The inaugural Women’s Pro Baseball League game got off to an awkward start Saturday when an off-key national anthem performance by Martha Reeves of Martha and the Vandellas overshadowed opening ceremonies at Robin Roberts Stadium in Springfield, Illinois.
The 85-year-old Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member struggled to stay in tune, and the moment quickly spread on social media. “This was a terrible way to kick off the new league,” one commenter wrote on X. Others were more forgiving. “I think it was a fantastic start to the season,” another wrote. “Ya gotta have a memorable first moment.”
Reeves was accompanied by backup singers, who also drew criticism. “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.”
Queens rally past Heights
Once play began, the Los Angeles Queens rallied from an 8-4 deficit to defeat the New York Heights 10-8 in a rainy seven-inning contest before a crowd of more than 4,000.
Former Little League sensation Mo’ne Davis, who appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated in 2014, played for the Queens. Maggie Foxx recorded the league’s first hit, a two-run single for Los Angeles in the first inning. Heights pitcher Denae Benites hit the WPBL’s first home run, a two-run drive to center in the bottom of the fourth.
Los Angeles trailed 8-4 before scoring two runs in the sixth and four more in the final inning to complete the comeback.
A steady rain fell for much of the day at the 101-year-old stadium, but fans began lining up hours before first pitch hoping to get a Davis bobblehead. The line for the merchandise booth stretched to the outfield along one side of the ballpark.
Fans embrace the moment
The San Francisco Firebells and Boston Hunters, the league’s other two teams, are scheduled to play Sunday.
A pregame ceremony paid tribute to women’s baseball past and present. The loudest ovation went to 99-year-old Maybelle Blair, who threw a ceremonial first pitch to San Francisco’s Kelsie Whitmore. Blair, who serves on a WPBL advisory board, played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, which ran from 1943 to 1954 and inspired the 1992 film “A League of Their Own.”
“Having a daughter, it’s really exciting to give her exposure to female professional athletes,” said Antonietta Mabry, 47, an accountant from Columbus, Ohio, who attended with her husband Jason and their 9-year-old daughter Rosalee. “It’s such a rare thing, so it’s really cool to give her some really positive female role models.”
Rosalee got her glove autographed by San Francisco second baseman Amanda Gianelloni. “I’m excited to be here because I play softball and I really like it,” she said.
