Women's Pro Baseball League opens inaugural season with historically brutal rendition of national anthem

Fans lucky enough to attend Robin Roberts Stadium in Springfield, Ill., for the inaugural Women's Pro Baseball League got more than they bargained for: a national anthem performance that gave Fergie's infamous 2018 NBA All-Star Game rendition a run for its money as one of the most notorious.

Martha Reeves, the 85-year-old former lead singer of Martha and the Vandellas, was one of three singers who took the field to perform the national anthem.

Unfortunately for Reeves, the performance went viral on social media because of its struggles with pitch and timing.

Here's how the Women's Pro Baseball League got off to a rocky start.

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Women's Pro Baseball League national anthem

Just minutes before the Los Angeles Queens and New York Heights took the field for the first-ever Women's Pro Baseball League game, Reeves and two other female singers took the mic to perform the national anthem. Unfortunately for the group, the rendition went viral for reasons unrelated to the quality of the performance.

Many viewers quickly noticed Reeves' struggles to stay on key, and the performance spread across social media. One player even appeared to be stifling a laugh and smile as the vocals echoed through the stadium speakers.

Here's a look at the WPBL's inaugural national anthem performance that caused quite a stir online:

shoutout to the WPBL anthem performance pic.twitter.com/AO2KGWF2iK

— lauren (@wrenicole) August 1, 2026

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Who is Martha Reeves?

Martha Reeves is an 85-year-old (born July 18, 1941) who served as the lead singer of Martha and the Vandellas, whoa 1995 inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The group often made R&B, soul, and pop-soul music, along with being an integral group that encapsulated the 1960s Motown sound genre of music. 

The "Motown sound," according to the Houston Symphony, is a style of soul music that features catchy melodies, a steady 4/4 drum beat, and bouncing bass lines. The sound was created by Motown Records in Detroit during the 1960s, and it blends gospel call-and-response with a pop vibe that appeals to wide audiences.

Reeves and her group had several Hot 100 hits, such as "Nowhere to Run," "Heat Wave," "Jimmy Mack," and "Dancing in the Street." From 2005 until 2009, Reeves was elected as a councilwoman in her hometown of Detroit, Mich. In 2023, Rolling Stone ranked Reeves at No. 151 on its list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time.

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Reactions to Martha Reeves national anthem

Here's a round-up of some reactions to Reeves' interesting approach to the national anthem:

“Anthem singer” must now be an entry-level, “no questions” kind of position for the WPBL. https://t.co/QOJk1UWWdr

— nWo n0tsql (@nWo_notsql) August 2, 2026

So…..this was the national anthem for the women’s pro baseball league game and……they probably should have just put a boombox up to the microphone instead. pic.twitter.com/1wsWXUElXO

— Adam L. Wingfield 🚛👨🏾‍💻 (@adamlwingfield) August 2, 2026

Someone thought it would be a good idea to get Martha Reeves to sing the national anthem at the first women’s pro league baseball game. pic.twitter.com/Yx7dkQSK7L

— Live From Studio 6B (@lfs6b) August 2, 2026

Absolutely terrible! I couldn’t even listen to it for more than less than 10 seconds.

— marker.bleak (@BleakMarke52722) August 2, 2026

lock in girl pic.twitter.com/4QVfS6hqwn

— cece ☆ (@llthingstranger) August 2, 2026

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What is the Women's Pro Baseball League?

The newly created Women's Pro Baseball League played its first game Saturday night, with the Los Angeles Queens earning a 10-8 victory. The WPBL was co-founded by Justine Siegal, the first woman to coach in MLB with the Oakland Athletics in 2015, and Keith Stein in 2024.

The league launched with four initial teams across the United States:

• Boston Hunters
• New York Heights
• Los Angeles Queens
• San Francisco Firebells

During the league's inaugural season, Robin Roberts Stadium in Springfield, Ill., will serve as a neutral venue for all games played.

It is the first pro league for women since the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League concluded play 52 years ago, according to the MLB. This year's regular season will be played in 30 games through four weeks, from August 1 through mid-September. This will then be followed by two weeks of playoff baseball. The league's games are seven innings long, with each team playing two games per week. There are 15 players on each of the four teams' rosters, and players use aluminum bats to smash baseballs.