I was recently in Nashville to visit our new granddaughter and family and attended a Nashville Sounds Pacific Coast League game at First Tennessee Park. If you don’t consider Nashville to be on the Pacific Coast you were probably good in geography in school.
During the game they had one of those races around the ballpark that have become so popular. I think it started in Milwaukee where they had the “Racing Sausages” at Miller Park. They debuted in the early ‘90s and were a big hit.
The sausages became so popular other parks copied the idea. For example, Cleveland has racing condiments(mustard, ketchup and onions) and Pittsburgh has the racing pirogues, a mash potato and meat sandwich popular in the area.
Washington took it a step farther with the “Racing Presidents” at the Nationals games. Dressed in period style, the presidents have big foam heads and they’re quite popular. Abe Lincoln, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Teddy Roosevelt have been staples of the race and in the last couple years William Taft has joined in. Herbert Hoover and Calvin Coolidge also raced in past seasons but have since been retired. Rumor has it Donald Trump may soon join the racing presidents and that several Russian underworld characters have been enlisted to help him win.
At the Nashville I attended they had country singers racing around the ballpark. Cartoonish characters representing Johnny Cash, George Jones and Reba McIntire raced in the middle of the fifth inning while some classic country song wailed on the public address system.
And that got me thinking. If Milwaukee can race wieners, Washington can race presidents and Nashville can race country singers, why can’t we have a race every game at Craig County High? I think we should.
We can take some of New Castle’s finest from our history of excellence and find someone to make costumes that resemble these citizens. I propose Dallas Fisher, Rex Hale and Walt Mitchell figures would make great subjects for a race.
It would be great. Geoff Boyer could play bluegrass over the public address system and people would look forward to the race every game, much like the wieners and the presidents.
Something to think about.
