Does Alex Cooper make music? Cubs fans erupt with boos during the podcaster's 'Take Me Out to the Ball Game’ performance at Wrigley Field

Alex Cooper, the outspoken podcaster of Call Her Daddy, was in the middle of a spotlight and scandal during the Chicago Cubs' Sunday evening game at Wrigley Field. As part of the "Big Al's Takeover" promotion, she grabbed the mic to do a energetic version of Take Me Out to the Ball Game during the seventh-inning stretch.

But what was intended to be a playful anthem moment swiftly soured as Cubs fans broke into boos, visibly upset by the performance. For a tradition-studded crowd, Cooper's bold delivery and swagger on the large screen didn't click. And with all her popularity on the podcast circuit, the question that circulated on Waveland Avenue come game's conclusion wasn't if she'd ever release music; it was whether she could ever win over die-hard Cubs enthusiasts with this anthem at Wrigley.

Alex Cooper does Take Me Out to the Ball Game, but does she even make music?

Alex Cooper definitely caused a splash when she emerged to sing Take Me Out to the Ball Game at Wrigley Field, wearing a Cubs jersey and accompanied by two backup vocalists—an image boldly beamed on the big screen. Screen roll featured her enthusiastically singing the anthem, perhaps under the influence of her podcaster personality, but Cubs fans were quick to dismiss the spectacle. Social media recorded the boos clear and loud: "Alex Cooper @callherdaddy was booed the entire 7th inning stretch…" echoed one response on X with a viral video. Another viewer on X joked, "Alex Cooper's stretch wasn't Ditka or Ozzy Osbourne bad. It was worse……."

Does Alex Cooper produce music, then? Technically no, at least not in the traditional sense. She is not a singer-songwriter and does not put out albums. What she does produce is content; millions listen to her podcast, now housed in her Unwell network after departing Barstool Sports and signing lucrative deals with Spotify and SiriusXM. Her transition into the stadium limelight was familiar ground for one accustomed to holding a mic, but this publicity stunt reveals the disparity between going viral as a personality and executing a cherished baseball classic.

Any verbal mistake was instantly pounced on. Social media saw one critic write that Cooper "played it up big for the camera but lost the crowd." OutKick labeled the performance as "objectively horrible," further specifying that her on-camera showmanship just didn't win over Wrigley's live crowd. Another piece was sure to mention that fans criticized her for "making a mockery of the tradition" and labeled the incident a "cringe" moment.

Even after capturing viral buzz (and perhaps a handful more subscribers!), the boos overpowered everything else. Even Pat Hughes, the longtime Cubs radio announcer, seemed entertained down the broadcast feed. But ultimately, Cooper's anthem moment felt more like a TikTok promotion rather than a genuine tradition.

Why Cubs fans booed—and why this wasn’t like Bill Murray or Eddie Vedder

Take Me Out to the Ball Game is sung by Cubs fans with reverence. It's not only a song; it's an old-school tradition based on Harry Caray's classic broadcasts of the 1980s. So when Cooper sang it from the stage, she was entering sacred ground—and expectations were through the roof. That passion is why the response was so immediate and vocal.

But what made her different from crowd favorites such as Bill Murray, Eddie Vedder, or Ozzy Osbourne? The difference isn't merely in celebrity pull—it's context and connection. Murray, Vedder, Santo, and Ditka: their connections to Cubs history are earned. They've demonstrated their affection on countless occasions and treated the anthem with authentic love. Cooper, on the other hand, came as a social media icon, a self-promotional astute whose presence came across as more of a marketing stroke than a warm gesture to an audience. That grated on many.

The outcome: a mass ready for ritual but confronted with performance. Some labeled it mocking the tradition. Others termed it "cringe" and a case of publicity getting ahead of preparation. The boos were a response from a fan base intensely loyal about its anthem and questioning those who approach it like an act.

Alex Cooper's anthem at Wrigley was a high-profile miss with Cubs fans. While Take Me Out to the Ball Game is now an American baseball tradition, the rendition, characterized by assertive podcast-star swagger, just wasn't in keeping with Wrigley's historical precedent.

Cooper can rule the podcasting world, but belting out at an historic stadium takes more than streaming statistics; it takes feeling for the anthem, which she apparently did not have. Ultimately, at Wrigley, respect is more important than exposure.