The Washington Nationals are looking for a few good men (or a woman) who aren’t afraid to impersonate a dead president, run around the field, and occasionally, be subject to some physical abuse.
Over the weekend, the team held tryouts for the 12-foot-tall mascots depicting George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft.
While it’s all fun and games, it’s a process the team didn’t take lightly.
Anyone interested had to submit cover letters, resumes and then receive a personal invitation. Out of hundreds that applied, 32 people competed and put on extremely top-heavy 50-pound “racing president” suits.
“Just staying upright is a challenge,” said Erin, 35, the lone woman trying out told The Washington Post.
We’re definitely looking for someone who has the ability to run, but personality counts, too, said Tom Davis, the Nationals’ senior manager of entertainment.
In all, 15 to 20 people will get the gig.
While things have changed lately for Roosevelt, he has previously been the subject of a long-running gag where he’d never win. He’d usually lose in spectacular fashion.
For the lucky few who end up in the presidential costumes, there are all sorts of on-field hazards they have to watch out for.
Such as the Easter Bunny:
And Batman:
