The Savannah Bananas baseball team was a hit even before they stepped onto the field at First Horizon Park in Nashville, Tennessee. Their games in Music City on June 2 and 3 were sold out, filled with enthusiastic fans of all ages.
The Savannah Bananas are an exhibition baseball squad from Savannah, Georgia. They can be compared to the Harlem Globetrotters for their unique spin on a sport rich in tradition. The franchise team was founded in 2016 and has played at Grayson Stadium since its inaugural season. Until 2022, the Bananas competed in the Coastal Plain League’s (CPL) West division, winning three Petitt Cup championships (2016, 2021, and 2022). However, due to the popularity of their “Banana Ball” brand and fun format, they now play showcase games against their touring team, the Party Animals, and other professional clubs.
Billed as “The Greatest Show in Sports,” the Banana Ball is scheduled to hit 33 cities in 22 states, along with plenty of dates at their home field during 2023. Their competitions follow the basics of baseball, but they have their own rules. For instance: although they play nine innings, each game is limited to 2 hours, so in the last inning, every run counts. If the score is the same at the end, a Showdown Tiebreaker with its decrees unfolds. Other unique regulations are: if a fan catches a foul ball, it is an out, so please don’t catch a Banana foul. Also, no bunting because it “sucks,” and that hitter will be ejected from the contest. There are even more layers to peel back as the match evolves.
That’s former MLB star Bill “Spaceman” Lee and the tallest baseball player ever (photo courtesy Music City Nashville)
On the 2nd, a sizable turnout was lined up well before the gates were opened at First Horizon Park. Plenty of people wore banana-themed clothes, and some dressed as fruit. Banana Ball is family-friendly, with several kids armed with baseball gloves. As fans found seats, stars from the Bananas and Party Animals clad in black and fluorescents were by the stands to say hi and sign autographs. There is a reason why folks arrive early as the merriment starts while the players warm up. There were chats with the crowds, games of skill such as “banana in the pants,” a dance-off with the “Dad Bod Cheer Squad,” and more.
In lieu of play-by-play action, music is piped in, which works well as the athletes’ present choreographed dances at each game plus, songs give fans opportunities to sing along to classics such as “YMCA.” They also will parody well-known tunes; most people will recognize what “we will peal you” is. There was yoga and more contests for the kids, such as a pillow fight during the inning changeovers. Their hitter’s walk-ups are also a spectacle. Bananas may be escorted to the plate by the Banana Pep Band, prance down the yellow carpet wearing the finest Dolce and Banana, or may even introduce themselves.
The Bananas don’t take themselves too seriously, but this league does like to pay tribute to the majors. Friday, two former pros took the field. Zack Duke and Bill “Spaceman” Lee threw a pitch, but they were bested when the World’s Tallest Hitter & Pitcher – Dakota “Stilts” Albritton, who stands 10 feet tall, appeared and took the mound.
Shenanigans are a big part of a Banana Bowl; as the song “She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy” (Kenny Chesney) echoed through the venue, a Banana member drove out in, you guessed it, a tractor, parking it right behind the pitcher’s mound. Hence, everyone had to work around it until it was moved, and then it was back to baseball as the time kept ticking down.
Banana Ball is where the circus meets sports! A family-friendly night filled with fly balls and fun. From the moment the gates opened to the last score that found the Bananas victors, both teams delivered an engaging evening of entertainment in a highly appealing format to fans around the country.
The Banana Ball hosts First Horizon Park, home to the Nashville Sounds, a Minor League Baseball team. This venue which can accommodate other events features a 360-degree game viewing experience; spacious concourses all within view of the on-field action; unique group outing spaces; an expansive club level, and games such as ping-pong. Their signature guitar scoreboard measures 4,200 square feet, keeps attendees informed of the score, and can be used for videos.
Related Links: For more information on THE SAVANNAH BANANAS and the other organizations mentioned, please visit the following links – The Savannah Bananas | First Horizon Park
