The racing presidents accompanied the Washington Nationals to Pittsburgh’s PNC Park this week, marking the fifth straight year the presidents have faced off with Pittsburgh’s racing pierogies.
PNC Park has never been kind to the presidents — particularly Teddy Roosevelt, who famously got leveled there by Potato Pete in 2009.
Perhaps that’s why he and sat out the first race of the series Tuesday night. As George Washington and Abe Lincoln squared off against Jalapeño Hannah and Sauerkraut Sal, Teddy and Thomas Jefferson manned the finish line.
As they always seem to do at home, the pierogies trounced the presidents.
In a warm-up for Thursday’s home season opener at Nationals Park, Nationals racing presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Teddy Roosevelt ran a presidents race for residents Wednesday at the Greenspring Retirement Community in Springfield, Virginia.
While the residents enjoyed their lunch, George, Tom, and Teddy shot a few rounds of billiards, posed for pictures with the residents, and set up a makeshift course around the facility’s rec room, running what may have been the first presidents race indoor heat.
Abe Lincoln failed to make the appearance, but the absence of his chief nemesis proved no help to Roosevelt, who was clearly saving his energy for the official 2012 campaign.
Photos and video courtesy of the Washington Nationals
Posted on February 22, 2012 by Presidents Race Fan
Following Saturday’s racing president auditions, the Washington Nationals took to the road to bring the presidents to New York for their annual appearance at a New York Islanders Presidents Day hockey game at Nassau Coliseum.
Donning ice skates, the four presidents raced around the ice until George slammed Teddy into the visitor’s bench. Teddy retaliated by jumping from the bench into the other three presidents, knocking the entire field to the ice.
Posted on February 12, 2012 by Presidents Race Fan
As expected, Nationals racing presidents Teddy Roosevelt and George Washington participated in Saturday’s Cupid’s Undie Run to raise money for The Children’s Tumor Foundation.
Participants volunteer to strip down to their underwear and run 1.5 miles in usually-freezing cold weather, though this year’s participants are relatively lucky. The forecast for race time is a balmy 44 degrees.
The race is scheduled to begin at 2:00pm from Pour House at 319 Pennsylvania Avenue SE and head towards Independence Avenue, then up 1st St SE. Spectators are welcome.
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
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.
The presidents’ exhibition appearance usurped Buffalo’s usual mid-game race between a chicken wing, celery, and blue cheese.
With Roosevelt in the lead mid-race, the Bisons’ giant Buffalo chicken wing ran onto the field, providing a distraction for Teddy, who went off course, giving George the unofficial victory.
Posted on September 1, 2011 by Presidents Race Fan
Give credit to the Nationals’ racing presidents. These guys get around.
This week, the Rushmores decided to use the team’s current road trip as an excuse to hit the road themselves.
No, they didn’t follow the team south to Atlanta. They went in the opposite direction, touring Canada and upstate New York on their way to Buffalo.
Their destination? Buffalo’s Coca-Cola Field, where the Mets Triple-A affiliate Buffalo Bisons (Bison? Bisons?) will close out their home season tonight by hosting the Nationals’ Triple-A affiliate Syracuse Chiefs.
The presidents will greet fans, run an exhibition race, and presumably pay a visit to familiar faces on the Syracuse Roster such as Roger Bernadina, Craig Stammen, and J.D. Martin.
In the meantime, Teddy Roosevelt has been tweeting photos as the presidents have taken the scenic route through Toronto, Niagra Falls, and the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site in Buffalo, where Roosevelt took the oath of office in 1901.
With the team returning to Nationals Park Friday night to begin a 10-game homestand, here’s hoping Teddy doesn’t overexert himself on the trip.
Tyler Clippard wasn’t the only Washington National making an all star game appearance this week. The Nationals’ own racing presidents made a guest appearance at the All Star game — no, not that All Star game. George, Tom, Abe, and Teddy appeared Thursday at the Atlantic League All Star Game in York, Pennsylvania.
Thanks to reader Kyle Mace, a Camp Hill, PA native who provided the video, and to Chris Stetler, a Let Teddy Win fan and self-described baseball fanatic who offered this report from her home town:
While the Nationals may be still off enjoying their last day of the All-Star break, the President’s hit the road.
Invited to attend the Atlantic League All-Star game at Sovereign Bank Stadium in York, PA, home of the York Revolution, the 2010 Atlantic League Champions, they traveled north to the delight of the home town crowd. It is a fitting journey north as York housed the Continental Congress when they wrote the Articles of Confederation, the first constitution of the newly formed United States of America in 1776-1777.
Throughout the game, the President’s could be seen mingling with the fans, having their photos taken, and being all-around great ambassadors. But, they got down to business in the fourth inning when they came out of the center field gates and prepared to do battle.
As they do at home, the quartet turned towards right field and at the count of three, raced around the outfield warning track aiming for the finish line just to the right of first base and before the home team’s dugout.
Teddy started out slow, and then poured it on as they came around the curve to the infield. Sadly, he was overtaken by George Washington who finished with a commanding lead. Just before the finish line Thomas Jefferson pulled ahead of Teddy, leaving Teddy to finish in third ahead of Abraham Lincoln.
The fans cheered on the Commander’s-in-Chiefs and I even heard a few Let Teddy Win! cheers during the race. It was so fun to hear other people cheering Teddy on and hoping, just hoping, he might finally break the streak and win. Sadly, it was not to be.
From a York Revolution fan to the Washington Nationals and Presidents Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Roosevelt, thank you for coming up to add even more excitement to the Atlantic League All-Star game!
Thanks Chris and Kyle! It’s great to know that the Let Teddy Win movement reaches far beyond DC.
The Washington Nationals’ racing presidents made yet another appearance at the White House yesterday, joining president Barack Obama and his family for an Independence Day barbecue honoring military heroes and their families.
The appearance was part of a renewed effort by the Nats’ organization to embrace the military this year.
The First Lady also appeared at Nationals Park Tuesday night in support of her Joining Forces initiative, which focuses on mobilizing all sectors of society to support military families.
The Nationals’ racing presidents joined the team in Anaheim, California Monday night as the Nats kicked off the Davey Johnson era vs. the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
Fans at Angel Stadium cheered as the presidents took the field in the middle of the 5th inning wearing oversized versions of the Nationals new road uniforms; but those looking for Teddy’s luck to change on the road were extremely disappointed.
Teddy entered the field riding an oversized tricycle, and fell behind the other presidents before they reached the right field corner.
As they hit the home stretch, George Washington shoved Abe Lincoln into the stands, preserving the first victory in Anaheim for the father of our country.
The Nationals’ racing presidents are hitting the road and heading to California, where they will run three unofficial races during the Nats’ series against the Anaheim Angels beginning Monday night, the Angels announced this afternoon.
It will be the presidents’ first appearance at Angel Stadium. They have previously made guest appearances at Pittsburgh’s PNC Park and Baltimore’s
Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
Monday’s race will mark the first time the racing presidents have appeared on the road without the presence of another teams’ mascot. The Angels are one of only four major league teams that do not have a mascot.
The Washington Nationals racing presidents all showed up at Pittsburgh’s PNC Park for an Easter Sunday relay race vs. the Pirates’ racing Pierogies.
Abe and Teddy ran the anchor legs as George and Tom joined their annual visit to Pittsburgh, but the presidents never had a chance. Cheese Chester flew by his top-heavy rivals to claim the hometown victory.