President William Howard Taft to be Nats racer

President William Howard Taft had several things about him to be known for, besides being Commander in Chief.  More than likely, the current fact most Americans may know about President Taft references his physical appearance.  The 27th President of the United States was also the largest man to occupy the office, weighing in at about 332 pounds.  President Taft was big enough that he had to have a custom made bath tub brought to the White House after he got stuck in one. 

President Taft also holds the lone distinction of being the only President to also serve on the United States Supreme Court.  Not only was President Taft appointed to the Court after his Presidency ended, but he was also appointed Chief Justice.  In that role, President Taft swore in two Presidents that followed him, Presidents Calvin Coolidge and Herbert Hoover.

However, despite all that, President Taft likely will achieve his greatest accomplishment this Saturday afternoon.  According to Dan Steinberg, President Taft will be the fifth racing President to be added this season at Nationals Park.  President Taft joins Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Teddy Roosevelt.  

“Teddy has handpicked the next president for the Presidents’ Race,” Nationals COO Andy Feffer said late Friday. “There was a great amount of banter and discussion back and forth, but Teddy won out with his recommendation.”

While the team considered all sorts of presidential options, this was actually an inspired choice. Taft avoids all the messy political subtext that virtually any post-war president would have created. He has an intimate connection with baseball, having
started the tradition of ceremonial first-pitch tossing with a 1910 delivery before a shutout win by Walter Johnson at Griffith Stadium. He’s also widely credited with having accidentally created the seventh-inning stretch.

Congratulations President and Justice Taft.  We welcome you to Nationals Park!