Motown legend Martha Reeves stated that her rendition of the national anthem at the inaugural Women’s Professional Baseball League (WPBL) game on Saturday was “wasn’t the performance I had hoped for.” Fans widely noted differences in her vocals during the performance of "The Star-Spangled Banner" at Springfield, Illinois’ Robin Roberts Stadium before the game between the Los Angeles Queens and New York Heights.
Reeves, 85, attributed the performance issues to the weather and a lack of stage monitors. "The field conditions were wet and windy, and without stage monitors I wasn’t able to hear myself as I normally would," she said in a statement to TMZ. "While it wasn’t the performance I had hoped for, I’m grateful to have been there in support of these remarkable athletes and this groundbreaking league."
The WPBL debuted with its first-ever game, which saw the LA Queens defeat the New York Heights 10-8. A sellout crowd of over 4,000 fans attended the historic event. The league features four founding teams: New York, Los Angeles, Boston, and San Francisco. Each team is scheduled to play 15 games, all at Robin Roberts Stadium, with the season concluding on September 6.
The WPBL is the first women's professional baseball league in the United States since the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League disbanded in 1954.