WASHINGTON – Everybody loves an underdog. And everybody loves Teddy.

That makes racing president Teddy Roosevelt perhaps the D.C.-area’s most lovable loser.

The mascot is notorious for losing every fourth-inning Presidents Race at Nationals Park, but he still has a huge following. On Twitter alone, more than 4,100 people follow Teddy.

Plus, go to any Nats game and you’ll see people waving signs, urging Teddy to win.

But will he ever (legitimately) cross that finish line first? And which president would the Nats call up, if Teddy gets benched for not winning?

Perhaps most importantly, is there a conspiracy that’s keeping Teddy from winning?

WTOP’s Brennan Haselton has the story. Listen to the audio above.

You can also watch the video below of Teddy warming up before Thursday’s Nationals home opener against the Reds. See whether you think he’s prepping to really win the home opener’s race, or if after all this losing, he’s simply going through the motions.

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