Dr. Jesse McGuire performs the national anthem before the MLB game between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the New York Yankees at Chase Field on Sept. 19, 2026, in Phoenix, Arizona. (Christian Petersen / Getty Images)
By Nick Givas September 21, 2026 at 5:08pm
A professional trumpeter known for performing the national anthem at MLB games for the Arizona Diamondbacks had to improvise on Saturday night after his instrument malfunctioned, and the result was pure gold.
Dr. Jesse McGuire, 68, is known throughout the entire Diamondbacks organization, dating back to the team’s 2001 championship run against the New York Yankees, which went all the way to Game 7 during the aftermath of the 9/11 terror attacks.
McGuire, once the lead trumpeter for the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra of New York City and for the band Tower of Power, even received a World Series ring that year, according to Major League Baseball’s website.
Team executives have invited him back to play the anthem on numerous occasions, including at the 25th anniversary celebration of their World Series victory over the Yankees.
Halfway through the song, he noticed something was wrong with the trumpet.
After an unsuccessful attempt to fix it, McGuire grabbed the microphone in front of him and started singing, much to the crowd’s delight.
@dbacks Dr. Jesse McGuire’s trumpet malfunctioned and he ended up delivering the most iconic National Anthem 🤩 #baseball #mlb #nationalanthem ♬ original sound – Arizona Diamondbacks
Have you ever been to an MLB game?
Many in the stands even sang along with him, before erupting in applause, and giving McGuire a standing ovation.
Diamondbacks Manager Torey Lovullo went up to him after the song finished and complimented McGuire on the improvisation.
Arizona Sports wrote that “McGuire tossed his trumpet onto the ground, gave Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo a hug and beat his chest after the final note.”
Moreover, McGuire sang “God Bless America” during the seventh-inning stretch to end his epic evening.
Yahoo News noted several social media responses that saluted McGuire’s quick thinking, with one fan writing, “Pops was killing on the trumpet, and God was like, ‘Nah fam, show em ALL the skills.’”
“You thought this was a bad moment but it turned out to be YOUR MOMENT!!” said another.
Additionally, someone who said they were present at Chase Field for the performance added, “I was there. This was AWESOME. Great voice and the crowd helped. It was amazing,” with another calling it “the most masterful pivot you’ll ever see!”
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Nick Givas has been a reporter for The Daily Caller, Fox News, and served as Managing Editor of the Newsroom at Project Veritas. He’s also hosted three different podcasts, served as a Congressional Communications Director, and had his work featured in The Federalist, Daily Signal, New York Post, and Real Clear Politics.
