The Savannah Bananas brought their unique brand of baseball to Nationals Park on Saturday night, captivating a crowd of 42,000 with their lively and unconventional game. The event began with Princess Potassia, in her bright yellow dress and sparkling tiara, serenading fans outside the park with a baseball-themed version of “Be Our Guest” from “Beauty and the Beast.” As the gates opened, fans clad in yellow poured into the stadium, greeted by staff in banana costumes and numerous merchandise tents.
The Bananas, reminiscent of the Harlem Globetrotters, are in the middle of a sold-out 96-game world tour, including stops at six major league ballparks. Their appeal is undeniable, drawing the largest crowd in Banana Ball history on Saturday. The energy in Nationals Park rivaled that of the 2019 National League wild-card game.
Originating as a summer collegiate team in the Coastal Plain League, the Bananas broke away in 2022 to create their own brand of baseball. Their games feature unique rules: no bunting, walks, mound visits, or stepping out of the batter’s box. Foul balls caught by fans count as outs, and the game operates on a two-hour limit with a scoring system that awards points for winning innings.
On Saturday, the Bananas defeated the Firefighters, another exhibition team owned by founder Jesse Cole, 4-3. The night was filled with entertainment, keeping true to the Bananas’ motto: “Keep it fun, keep it quick.”
Source
Photo: Toby Knapp