Over the weekend, Jayson Werth pulled a stunt during the presidents' race in an effort to help Teddy win for the first time. We all laughed, but Werth sees nothing funny in the joke of losing.
According to Werth, an “expectancy of losing” has no place at Nats Park.
As told to the Washington Post:
“It was a joke on some levels, but on some levels not with the whole Teddy thing,” Werth said. “There’s an expectancy of losing there. It goes back to the first month of the season when we won two games in a row and [a reporter] asked me about the two-game winning streak. It’s like, ‘No.’ That whole thing had to stop. That had to stop in a big way. When an organization or a team is really young and is coming from many losing seasons, it starts to get ingrained. I’m not saying that I’m the one who changed it. It’s got to be a conscious effort on everybody’s part. But I definitely wasn’t complacent when I saw that happening.”
Werth has a point. Teddy being a constant race loser has become a part of Nationals baseball culture. But should we ever expect someone to lose?
Maybe it is becoming all too common for people to expect a Nats loss, and Werth sees that reflected in Teddy. Maybe Teddy is a metaphor for the Nats' own losing seasons.
Or maybe it’s just a silly gimmick.
Regardless, we think Werth is right to demand a change within the Nats culture. There has been enough losing at Nats Park.
While it’s too late to alter fate for this season, maybe the Nats should consider letting Teddy win the first home game’s race next year. Maybe a winning season will follow.
Questions, comments or tips? Email Sarah at sarahskogod@gmail.com. You can also follow her on Twitter (@sarahschorno).
