2012 Results & Highlights

2012 was a breakthrough season for both the Nationals and for perpetual loser Teddy Roosevelt. As the team soared to the best record in Major League Baseball, pressure grew from all corners to Let Teddy Win. Competing players weighed in, law professors proposed legal remedies, the Orioles’ Adam Jones joined the movement, and calls for a Teddy victory came from The Washington Post to the Wall Street Journal to a Ken Burns-narrated video on ESPN. After The White House issued a statement, the Nats turned the final homestand into a tribute to Teddy, and finally let him taste his first victory at the final regular season game.

Final 2012 Presidents Race Standings**

George Washington	30
Abraham Lincoln	29
Thomas Jefferson	27
Teddy Roosevelt	4

**Includes three victories by Teddy Roosevelt during home playoff games.

2012 Presidents Race Highlights

DATE	VS.	WINNER	NOTABLE
4/12	CIN	Tom	Teddy ties presidents shoelaces but Tom takes them off
4/13	CIN	Tom	Presidents race on Segways, Jefferson moves to 2-0
4/13*	CIN	Tom	Abe takes out Teddy in extra 13th-inning race
4/14	CIN	Abe	Direction change confuses Teddy, who runs wrong way
4/15	CIN	George	Jayson Werth breaks the tape, but Teddy fails to do so
4/16	HOU	Abe	George tackles Tom, Abe wins on Emancipation Day
4/17	HOU	Tom	Teddy stops to look for Space Shuttle Discovery in the sky
4/18	HOU	Abe	Teddy makes a strong run, but can’t catch Abe
4/19	HOU	George	Teddy gives out High Fives for National High Five Day
4/20	MIA	Tom	Tom passes George and Abe in the home stretch
4/21	MIA	George	Teddy skips race, walks the dog for Pups in the Park
5/1	ARI	George	“Classic” presidents return for Bryce Harper’s debut
5/2	ARI	George	George runs away with it. Presidents taunt Racing Gracie
5/3	ARI	Abe	Lincoln wears Mark Grace mask to snare a win for Gracie
5/4	PHI	George	With Phillies in town, presidents show their “Natitude”
5/5	PHI	Tom	Teddy gives up the lead to antagonize Phillies fans
5/6	PHI	George	Teddy attacks & ESPN’s Dan Shulman visits the blog
5/14	SDG	George	“New” presidents return, GW falls back over finish line
5/15	SDG	George	In the rain, everybody falls except George Washington
5/16	PIT	George	Racing pierogie Potato Pete returns, distracts Teddy
5/17	PIT	Tom	Teddy exacts revenge on Pittsburgh’s Potato Pete
5/18	BAL	George	Presidents run left. George does jumping jacks.
5/19	BAL	Tom	Teddy pummels the Oriole Bird
5/20	BAL	Abe	Lincoln returns to form, passing Roosevelt for the win
6/2	ATL	Abe	“Classic” presidents return after long road trip
6/3	ATL	Tom	Abe Lincoln face plants in foul territory
6/5	NYM	Abe	Abe Lincoln rides a tricycle but is not disqualified
6/6	NYM	George/Abe	Abe beats Teddy again, this time with both on bikes
6/7	NYM	George	Teddy fades, George beats Abe at the finish
6/15	NYY	George	In new military fatigues, Teddy falls to a rogue lobster
6/16	NYY	Abe	Teddy rides a motorcycle, but starts in the wrong direction
6/16*	NYY	Abe	Teddy tried the motorcycle again, but runs out of gas
6/17	NYY	Tom	Jefferson knocks out all 3 competitors, is not disqualified
6/19	TAM	Abe	Lincoln shows up the other presidents at the finish
6/20	TAM	George	George holds off Abe as presidents run left
6/21	TAM	Abe	Teddy gets his glasses fixed. No help. Abe wins.
7/3	SFG	Abe	Teddy learns you can’t Tweet and run at the same time
7/4	SFG	Tom	Jefferson goes coast to coast on Independence Day
7/5	SFG	George	Abe & Teddy pay tribute to 1924 on throwback night
7/6	COL	Abe	Abe Lincoln pulls away from the pack at the finish
7/7	COL	George	In 103° heat, Teddy veers off course for Popsicles
7/8	COL	George	George comes from behind, taunts Abe at the finish line
7/17	NYM	George/Tom	George and Tom race to victory aboard tandem bicycles
7/18	NYM	Tom	Lincoln as Batman tackles Teddy Roosevelt as Bane
7/19	NYM	Tom	Teddy distracted by Mets fan offering free apple pie
7/20	ATL	Abe	Abraham Lincoln leads wire to wire
7/21	ATL	George	Washington comes from behind to pass Abe Lincoln
7/21*	ATL	Abe	Lincoln surges past the field and cruises
7/22	ATL	Abe	Abe Lincoln cheats his way to presidents race victory
7/31	PHL	Tom	Racing presidents kick off a week of Olympic tributes
8/1	PHL	Tom	Racing presidents take up swords in fencing match
8/2	PHL	George	Racing presidents perform rhythmic gymnastics
8/3	MIA	George/Tom	Teddy runs anchor in baton relay, loses lead to George
8/3	MIA	Tom	Shark attacks Teddy as presidents “swim” race
8/4	MIA	Abe	“Regatta” has presidents riding Segways fitted with sails
8/5	MIA	Tom	Presidents race Olympics conclude with Steeplechase
8/17	NYM	Abe	Teddy nearly wins dressed as a shark for Shark Week
8/18	NYM	Abe	Nationals send a message, George pummels Teddy
8/19	NYM	Abe	Abe Lincoln continues his roll, passing Teddy for the W
8/20	ATL	Tom	Thomas Jefferson beats Abe Lincoln in a photo finish
8/20*	ATL	Abe	In 13th inning, Screech awards W to Abe over George
8/21	ATL	Tom	Thomas Jefferson beats Abe Lincoln again at the wire
8/22	ATL	Abe	Abe moves into first place as race runs on 3B side again
8/30	STL	Tom	Thomas Jefferson catches Roosevelt from behind
8/31	STL	Abe	AU mascot Clawed the Eagle holds the finish line
9/1	STL	Abe	Teddy leads racing presidents in “Gangnam Style” dance
9/2	STL	Tom	Teddy rides a tricycle, but can’t catch Thomas Jefferson
9/3	CHC	George	George wins first presidents race in a month
9/4	CHC	Abe	Lincoln catches George Washington from behind
9/5	CHC	Tom	Controversial finish in closest presidents race ever
9/6	CHC	Abe	Lincoln runs extends his lead with an easy win
9/7	MIA	George	Teddy pushes Abe Lincoln into the outfield wall
9/8	MIA	Tom	Presidents push and shove until one is left standing
9/9	MIA	Tom	Jefferson fades, then comes back to win a clean race
9/19	LAD	Abe	Lincoln takes race 1 of the doubleheader
9/19*	LAD	Tom	Teddy loses, says “Argh!” on Talk Like a Pirate Day
9/20	LAD	George	George holds off TJ in the stretch as Nats clinch playoffs
9/21	MIL	George	Teddy comes in 2nd in 1st race after Nats make playoffs
9/22	MIL	Abe	Presidents (and pups in the park) show playoff Natitude
9/23	MIL	George	Teddy closes hard on the outside, but can’t catch GW
9/24	MIL	George	Presidents form blockade around Teddy Roosevelt
10/1	PHI	George	John McCain gives Teddy an HD scoreboard pep talk
10/2	PHI	George	After Teddy locks out Abe & Tom, George out-cheats him
10/3	PHI	TEDDY	Teddy wins historic first presidents race after 525 losses
10/10	STL	TEDDY	Racing presidents dance Gangnam Style as Teddy wins
10/11	STL	TEDDY	All star cast of villains returns to help Teddy win
10/12	STL	TEDDY	Grounds crew pummels George, Tom, and Abe

* A second official presidents race is added when a game exceeds 12 innings. Late-inning bonus presidents races were run on April 13 (13 innings vs. Cincinnati Reds), June 16 (14 innings vs. New York Yankees), and August 20 (13 innings vs. Atlanta Braves). The Nationals also played two home games (i.e., baseball doubleheaders) on July 21 and September 19.

Let Teddy Win!

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