History of the Savannah Bananas

Beginning of the Savannah Bananas

The Savannah Bananas were created in 2016 by Jessie and Emily Cole. The name was chosen in a contest held by the team and the Bananas had a name. They started in the Coastal Plain League, a collegiate summer league, and played in this league from 2016-2022. After the 2022 season, they discontinued their association with the Coastal Plain League and became an exhibition league team. This is when the Savannah Bananas were truly born.

Savannah Bananas Exhibition League

The party starts as the Bananas hit the field versus one of the three other exhibition rivals, the Party Animals, the Firefighters, and the Texas Tailgaters. These games are highly spirited and attended by sold-out crowds wherever they roam. Their brand of baseball is self-described as "exhibition barnstorming" which refers to their version of our traditional brand of Major League Baseball but with a lot more hi-jinx added to the mix.

Banana Ball

Is like regular baseball but with nine rules to increase the speed of play:

1. The game is scored with teams tallying points for innings won instead of runs scored
2. Prohibited from visiting the mound during play
3. Cannot step out of the batter's box between pitches
4. If a fan catches a foul ball, the batter is out
5. Two-hour time limit
6. Batters can steal first base
7. No walks allowed
8. 1v1 showdown tiebreaker
9. No bunting

It is a faster-paced version of baseball, but that is just the start. To begin they have an all-male cheerleading group called the "Man-Nanas" and a dance squad of senior-aged women called, of course, "The Nanas". They provide entertainment between innings along with a baby dressed in a banana suit called the "banana baby of the game'! They have the flaming bat as an option, yes it is just a bat on fire. The players wear kilts instead of pants to play the game! They have choreographed dances between the pitcher, middle infielders, and the center fielder that could just happen at any time. They celebrate their scores by running through the crowd or even doing an impromptu line dance. They even have 6 million followers on TikTok!

If you want tickets you need to get in line, all of their games are sold out. They have taken their show on the road and doing a world tour, well, around the country. You can find tickets on the secondary market but they are a little more expensive. But, these tickets are well worth it! It is fun for the whole family!