Baseball enthusiasts voiced strong disapproval after subpar national anthem performances marred the opening games for the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets on Thursday.
Dodgers’ Season Opener Against Diamondbacks
Shohei Ohtani and the Dodgers launched their quest for a third straight World Series title with an 8-2 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium. However, gospel singer Keith Williams Jr., who previously performed during last year’s World Series, struggled through The Star-Spangled Banner. His voice cracked multiple times, and he failed to hit several high notes.
Social media erupted with criticism. One fan posted: “You are the two-time world champions. You are in the epicenter of entertainment talent. Find someone who can sing the freaking national anthem. Dude up here taking liberties with the song with his voice cracking.”
Others echoed the sentiment: “That had to be one of the worst renditions of the national anthem for the Dodgers Diamondbacks game. Big yikes.” A third remarked: “What in the world was that anthem during the Dodgers Diamondbacks games.” Additional comments included: “That was genuinely the worst rendition of the national anthem I’ve ever heard. Thanks for embarrassing us in front of all the Japanese fans dude.” And: “It started off fine and just went downhill rapidly towards the end.”
Mets’ Clash with Pirates
At Citi Field, Broadway star Christopher Jackson, famed for originating George Washington in Hamilton, performed the anthem before the Mets’ 8-5 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Despite his theatrical background, the 50-year-old performer mixed up lyrics, confusing “What so proudly we hail” from the first verse with “O’er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming” from later.
Jackson powered through without further issues, but fans spotted the error immediately. Reactions poured in online: “Chris Jackson just majorly messed up our great National Anthem before the first pitch of Pirates/Mets. A national disgrace! Lock him up!”
One quipped: “Alexander Hamilton is rolling in his grave over his anthem at the Mets game.” Harsher words followed: “Tell Christopher Jackson he f***ed up the National Anthem and he f***ing sucks.” A more lighthearted take: “Opening Day! Let’s go Mets! The guy singing the national anthem got the lyrics wrong. Can only go up from here.” Some even called it an omen, though the Mets’ victory quelled those fears.
