Nationals’ bullpen cart driver tryouts draw d
The course at the Washington Nationals’ bullpen cart driver tryout was supposedly shaped like a curly
W, but you can be the judge of that. Racing president Teddy Roosevelt stood in the middle of the
course, and if you made a wrong turn or drove out of bounds, he’d chase you with an
orange traffic cone. If you nearly collided with a garbage can or sped through the
finish line almost running over a staffer, he’d double over at the waist, hanging
his head in disappointment. Somehow, his flimsy-but-gravity-defying glass-
es stuck to his felt face.
Darren M. Haynes, the WUSA9 sports anchor, set Tuesday’s course
record at 47 seconds, but he won’t be getting the job. He floored
the golf cart the Nationals used in place of the official bullpen
vehicle on straightaways and took U-turns at high speed. (This
golf cart topped out at 8 mph, but it’s top-heavy and it feels
faster. The real cart reaches 20 mph.)
Ted, a retired Library of Congress administrator from Da-
vidsonville, Md., is probably better qualified, seeing as how
he didn’t nearly skid the cart on two wheels during his run.
So is James, a 56-year-old who lives less than a block from
the first base dugout at Nationals Park. Or Ann, a mom
from Sterling, Va., who insisted she is perfect for this role.
“I saw the job online and said, ‘That’s got my name written
all over it,’ ” she said.
The Nationals posted a job opening for a bullpen cart driver
earlier this month. Within three days, the team received
432 applications, according to Tom Davis, the club’s enter-
tainment director. People offered to relocate from across the
country for the honor of driving pitchers from the bullpen to
the area beside the home dugout.
Tuesday, the team culled the field to 21 applicants and held tryouts
in the center field concourse of Nationals Park. A coterie of Washing-
ton fans, many of whom dressed up for the occasion in ties and blazers,
festooned with Nationals caps and scarves, put their best foot forward. (Or
down, as the case may be.)
Applicants needed a valid driver’s license, at least 10 years of driving experience and to
promise to attend all 81 Washington home games. Participants were timed, but that was more to
establish a reasonable speed than anything else. Most important was the personality question: Can
you remain chill when Sean Doolittle sits down in the shotgun seat, ready to close out a tight game?
“We all want to have fun,” Davis said, “but it’s a serious situation. You’re driving Major League Baseball
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