returned to his family. We greatly appreciate all the prayers and thoughts of all who have joined us in wishing for this conclusion to what has been a nightmarish 48 hours. We are eager to see Wilson and let him know just how many all over the world have been waiting for this news.”
And finally, just after midnight, from @educal1973 and Mauricio Centeno at El Carabobeño newspaper:
Posted on November 11, 2011 by Presidents Race Fan
The entire nation of Venezuela along with baseball fans and concerned citizens in DC and around the world have been on edge since Wednesday night, when news broke of the kidnapping of Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos.
Following last night’s candlelight vigil held outside the stadium in Ramos’ home town of Valencia, local fans are building momentum for a similar vigil
to be held tonight outside Nationals Park.
This is an unofficial event, organized by fans. The gathering will begin at 6:00pm outside the Nationals Park center field gate. Dress warmly and bring your own candles, signs, etc.
Please note that the Navy Yard Metro station is closed for maintenance. Free shuttle bus service will operate between the L’Enfant Plaza and Southern Avenue stations to closed Metro stations.
For those wishing to drive, note that parking meter enforcement will not be in effect in observance of the Veterans Day holiday. There will be no enforcement of residential parking or rush hour lane violations, which means parking should be plentiful.
For up-to-date info, you can follow the Twitter hashtag #vigilforramos.
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Thursday is Teddy Roosevelt’s birthday, and what better way to celebrate than to relive some of the top presidents race moments of 2011 (at least according to the Nationals).
The Nats staff has compiled a fun video for Nationals.com highlighting some the more memorable triumphs and mishaps of 2011.
Notably absent are the two races from the final weekend the season in which Jayson Werth tried to take over the presidents race. It was a National story, but one the Nats’ marketing brass would prefer to bury. In fact, the Nationals have never released video of those two races.
The finalists have been announced for the Washington Nationals annual pumpkin carving contest, and once again, the racing presidents have been well-represented.
Posted on September 28, 2011 by Presidents Race Fan
In this Redskins-obsessed sports community, it’s fair to say that many people locally haven’t paid close attention to the Nationals’ amazing September.
The self-proclaimed “last member of the Bull Moose Party” is passionate about putting an end to any remnants of what he saw as “an expectancy of losing,” and while he believes the team has turned the corner, he sees Teddy’s losing streak as a remnant of that mentality.
“It was a joke on some levels, but on some levels not,” Werth told Kilgore. “There’s an expectancy of losing there. It goes back to the first month of the season when we won two games in a row and [a reporter] asked me about the two-game winning streak. It’s like, ‘No.’ That whole thing had to stop. That had to stop in a big way. When an organization or a team is really young and is coming from many losing seasons, it starts to get ingrained. I’m not saying that I’m the one who changed it. It’s got to be a conscious effort on everybody’s part. But I definitely wasn’t complacent when I saw that happening.”
It’s safe to say that Werth won’t be interfering with the presidents race again, but here’s hoping our new favorite National doesn’t drop his membership in the Bull Moose party. If Werth can recruit more players and fans to the cause, and the team does well, perhaps the pressure will build for the Nationals to let Teddy win in the 2012 season.
Photo courtesy of Flickr member Chris Tatem
After Werth proclaimed that ““If Teddy can’t win, then no one wins,” speculation was rampant that one of two things would happen: either the Nats would succumb to popular pressure, or Werth would make a third attempt to secure a Bull Moose victory on his own.
But just before Sunday’s first pitch, Werth was asked privately about his plans, and his answer revealed all readers need to know about the anti-Teddy conspiracy in the Nationals front office.
“It’s bigger than me, man. It’s bigger than me,” he said, shaking his head. “I gave it my best shot.”
Whatever talking-to Werth received from Nationals management, and despite any assurances he gave them, it was clear nonetheless when Sunday’s race began that they weren’t taking any chances on another coup attempt in the season finale.
As the presidents were being introduced, the Nationals trotted out That Cat to patrol the first base line, flexing his muscles as if to dare Teddy to try to cross his path. Momma Screech stood by as well, in case reinforcements were needed.
As added protection against another right field revolt, the Nats moved the finish line to the third base side. After Washington, Lincoln, and Roosevelt began their usual route, Jefferson came out and bolted the other way towards left field and the new finish line.
As That Cat took down Tom, Abe, and Teddy in succession, Thomas Jefferson cruised across the tape uncontested.
Tom’s victory moved him into an improbable and first-ever season-ending tie with Abe Lincoln for the 2011 presidents race crown. If not for Werth’s antics on Saturday, Jefferson would have had the opportunity to win the title outright.
Meanwhile, the team’s rebuke of Werth is a rude awakening for Teddy fans who had hoped for an end to the conspiracy. After 441 races, the Rough Rider will enter the 2012 season without a single win, and the powers that be at the Nationals appear hell-bent on keeping it that way.
If there were any doubts, look no further than the new and unedited video below by our regular YouTube contributor lfahome, who caught the chaos from the finish line in all its glory.
From the way Werth and Rick Ankiel casually sauntered onto the field of play, to the way Werth had to chase Jefferson into the middle of the outfield, to the way he shoved TJ back to the ground when he tried to get up, to Werth’s despondent reaction when Teddy fell and stopped running, to P.A. announcer Jerome Hruska nearly cracking up while calling the race, to the moment Werth realized George Washington was still on his feet and attempted to trip him, to the panic by TJ’s “secret service agent,” who realized they’d gone over the MLB-allotted time, to the shock on Nat Pack member Katie’s face when Werth decided to take the tape himself, does anything about this look like the Nationals’ normally well-scripted routine?:
Check out that Nat Pack reaction one more time:
Finally, there’s Werth’s own non-comment when asked about it in the post-game press conference. “I can’t really comment,” Werth said. “When you stage a coup, it’s better to keep it quiet.”
Of course, Werth didn’t act completely alone. After failing in his first sabotage attempt Friday night, he recruited outfielder Rick Ankiel to join four bullpen pitchers and try to clear the path for Teddy.
In the face of those numbers, you have to give credit to the Nats. They are so committed to keeping the curse alive that they ad-libbed quite well, with Teddy taking a tumble in the outfield and Screech ultimately awarding the win to Werth (noted now in our standings).
But Werth appears undaunted. “If Teddy can’t win,” he said Saturday, “then no one wins in my vote.”
For a team that’s long been eliminated from playoff contention, this certainly adds intrigue to Sunday’s final home game at Nationals Park. Will Werth recruit more players to literally carry Teddy across the finish line? It doesn’t seem like the Nats have a say, and for that, Jayson Werth is officially the new hero of the Let Teddy Win movement.
“If Teddy can’t win, no one wins,” Werth said in the postgame press conference Saturday at Nationals Park, adding “I must be the last remaining member of the Bull Moose party, I guess.”
On whether Saturday’s ambush was planned, Werth said “I can’t really comment. When you stage a coup, it’s better to keep it quiet.”
Will the Nationals finally heed Werth’s wishes and let the team start the 2012 season without Teddy’s curse hanging over them?
“Let’s just say it’s Teddy Roosevelt’s last stand of the Rough Riders,” Werth said.
Sunday is their last chance this season to break the curse. What better gift on Fan Appreciation Day?
The Washington Nationals are looking for outgoing and energetic athletes, gymnasts, dancers, cheerleaders, promotional models and “overall outstanding personalities” to join the on-field entertainment team this season at Nationals Park.
January 28-29 at Nationals Park, and applications are due by next Monday, January 23. Candidates are asked to send their photo, resume, and cover letter to entertainment@nationals.com. Details here.
Hosts Chris Rose and Kevin Millar gave a shout out to the blog Monday as they issued their predictions for the 2012 presidents race on The MLB Network’s “Intentional Talk.”
