Savannah Bananas announce big news
Savannah Bananas owner Jesse Cole keeps the crowd pumped up during a rain delay. Photo Credit: Richard Burkhart/Savannah Morning News / USA TODAY NETWORK
The Savannah Bananas have often been described as the Harlem Globetrotters of baseball. Now, they are about to become even more similar to the famous basketball team.
The Bananas announced on Wednesday that they are dropping out of the Coastal Plain League in favor of playing “Banana Ball” year-round.
The Bananas were founded in 2016 and joined the CPL, which is a college wood-bat league. They won the league in 2016, 2021 and 2022. Meanwhile, they have gained fame and built a reputation throughout the country for their style of ball. The Bananas created an extremely fun and family-friendly environment that includes dance numbers featuring the players, and funny stunts.
They have sold out every one of their games.
Beyond playing in the wood bat league, the Bananas have also held exhibition games, which they play under their own set of rules. These games are called “Banana Ball” games.
Banana Ball rules include: a two-hour time limit on games, no bunting, batters not being allowed to step out of the batters box, no mound visits allowed, and foul balls caught by fans being counted as outs.
The Georgia-based team say they will play Banana Ball exhibition games both at home and around the country. The team says they have a tickets waiting list of 80,000 fans, and they’re trying to find ways to serve their growing fanbase.
The Bananas first played a Banana Ball exhibition in 2018 and had their first Banana Ball road exhibition in 2011.
In 2023, the team is planning to go on the road for a world tour that will last from Feb-Sept. They plan to visit 20 cities during the tour.
