Major League Baseball faced a barrage of criticism on social media from viewers who misunderstood a Revolutionary War reenactment during the pre-game festivities of the All-Star Game in Philadelphia. Fans expressed outrage over the presence of reenactors dressed in red coats, believing it to be a historical inaccuracy that depicted the "baddies" of the war.
Complaints flooded platforms like X, with one commenter identifying as "Proud American Veteran" stating, "Those are RED COATS!! We fought AGAINST them!" Another user called the perceived error a "major fail," while a former staffer for ex-New York City mayor Eric Adams joked that MLB "must have skipped their American History classes."
However, MLB's Fire and Drum Corps reenactors were historically accurate in their attire. According to the U.S. Army's website, the corps did indeed wear red coats, a practice ordered by General George Washington. The Lewis & Clark Fife and Drum Corps' webpage explains that this choice was made to protect musicians from enemy fire, as the red coats signaled they were not armed soldiers and therefore should not be fired upon.
Despite the historical correctness, the confusion persisted among viewers. One post from an individual identified as an "America First Patriot" declared, "The idiots of today know nothing about our history!" Another critic questioned on X, "Does whoever put together this pre game stuff for the allstar game know the red coats were the baddies?" An X user named "RightWinger" wrote, "Leave it to MLB to use guys in colonial era red coats for America The Beautiful at the #2026MLBAllstarGame The good guys wore blue coats guys."
The patriotic theme of the evening aimed to commemorate America's 250th birthday, with the All-Star Game being hosted in Philadelphia, the nation's birthplace. Pre-game events included skydivers descending with "America: 250" flags, a red-white-and-blue fireworks display, and All-Star players signing a faux "declaration" at home plate before Jennifer Hudson performed "America the Beautiful."
Players also wore a "USA: 250" patch on their uniforms. This detail led to some lighthearted jokes among fans, particularly regarding the Toronto Blue Jays players, with one fan quipping on X that the patch made Canada the "51st state."
Later in the game, a rendition of Ray Charles' "America the Beautiful" was played, which garnered positive reactions from fans, with one post calling it an "Absolutely breathtaking stuff" and another referencing "Declaration of Independence lineup card. Sandlot reference. Ray Charles. Philly might have to do this every year."