Major league baseball is a sport steeped in history, tradition, and statistics. With the start of the 2018 baseball season officially underway we thought it would be fun to examine one of the traditions of our local MLB team, the Washington Nationals — the Presidents race.
Most major league teams try to keep their crowds occupied between innings with things like the “kiss cam,” 7th inning stretch dances, and other fun activities. In 2006, the Nationals decided that their main activity between innings would be a “Presidents race.” During the middle of the fourth inning, costume characters of our former presidents return to race across a portion of the ball park. The main four presidents to participate appear on Mt. Rushmore; George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore (Teddy) Roosevelt. Other presidents have appeared over the years such as Calvin Coolidge, William Taft, and Herbert Hoover.
In honor of the Nationals home opening game — and in honor of baseball’s love for historic stats — we thought it would be fun to examine some of the Presidents race statistics and facts from previous opening days at Nationals Park.
| Date | Opponent | Score | Decision | Winning President |
| 4/2/2007 | vs Florida Marlins | 2-9 | L | George |
| 3/30/2008 | vs Atlanta Braves | 3-2 | W | George |
| 4/13/2009 | vs Philadelphia Phillies | 8-9 | L | Abe |
| 4/5/2010 | vs Philadelphia Phillies | 1-11 | L | Abe |
| 3/31/2011 | vs Atlanta Braves | 0-2 | L | George & Tom (tie) |
| 4/12/2012 | vs Cincinnati Reds | 3-2 | W | Tom |
| 4/1/2013 | vs Miami Marlins | 2-0 | W | George |
| 4/4/2014 | vs Atlanta Braves | 1-2 | L | Teddy |
| 4/6/2015 | vs New York Mets | 1-3 | L | Bill (William Howard Taft) |
| 4/7/2016 | vs Miami Marlins | 4-6 | L | Teddy |
| 4/3/2017 | vs Miami Marlins | 4-2 | W | Abe |
Based on history, Nationals fans should root for George to win the President’s race on opening day.
[Editor’s note: we didn’t know the outcome at press time, but Teddy won this year’s opening day Presidents race, and the Nationals lost to the New York Mets 8-2. The streak continues.]
Despite not winning his first race until 2012 (not on opening day), Teddy is always scheming to beat his fellow competitors. Over the years he has tied shoelaces together; ridden on various motor vehicles resulting in his disqualification; set up cones to misdirect the other presidents; and recruited reoccurring animal characters to attack his rivals. Since Teddy’s first race win in 2012, the Nationals have been unable to win a postseason series, causing superstition among some fans that Teddy’s win is a cause of the Nationals post-season woes.
Video captured The Easter Bunny tackling Teddy to rob him of a win in 2017. Oddly enough this was the second time — the Easter Bunny did the same thing in 2015.
This year’s All-Star game will be held at Nationals Park for the first time and as Nats fans, we are looking forward to seeing what they will come up with for the Presidents race.
| Fun Nats Stats |
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Thanks to our sources:
Let Teddy Win: https://blog.letteddywin.com/
Baseball Almanac: http://www.baseball-almanac.com/opening_day/odschedule.php?t=WS0
