Let Teddy Win T-Shirts
Anyone who doubted the Nationals’ conspiracy against Teddy Roosevelt need only have witnessed the travesty on display at Nationals Park Tuesday night.
No, it wasn’t the Henry Rodriquez wild pitch, or the back-to-back bases-loaded strikeouts in the tenth, or the excuse for pitching the Mets trotted out in extra innings. It was the blatant double standard on display as Abe Lincoln was handed a presidents race victory he didn’t deserve.
The Nationals moved the presidents race finish line to the third base side Tuesday, but only one president got the memo. George, Tom, and Teddy were first out of the gate, but stopped mid-race when they realized that Abe Lincoln had taken off in the other direction aboard a large tricycle.
As Lincoln approached the finish line, the Nats’ official race judge Screech didn’t hestitate to wave the checkered flag and declare Abe the winner.
Of course, Screech has previously disqualified Teddy Roosevelt for, among other things, riding a motor scooter, a golf cart, and a segway. The hypocrisy was not lost on fans, as Twitter lit up immediately following the race:
@cnichols14: Why wasn’t Abe disqualified? If @Teddy26Nats had pulled that, he would have been!
@WallyHuron: @LetTeddyWin so teddy wins with a segway and is disqualified. But Abe wins with a bike and wins? IT’S A CONSPIRACY I SAY!
@msdavisteacher @LetTeddyWin not fair! They disqualified Teddy for a Segway last year. How can Abe use a bike?
How indeed?
Tuesday’s Let Teddy Win cheering section of 8th-graders from Fort Worth, Texas remained an impressive presence in the Nationals Park Right Field Terrace through the full 12 innings, and even got a visit from the Bull Moose himself after the presidents race was finished.
Video and guest blog report to follow.
Twitter Photo: @NatzfFan
Filed under: Abe Lincoln, cheating | Tagged: Abe Cheats, Abe Lincoln, Abraham Lincoln, cheating, disqualified | Leave a Comment »
The Nationals were celebrating “Half Way to St. Patrick’s Day,” with green hats, beer and Irish-themed festivities throughout the park, so it should not have surprised Teddy Roosevelt that a leprechaun was in the house. 
But this week, George Washington, having finished second in the standings for three straight years, seems to have received a wake-up call, taking three of four races in similar fashion, with Abe-like bursts of speed.
After jumping out to a quick start, Lincoln turned around to taunt the other presidents, but Teddy caught up and slammed the Great Emancipator into the outfield scoreboard. Abe came up limp and failed to finish, as Thomas Jefferson pulled away for the victory. 
In one of the closest presidents races in Nationals Park history, all four presidents ran neck and neck for nearly the entire length of the race on Saturday at Nationals Park. As they approached the finish line, George faded and Abe Lincoln put on a burst of speed as Tom and Teddy dove for the tape. 
No sooner had Nationals mascot Screech declared Lincoln the winner, when he joined the presidents in holding up signs of appreciation for Kasten, who announced last week that he would be leaving the team at the end of the season.
On a sunny Saturday afternoon at Nationals Park, Teddy Roosevelt took an early lead in the 4th-inning presidents race, but faded quickly as George Washington put on a burst of speed to take the lead; but George couldn’t maintain the pace, and Abraham Lincoln once again was well-positioned to finish strong and take his 16th presidents race of the 2010 season.
A day after 
The race began just moments after Nats centerfielder Nyjer Morgan singlehandedly allowed an inside-the-park home run by 
One pitch and one out later, the crowd of 30,000+ was still on its feet and buzzing about the oddity they had witnessed as the presidents race began. 
Chasing Teddy from behind, Abe dropped him to the ground, then turned to go after the other presidents. 
The last game of the season was designated Fan Appreciation Day by the Nationals, and the 23,944 who made their way to Natstown for the rare late afternoon start got plenty to appreciate, starting with free fleece blankets and leading to perhaps a glimpse of the future: heroics by the team’s young prospects, a sweep of the New York Mets, and an unlikely playoff atmosphere.
What do George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and the Washington Nationals have in common? All were mathematically eliminated from any shot at a championship during the homestand that ended Thursday night at Nationals Park.
Note: We were thrilled to see Section 128 usher Ron “Coach” Simms back in action tonight at his familiar post. Coach reports that under Doctor’s orders, he’s not allowed to dance on top of the dugout during “Sweet Caroline” for at least a few more weeks, but he’s looking great and on the mend. Welcome back Coach!
