The inaugural game in Women’s Pro Baseball League history got off to an awkward start on Saturday with an ear-splitting national anthem performance by a Motown legend.
Martha Reeves of Martha and the Vandellas fame was given the honors at Robin Roberts Stadium in Springfield, Illinois, where all of the league’s games will be played this season.
But what was being billed as a historic moment quickly turned into a viral joke as the 85-year-old member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame struggled to stay in tune.
‘I’m crying actual tears laughing especially when they show the crowd and people are trying not to laugh,’ one commenter wrote on X.
‘This was a terrible way to kick off the new league,’ another added.
Others saw a lighter side to the moment.
Martha Reeves of Martha and the Vandellas fame was given the honors at Robin Roberts Stadium in Springfield, Illinois , where all of the league’s games will be played this season
Reeves was performing at Robin Roberts Stadium, which is named for the Phillies legend
‘Ummm,’ one person wrote, ‘I think it was a fantastic start the season. Ya gotta have a memorable first moment.’
‘Wowwwww,’ another added, ‘this national anthem sure is gonna get the #WPBL some clicks.’
Reeves was accompanied by backup singers, who were similarly panned.
‘She and these other two ladies she’s singing with are singing in different keys,’ one commenter noted. ‘They did NAWT rehearse, but God bless them. It’s the thought that counts.’
Thankfully, for baseball fans, the performance ended and the first game in WPBL history was underway.
Former Little League sensation and Sports Illustrated cover athlete Mo’ne Davis and the Los Angeles Queens rallied for a wild 10-8 victory over Denae Benites and the New York Heights in a rainy debut for the first women’s professional baseball league in the United States in almost 30 years.
‘Growing up I played softball,’ said Rachel Koehler, 33, of St. Paul, Minnesota. ‘I wanted to play baseball because going professional was always like the dream, but there (were) no opportunities. … So now that that’s actually an opportunity and something that girls can look up to I think is amazing.’
Mo’ne Davis, who graced the cover of Sports Illustrated as a Little League star in 2014, is pictured sliding into third base during the first inning of action in Springfield, Illinois
Kelsie Whitmore #3 of the San Francisco Firebells, Ashton Lansdell #1 of the LA Queens, Alli Schroder #16 of the Boston Hunters, and Danae Benites #2 of the New York Heights pose
Fans cheer before the Women’s Pro Baseball League Opening Day Game between New York Heights and the Los Angeles Queens at Robin Roberts Stadium
Maggie Foxx picked up the league’s first hit on a two-run single for Los Angeles in the first inning. Benites connected for the WPBL’s first homer, a two-run drive to center in the bottom of the fourth.
The Queens trailed 8-4 before scoring two runs in the sixth and four more in the final frame of the seven-inning contest.
A steady rain fell for much of the day, soaking the 101-year-old home of the WPBL’s inaugural season. But much of the crowd of more than 4,000 started lining up hours before the game, hoping to grab a Davis bobblehead on the way to the metal bleachers.
The line for the main merchandise booth stretched all the way to the outfield along one side of the ballpark.
‘Having a daughter, it’s really exciting to give her exposure to female professional athletes,’ said Antonietta Mabry, 47, an accountant from Columbus, Ohio. ‘It’s such a rare thing, so it’s really cool to give her some really positive female role models and examples.’
All-American Girls Professional Baseball League player Maybelle Blair and Danae Benites #2 of the New York Heights interact before the Women’s Pro Baseball League Opening Day
Mabry was accompanied by her husband, Jason, a 48-year-old auditor, and their daughter, Rosalee. The 9-year-old Mabry got her glove autographed by San Francisco second baseman Amanda Gianelloni.
The Firebells and Boston Hunters – the league’s other two teams – play on Sunday. A couple players from each team helped the grounds crew pull the tarp off the field after the rain subsided.
‘I’m excited to be here because I play softball and I really like it and it’s really cool that I get to see professional women play,’ Rosalee Mabry said.
The WPBL paid tribute to the past, present and future of women’s baseball during a rain-delayed pregame ceremony. The crowd cheered as the lineups for the Queens and Heights were announced.
But the biggest ovation of the night was for 99-year-old Maybelle Blair, who threw a ceremonial first pitch to San Francisco’s Kelsie Whitmore, one of the biggest stars of the WPBL. Blair, who serves on a WPBL advisory board, played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, which ran from 1943-54 and inspired the 1992 movie, ‘A League of Their Own.’
