The time to beat was 47 seconds. It took one driver 47 seconds to get around the reportedly W-shaped autocross course set up with cones in the parking lot at Nationals Park. Yet the fastest time did not guarantee a hiring. Several other factors keyed into the final decision of who would be the next bullpen cart driver for the Washington Nationals.
According to a fun report by the Washington Post, the Nationals received 432 applications in just three days when the club made public the job opportunity to drive the bullpen cart. The Nats narrowed it down to 21 applicants who were submitted to an on-site tryout that included a driving test. The two basic requirements were a current valid driver's license and at least 10 years of driving experience.
For the tryouts, the Nats weren't about to hand over the keys to the real cart, so the driving was done in a replacement that didn't have the extra costume. It topped out at 8 mph rather than the real cart's hot 20-mph top speed.
The pool was pretty diverse. The record-setter was actually WSUA-TV sports director Darren Haynes, but he was doing his own story on the tryouts. Another applicant was a 56-year-old who lived down the street from the stadium. A Virginia mom tried out, as did a retired Library of Congress librarian.
A decision has not yet been made, but the applicants showed plenty of personality in their arguments for becoming the next cart driver. Read the full story over at The Washington Post and watch the WUSA video below.
According to a fun report by the Washington Post, the Nationals received 432 applications in just three days when the club made public the job opportunity to drive the bullpen cart. The Nats narrowed it down to 21 applicants who were submitted to an on-site tryout that included a driving test. The two basic requirements were a current valid driver's license and at least 10 years of driving experience.
For the tryouts, the Nats weren't about to hand over the keys to the real cart, so the driving was done in a replacement that didn't have the extra costume. It topped out at 8 mph rather than the real cart's hot 20-mph top speed.
The pool was pretty diverse. The record-setter was actually WSUA-TV sports director Darren Haynes, but he was doing his own story on the tryouts. Another applicant was a 56-year-old who lived down the street from the stadium. A Virginia mom tried out, as did a retired Library of Congress librarian.
A decision has not yet been made, but the applicants showed plenty of personality in their arguments for becoming the next cart driver. Read the full story over at The Washington Post and watch the WUSA video below.
🚨I had "the most terrifying" bullpen cart drive the @Nationals have ever seen!!!!!🚨
— Darren M. Haynes (@DarrenMHaynes) February 26, 2019
WATCH HOW OTHERS DID.....https://t.co/YdY7mRd4Bh@whatwouldDOOdo @wusa9 @NatsBullpenCart @WUSA9sports #Nationals pic.twitter.com/UEcQCNh6o3
