Teddy mascot finally wins Nats' Presidents Race

 
No Author Published: October 3, 2012    Comment on this article Leave a comment

photo - Teddy Roosevelt, one of the Washington Nationals racing president, celebrates after crossing the finish line winning the Presidents Race for the first time in the event’s seven year history at Nationals Park during a baseball game between the Washington Nationals and Philadelphia Phillies in Washington, Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2012. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
Teddy Roosevelt, one of the Washington Nationals racing president, celebrates after crossing the finish line winning the Presidents Race for the first time in the event’s seven year history at Nationals Park during a baseball game between the Washington Nationals and Philadelphia Phillies in Washington, Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2012. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

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The sport was missing from Washington for more than three decades until MLB moved the Montreal Expos to D.C. before the 2005 season. The next year, the club began holding the Presidents Race, modeled after mascot runs held at baseball games in Milwaukee (where sausages "compete") and Pittsburgh (where it's pierogies).

For some time, there was a growing campaign by some fans — and folks in high places — to allow Roosevelt's entry to finally finish first.

Aboard Air Force One during a trip to Florida last month, White House press secretary Jay Carney playfully called Teddy's losing streak "an outrage" and also noted he was "comfortable saying" that President Barack Obama agreed with the sentiment.

McCain, the Republican nominee for President in 2008, even took part in a video shown on the stadium's outfield scoreboard this week.

In the clip, the senator was seen giving Teddy a pep talk. Worked, apparently.

"I think I said last year that it's going to be tough to win without Teddy winning, but I guess he was waiting for us," said Nationals right fielder Jayson Werth, who created quite a stir during a game in 2011 when he unsuccessfully attempted to block other mascots from racing so Roosevelt could end his losing skid then.

"I guess," Werth concluded Wednesday, "it marks the end of an era and the beginning of a new chapter in Nats baseball."

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Follow Howard Fendrich on Twitter at http://twitter.com/HowardFendrich

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