National anthem rendition at women's baseball clash draws backlash as video goes viral

The Women’s Pro Baseball League kicked off its debut season on Saturday, August 1, in Springfield, Illinois.

The first match saw the New York Heights playing against the Los Angeles Queens at Robin Roberts Stadium.

The buzz-worthy league’s debut opening with a national anthem rendition stole the spotlight, sending waves online, but not in a good way.

The first match of the women’s professional baseball league held in three decades was won by the Queens 10-8.

Classic Motown singer Martha Reeves, 85, performed the "Star-Spangled Banner," joined by two other female vocalists.

Netizens spotted Reeves’ shaky vocals as she sang through the anthem and struggled with the song’s humming high notes.

The viral clip of the moment captured on camera has now making rounds on the internet, and racked up over 11 million view and still counting.

“Absolutely nothing could have prepared me for the national anthem at the first Women’s Pro Baseball League tonight,” one user captioned the clip of the viral post on X (formerly called Twitter).

“Watch this at 2x Imao, you won’t regret it,” commented another user.

The “Star-Spangled Banner,” which was penned by Francis Scott Key in 1814, after he experienced the firsthand account of the British naval attack on Fort McHenry during the War of 1812.