His trumpet malfunctioned midway through the national anthem at a Diamondbacks game. So he started singing
He tried to fix the trumpet once. Then he reached for the microphone.
On Saturday, September 19, 2026, a musician attached a new story to the Arizona Diamondbacks’ 25th anniversary celebration of their 2001 World Series championship. They announced the performance of the same trumpet player who played the instrument 25 years ago at the World Series game: Dr. Jesse McGuire. Since 2001, Dr. McGuire has been the squad’s lucky charm, but this time, midway through the performance, his instrument failed to perform. It was as if the trumpet secretly whispered to him, “Not today.” Dr. McGuire shrugged off the problem and used his wit and quick thinking, winning millions of hearts across the world. He sang the rest of the anthem, as reported in the September 20, 2026 press release by Major League Baseball (MLB).
From good-luck charm to day-saving musician
The legendary Dr. McGuire once served as the lead trumpeter for the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra in New York City. He has also performed for three U.S. presidents. Every five years, he returns for reunions organized by former managing general partner Jerry Colangelo and former team president Rich Dozier. He also performed the national anthem during the postseason, including the World Series Game 7 victory over the New York Yankees. Ever since, he has been the good-luck charm of the squad.
Equipment malfunction? Not a problem
But during this rendition, his trumpet began to malfunction. As the videos shared by MLB and Bleacher Report show, he started off confidently, dressed in the Diamondbacks City Connect jersey as the crowd listened intently and proudly. In the middle of the field, dozens of people held the giant banner of the star-spangled flag. About a minute into the performance, his instrument choked up, and the sound became hoarse. After one attempt to fix the problem, McGuire picked up the microphone and began singing the rest of the anthem.
Dr. Jesse McGuire was performing the national anthem on his trumpet when suddenly his instrument malfunctioned 😳
— MLB (@MLB) September 21, 2026
After one attempt to fix it, McGuire instead grabbed the mic and amazingly sang the rest of the anthem 🤩 pic.twitter.com/jPQg8Hj7LN
Without any runs or showboating, the 68-year-old offered his vocal embellishment to the stadium brimming with fans. As he reached the anthem’s climax, the giant American flag began to wave in the outfield. Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo showed his respect to the musician as he was leaving the field, commending him on the way he handled the situation, per the press release. If this wasn’t enough, Dr. McGuire returned to perform “God Bless America” in the seventh inning. And yes, he sang that as well.
‘The most American thing done in that moment’
That is the ultimate live-performance recovery: the problem became the best part of the story. McGuire turning a broken trumpet into a singalong moment is pure poise.
— Original/Natazbig™ (@Natazbig) September 22, 2026
Meanwhile, fans commended the musician for his response to the situation and how he transformed a seemingly problematic circumstance into an unforgettable, sweet story. @bkarishma360 said, “Bro really turned a trumpet malfunction into a whole performance.” @pensivepoet97 commented, “So wholesome.”
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