Chicago Cubs fans roundly booed podcaster Alex Cooper during the seventh-inning stretch at Wrigley Field on Sunday, 6 July. Cooper, 30, led “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” with two companions, delivering an exaggerated, off-key performance that drew audible jeers from much of the 40,319-strong crowd almost from the first note. Video of the moment spread quickly online. The Cubs—already leading the St. Louis Cardinals 11-0 in a nationally televised game—had marketed the evening as “Big Al’s Takeover.” While the lopsided score left little suspense on the field, the reaction to Cooper’s rendition became the dominant storyline. The club offered no immediate comment on Monday. Chicago has invited guest performers for the stretch since 1998 as a tribute to late broadcaster Harry Caray, but the practice has come under increasing scrutiny as social-media personalities and other non-traditional celebrities have replaced musicians and actors. Cooper’s reception, compared by local columnists to infamously poor efforts by Ozzy Osbourne and Mike Ditka, is likely to intensify debate over whether the Cubs should rethink the long-running promotion.