As entertainment manager for the Washington Nationals, Davis is in charge of the four presidents — George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt — that serve as mascots. Earlier this year, he helped picked fewer than two dozen people out of some 300 applicants to wear the 45-pound costumes for the baseball season ahead.
What do the presidents do to get ready for the season?
They all have their own workout sets. Teddy? He doesn’t work out much. He goes on vacation in the off-season. But George, Tom and Abe, they take it pretty seriously. They’re out there doing crunches, leg lunges, sprints around the park.
What does it take for the presidents to get ready for each game in hot D.C.?
They’ve all got to make sure they’re hydrated. It’s a long day, a long game, especially in July and August.
This year we have a presidential election. Will the presidents be weighing in?
I’m not really sure, but I can tell you they love a good party. So once the election is over and the inauguration occurs, you’ll be sure to see them around town.
So how do you explain to people that your job is herding presidents?
That’s part of it. There’s other stuff, as well. I guess I just send them a YouTube link or send them to Nationals.com to check out the presidents’ race videos.
So the U.S. Secret Service isn’t worried you’re competing for their jobs?
No. They actually really like it. I don’t know if you’ve seen it — obviously it only would work here with the presidents — but their handlers are our “secret service.”… They wear black and white baseball jerseys that say “secret service” across them. And there’s been tons of actual Secret Service members or officers that have come to games and they ask them every time: “How can I get my hands on this jersey? How can I get a jersey?” Actually, it’s really been funny.
— Kytja Weir
