Country crooner Ingrid Andress apologized to fans for her uneven national anthem at Monday night’s Major League Baseball Home Run Derby in a social media post promising she’ll seek treatment for an alcohol problem.
“I’m not gonna bulls–t ya’ll, I was drunk last night,” the 32-year-old singer confessed on Tuesday. “I’m checking myself into a facility today to get the help I need.”
The “Wishful Drinking” singer’s rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” was immediately panned online despite a polite ovation from fans at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. Some players on the field looked confused, while at least one, Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm, could be seen barely keeping it together.
“That was not me last night,” Andress’ statement continued. “I apologize to MLB, all the fans, and the country I love so much for that rendition.”
Next up for Andress appears to be a trip to an unspecified rehabilitation center.
“I’ll let y’all know how rehab is,” she wrote in her mea culpa. “I hear it’s super fun.”
Fans online were largely supportive of her decision. Baseball author Ryan Spaeder reposted Andress’ remarks and credited her gumption.
“It takes a lot of backbone to own it,” he wrote. “Good luck in recovery.”
Andress’ wobbly version of the national anthem drew comparisons to other poorly received performances of the difficult tune.
Fergie thanks her for taking the prize
— Michael Schwab (@michaelschwab13) July 16, 2024
Former Black Eyed Peas frontwoman Fergie was heavily mocked for her jazzy rendition prior to the 2018 NBA All-Star Game, while Kat DeLuna’s 2008 version at an NFL game was previously ranked by Billboard as the worst ever.
In 1990, comic Roseanne Barr was booed throughout her shrieking performance of “The Star-Spangled Banner” that ended with her grabbing her crotch and spitting on the field at the start of a San Diego Padres game.
Thankfully, Monday night’s competition — a slugfest that saw Teoscar Hernández become the first Los Angeles Dodger to seize the derby crown — didn’t appear to suffer from Andress’ awkward opening number.
The Michigan native, who was raised in Colorado, knows baseball as a family matter. Her father, Brad Andress, was a conditioning coach for the Colorado Rockies from 2000 to 2008 before working with the Mets in 2011. He started his career with the Detroit Tigers.
In 2020, the songstress told Illinois country station WBWN that going on the road with her dad prepared her to deal with adversity on the fly.
“It taught me early on that I’m OK wherever I go because I’ll always be able to figure out what to do and how to adapt,” Andress said.
