LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — As Las Vegas grows so does its clout in the sporting world. It’s that clout that’s bringing the Savannah Bananas to town next May.
If the question is, “Who/what are the Savannah Bananas?” then welcome to my world. According to its home page the Bananas “make baseball fun.”
The Savannah Bananas team lines up along the first base line to perform a kick-line dance before a Coastal Plain League baseball game against the Florence Flamingos, Tuesday, June 7, 2022, in Savannah, Ga. (AP Photo/Stephen B. Morton)
People of a certain age can think of the Bananas as the Baseball equivalent of the Harlem Globetrotters. Or what might be created if the Globetrotters were the team in the movie “Major League.” The Bananas even have an adversary team – much like the Globetrotter’s Washington Generals – called the Savannah Party Animals.
Savannah Bananas center fielder Ty Jackson, bottom center, with banana yellow hair, stretches in the locker room before the team’s baseball game against the Macon Bacon, Thursday, June 9, 2022, in Savannah, Ga. (AP Photo/Stephen B. Morton)
On May 19, 2023, the Bananas will play the Party Animals at the Las Vegas Ballpark in Summerlin. The Las Vegas Aviators are scheduled to be on the road during this time.
FILE – Four infants and their parents take part in what the Savannah Bananas call The Slowest Race, at the team’s baseball game against the Wilmington Sharks, Saturday, June 11, 2022, in Savannah, Ga. At far right is Savannah Bananas owner Jesse Cole. The Savannah Bananas, who became a national sensation with their irreverent style of baseball, are leaving the Coastal Plains League to focus full attention on their professional barnstorming team. Owner Jesse Cole made the announcement in a YouTube video, saying “we’ll be able to bring the Savannah Bananas to more people in Savannah and around the world.”(AP Photo/Stephen B. Morton, File)
FILE – Savannah Bananas owner Jesse Cole emcees a pregame parade and performance for the fans before the gates opened Tuesday, June 7, 2022, in Savannah, Ga. The Savannah Bananas, who became a national sensation with their irreverent style of baseball, are leaving the Coastal Plains League to focus full attention on their professional barnstorming team. Owner Jesse Cole made the announcement in a YouTube video, saying “we’ll be able to bring the Savannah Bananas to more people in Savannah and around the world.”(AP Photo/Stephen B. Morton, File)
FILE – Fans pack the stands at Grayson Stadium to watch the Savannah Bananas play against the Florence Flamingos in a baseball game Tuesday, June 7, 2022, in Savannah, Ga. (AP Photo/Stephen B. Morton)
JUST THE FACTS
The Bananas are an exhibition baseball team based in Savannah, Georgia.
The Bananas did play in the competitive Coastal Plain League (CPL) from 2019 this year. The CPL is a wood-bat collegiate summer baseball league, featuring college players recruited throughout the nation. The Bananas came out on top of this league the past two years.
Thanks to their good play, some tremendous marketing, and family-friendly antics on the field the team ended up selling out every game and recently decided to leave the CPL.
Following the 2022 summer league season, the Bananas announced they were folding their collegiate amateur team and only playing “Banana Ball”. The attention gained from their play and entertainment was recently featured on an ESPN+ miniseries about the team, called “Bananaland”, which was released in August 2022.
Savannah Bananas’ dancing first base coach Maceo Harrisoin performs a back-flip in the coach’s box during the team’s baseball game against the Wilmington Sharks, Saturday, June 11, 2022, in Savannah, Ga. (AP Photo/Stephen B. Morton)
Savannah Bananas pitcher Blake McGehee, right, dances during a pregame performance for the fans waiting for the gates to open before the team’s baseball game against the Wilmington Sharks, Saturday, June 11, 2022, in Savannah, Ga. (AP Photo/Stephen B. Morton)
Savannah Bananas owner Jesse Cole takes part in the Banana T-shirt giveaway during the first inning of a game Tuesday, June 7, 2022, in Savannah, Ga. (AP Photo/Stephen B. Morton)
BANANA BALL
The Bananas took the standard baseball rules and updated them to better fit their entertaining style of play. Branded as “Banana Ball,” these include a two-hour time limit on games, no bunting, batters are not allowed to step out of the batter’s box, no pitcher mound visits are allowed, walks are now called sprints, and foul balls caught by fans are counted as outs.
If interested, tickets are not yet on sale, but anyone who is interested can sign up for a reminder on the Bananas’ website. According to the Bananas, the tickets will go on sale two months before the game.
It should be noted, though, that the site is being overloaded with traffic because the tour schedule was just announced.
