The Savannah Bananas aren't playing traditional baseball -- and it's working. This potassium-powered bunch of performers brings a new twist to America’s pastime in a sport they call Banana Ball.
On the surface, Banana Ball looks like a normal game of baseball. But as Bananas’ coach Bryce Stober put it, in Banana Ball, there is one key difference.
“Our whole mission here is fans first,” Stober said.
From a rope drop ceremony to let people in, to on-field and in the stands events during the game, everything in Banana Ball is fan-focused. While these events may seem random, Bananas’ team captain and catcher Bill LeRoy says that none of it is an accident.
“Everything’s intentional, so the fans are as engaged with the game as we are,” LeRoy said.
Every performance is rehearsed before the game to ensure things can go as smoothly as possible. To fans like Tiffanie Rosier, who has gone to multiple games, everything seems new and different.
“It changes every single time, nothing is the same,” Rosier said.
While the basic game of Banana Ball follows the rules of baseball, other rules make it unique and break the barrier between fans and players. One of these rules is that if a fan catches a foul ball, it counts as an out on the field.
“Everyone brings their gloves to the game,” said LeRoy. “Every time there’s a foul ball hit, people are just going nuts because they’re wondering if someone in the crowd is going to catch it.”
The fan-focused approach of Banana Ball doesn’t just help the fans. As a player for the Bananas since before they were viral, LeRoy says the approach helps the players as well.
“We’re having a whole lot of fun, and when you’re having fun, you play better and you win more,” said LeRoy.
While fans always come first in Banana Ball, winning is important as well because the Bananas now play in an entire league of teams.
The teams include the Savannah Bananas and the Party Animals, the first expansion teams of The Firefighters and the Texas Tailgaters, and the two newest teams, the Loco Beach Coconuts and the Indianapolis Clowns.
Due to Banana Ball’s popularity, the six official teams travel across America playing in different stadiums. The Bananas played the Texas Tailgaters in the University of North Carolina’s football stadium April 12 and April 13 and sold over 100,000 tickets across the weekend. While in North Carolina, players and coaches like Stober got a chance to be in front of a home crowd.
“I am so excited to be back in North Carolina,” Stober said. “Being in front of friends, family, it’s so good to be back at home.”
The Bananas will continue their World Tour in Yankee Stadium in New York City April 25, after the Banana Ball Open in Savannah from April 16 through April 19.