TAMPA, Fla. — A singer from New York is on a mission to reach baseball fans across the country.
Ali Berke, 24, has a goal to perform the national anthem in all 30 Major League Baseball stadiums. On Sunday, she sang at Steinbrenner Field before the Tampa Bay Rays game.
“A few years ago, I got the opportunity to sing at Fenway Park for the Boston Red Sox,” Berke said. “We were thinking how cool it could be if we could do all 30. I just think it will be a huge accomplishment and something I could check off my bucket list.”
She also goes by “Ali The Anthem Girl.” So far, she’s performed in over half of the major league ballparks, including New York, Boston, and Philadelphia.
The Rays’ temporary home, Steinbrenner Field, gets her one step closer to her milestone.
“Definitely no more nerves. It’s kind of like second nature to me now. This will be 16 out of 30. I’ve gotten to do it at a lot of other places, too. Now is just the feeling of excitement and anxiousness to get out there and do my thing,” she said.
When Berke is not belting out the Star-Spangled Banner, she’s writing her own songs as an inspiring pop singer.
“I’ve been doing original music since I was 13,” Berke said. “This is kind of my side venture. The big goal, the big picture, is always my original music…I’m in the studio all the time working. When I’m not in the studio, I’m traveling to do an anthem.”
She usually travels with her dad and boyfriend, paying their own way to each stadium. The payoff is hitting all the notes in front of thousands of fans.
“I think the beginning is the hardest part just because you’re trying to, like, the first time you open your mouth, it’s kind of nerve-racking,” she said. “I think that’s kind of the most anxiety part. Once I’m three words in, I’m good.”
Her next stop is in San Francisco on June 26.
