They are billed as “The Greatest Show in Sports.” They were featured recently on CBS’s “60 Minutes.” They have a 10-game broadcast deal with ESPN networks. They have played in sold-out NFL and college football stadiums, and numerous MLB stadiums. They have more social media followers than every MLB franchise…combined.
Say it ain’t so, Joe! Baseball purists can’t stand them and feel like they have bastardized the sport.
Who are they? The Savannah Bananas, and they are taking the baseball world by storm with their “Banana Ball” style of baseball. It’s part minor league baseball and part Barnum and Bailey circus. Banana Ball is fast-paced, fan-focused, all out entertainment that includes rules like no bunting, no walks, no coaches’ visits to the mound, no hitters stepping out of the batter’s box and the most fun rule: if a fan catches a foul ball, the batter is out — even if it’s the hometown Bananas.


I wrote a column two years ago when I first experienced Banana Ball at Historic Grayson Stadium in Savannah, Georgia. We knew to arrive two hours prior to the start of the game (where parking is FREE) because the show begins before you ever enter the stadium with a Banana Band, players greeting fans and entertainment from the Banana Nanas, Banana Manas and the recently added Banana Splits. Can’t make this up!
We were part of the Pennsylvania Keystone Group Club from our Sun City Community, and we were able to secure tickets for face value ($40) because our group organizer, Roy Powers, is a magician when it comes to getting us great deals for the club. StubHub had tickets listed for over $400 each. The next home game isn’t until June 19. Standing room only tickets are going for $300 apiece. That’s SRO!

We immediately noticed new upgrades to Grayson Stadium, including centerfield bleacher seats, a left field beer garden and a family picnic area (very similar to Medlar Field in State College) which brought the attendance up to over 5,000. There is a new sound system, new video scoreboard and an astroturf field, including the infield, which absolutely helps the players who perform trick plays all game long.
We attended the game with good friends including former Penn State Icer Bill Charles and his wife, Ellen, PSU alumni Floyd McKeag, Bob Jones and Bob’s son Andy, and his 6-year-old son, Cooper. Bill (who lives outside Charlotte) sent photos to his friends, and he said they were all envious that he got Bananas tickets. Bob said “What a fun way to spend a day with my son, grandson and good Penn State friends. My grandson didn’t stop smiling the whole game.” Bob added that Cooper even stayed after the game to get autographs and pictures with players.
My wife, Heidi, would pass almost every time I would suggest going to catch an MLB game because she would get so easily bored. But with regard to Banana Ball, Heidi said, “I can’t remember many events that make me laugh and smile for such a long period of time as much as the Bananas’ games.”
I’m a long-suffering Pittsburgh Pirates fan who has tried his best to remain faithful to the Buccos. Just this past winter Heidi and I even made a swing by Pirates City in Bradenton, Florida out of loyalty to my cherished childhood memories of the Battlin’ Bucs of the ‘70s. They won a World Series in 1971 when I was an 11-year-old who dreamt of being the next Roberto Clemente. In 1979 the Sister Sledge song “We are Family” inspired the Pirates to capture their second World Series of the decade. It was a great time to be a baseball fan in Da’Burgh.
I have pretty much sworn off MLB and I think like many others that I know would agree that it’s partly because so many of us simply can’t relate to the astronomical amounts of money MLB players are making. I know my baseball loving friends will take umbrage with my saying that most games are just too long and too boring.

I’m no fan of the current owners of the Pirates. The Nutting family’s operating strategy makes them a “pirate” sized treasure yearly, but I also blame MLB. They are the ones who don’t enforce their own rules when it comes to trying to help the smaller market teams with some sense of parity. I long for the days of watching the Pirates and Cincinnati’s Big Red Machine battle into late September for a division championship.
I also swore off the NBA years ago. I attended a Boston Celtics game and had courtside seats sitting just 20 feet from the visiting Denver Nuggets bench. Late in the third period trailing by a large margin I saw a Nuggets player with a towel over his head thinking he was embarrassed at the score. Then my host and I heard him snoring. He was sound asleep! This guy was making $5 million a year and he was asleep on the bench.
In full disclosure, I’ve lost my interest in most pro sports and even college football and basketball because of the excessive amounts of money being made by such a small percentage of players and the long-term impact it’s having all the way down to the youth sports level. But I digress.

So that leads us back to Jesse Cole (the co-owner with his wife) and the now world-famous Savannah Bananas. He has turned the baseball world on its head and shaken the MLB tree to the point that they are now considering major changes of their own to speed up the game and make it more entertaining.
Here are a few highlights from our most recent trip to a Bananas game:
- Heidi and I had 2 cheeseburgers, a chicken sandwich, 2 bags of chips, 2 bags of popcorn, and 2 drinks. Cost? Nothing! All you can eat food is included in the price of the ticket.
- The PA announcer came on about one hour prior to the game and said, “Excuse me Bananas fans, but could everyone named Mike please stand up? Once again, could everyone named Mike please stand up?” After a brief pause, he said, “Thank you. We have now completed our ‘mic’ check.”
- Their opponent, The Party Animals, have their own mascot named Pharty. Use your imagination folks!
- Queen Potassia dressed in a bright gold gown addressed the crowd and called on all “Potassium enthusiasts” around the world to get ready for Banana Ball!
- Their version of the Mic Man introduced Banana Ball as “A game by the fans, for the fans and of the fans.”
- Jesse Cole in his bright yellow tuxedo whips the crowd into a frenzy, leads them in a “Start the Clock” cheer and the official two-hour limit clock begins to countdown on the scoreboard.
- They have a “Donut Batter” sponsored by…you guessed it, Dunkin’. All the fans were yelling “Do-nut! Do-nut!” because if the opposing batter strikes out, the Bananas players go into the stands and throw individually wrapped Dunkin’ donut holes into the stands.
- Banana’s “Foster” is their official charity, with the money raised going to assist families helping to foster kids in the Savannah area and find them permanent homes. They brought several foster families and kids out to pitcher’s mound where they all sang and danced to the song that played…“We Are Family,” of course.
- They have an umpire dressed as a ninja at first base who did acrobatic moves every time he made a call at the base.
- The home plate umpire sings and dances on every pitch and joins in the silliness now and then during the play.
- Banana Band plays for fans waiting in the “all you can eat and drink” line.
- Super Bowl champion and former Steeler Ryan Clark was introduced to the crowd at the pitcher’s mound and was suddenly joined by five Banana players for a choreographed dance. He nailed it.
- Three players grabbed the microphone on the field to honor police, EMTs and firefighters to a standing ovation and then the players got doused with buckets of water from above.
- Throughout the game, even when action is going on, there is pump-up, foot-tapping, hand-clapping music. Fan involvement is non-stop.

And that is just some of the entertainment that officially began at 10:30 a.m. for a 1 p.m. start time, so fans are encouraged to get there early and then stay late to meet the whole team (including their usual opponent, The Party Animals).
The game ended tied and went into a Banana Ball Showdown: pitcher, catcher and one fielder. Unlike the Harlem Globetrotters, who very rarely lost to the Washington Generals, The Party Animals prevailed.


This show is incredible at their home stadium. I want to know how they do it on the road like they did in front of 81,000 at Clemson’s football stadium?
The Bananas have become so popular they are planning to have a Banana Ball League called “Banana Ball Championship League” with up to six teams. The baseball world truly is going bananas — and it’s a home run!
