Savannah Bananas

[LD84]

I tried to find a thread on this, but there is either not one, or the forum software let me down again.

I have known of the existence of the Bananas since around 2021 or 2022.

But now it is just impossible to ignore. This past weekend, I watched their exhibition in Fenway and I actually found it way more entertaining than I had anticipated.

Baseball has a rich history of barnstorming, and combining that along with Harlem Globetrotters type exhibition play is pretty ingenious.

And it has been a financial success too. Selling out 80,000+ seat stadiums, having a waiting list for tickets that is over 3 million, having multiple broadcast partners bidding for your broadcast rights.
This has really blown up.

More social media followers than any MLB team and also any other North American sports team.
65% of their 'fans' are under the age of 40.

I have no idea how long this level of success will keep up. But I will not begrudge them their success.
It is an entertaining product. And one that I am surprised no one came up with before.

[mytreds]

It’s WWE but baseball themed. It will be a curious side show for a few years before the novelty wears off.

[dsvitak]

Originally Posted by mytreds

It’s WWE but baseball themed. It will be a curious side show for a few years before the novelty wears off.

I suspect that they said the same of the Harlem Globetrotters, sixty years ago.

[Déjà Bru]

What a great idea! I had no clue, coming into this thread.



This seems like old-fashioned entertainment that would get my lazy old bones out of my armchair and down to the Long Island Ducks stadium if they ever make an appearance there. Maybe the Ballpark at Harbor Yard in Bridgeport (home of the defunct Bridgeport Bluefish), too. I will be looking for them.

Perhaps you are familiar with one Dakota "Stilts" Albritton? "He is known as the "World’s Tallest Baseball Player" and the "Tallest Pitcher in the World", according to Baseball Reference. Standing at 10-feet 9-inches tall on stilts, Albritton is the most recognized player on the team." Yes, he certainly stands out.

[LD84]

Originally Posted by Déjà Bru

This seems like old-fashioned entertainment that would get my lazy old bones out of my armchair and down to the Long Island Ducks stadium if they ever make an appearance there. Maybe the Ballpark at Harbor Yard in Bridgeport (home of the defunct Bridgeport Bluefish), too. I will be looking for them.

They will not be playing anywhere that small for a for a very long while.
They will be playing in Yankee Stadium for two days in September. But both dates are already sold out.

[mytreds]

Originally Posted by dsvitak

I suspect that they said the same of the Harlem Globetrotters, sixty years ago.

Name me five people who know who the Harlem Globtrotters are, let alone seen one of their performances. It’s a niche thing. Nothing more.

[Déjà Bru]

Originally Posted by LD84

They will not be playing anywhere that small for a for a very long while.
They will be playing in Yankee Stadium for two days in September. But both dates are already sold out.

It's funny that you said this because, after I posted, I went to their Wikipedia article where it detailed how, although they may have started out in such small arenas as what I mentioned, they are definitely playing in the palaces now. Take a look at this progression, and pardon the footnote numbers which I am too tired to pick out like cherry pits.

Banana Ball world tours

2021

The Bananas announced their first "world" tour called the One City World Tour, where they traveled to Mobile, Alabama, and sold out both nights in Hank Aaron Stadium, with a combined crowd of over 7,000 fans.[20]

2022

The Bananas added six more cities across four different states to the tour, creating a 14-game "world" tour in which all games were sellouts.[21] While the majority of Banana Ball games feature the Bananas versus the rival Party Animals, the Bananas introduced a "Challenger Series" in which they play against a different opponent. The first such series was played May 5–6 against the Kansas City Monarchs of the American Association of Professional Baseball and saw each team win one game.[22]

2023

The "world" tour was expanded to over 80 games,[23] with the team implementing their new exhibition-only status. The tour was scheduled to start at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches in Florida on February 17 and end seven months later at Doubleday Field in Cooperstown, New York.[24] The tour also includes numerous challenger games against teams such as the Charleston Dirty Birds, Southern Maryland Blue Crabs, Florence Y'alls, The MLB Players Alumni Association, and a rematch with the Kansas City Monarchs. Additionally, the Bananas played their first international opponent, the Aussie Drop Bears, a team from Australia featuring professional and collegiate players.[25]

2024

The "world" tour kicked off its 2024 season at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Florida on February 8 and ended eight months later at LoanDepot Park in Miami, followed by a trip on a cruise ship to The Bahamas called "Bananaland at Sea".[26] The tour also included five other MLB ballparks: Nationals Park, Washington, D.C.; Minute Maid Park in Houston; Fenway Park in Boston; Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia; and Progressive Field in Cleveland.[27]

2025

The Savannah Bananas announced they would play games in 40 cities in 2025, including three NFL stadiums and 17 MLB stadiums. Their first NFL stadium game was at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, where they played in front of a sold-out crowd of 65,000. On Saturday, April 26, the Savannah Bananas and the Party Animals played a game in front of 81,000 people at Clemson University's Memorial Stadium, home of the Clemson Tigers. [28]

Originally Posted by mytreds

Name me five people who know who the Harlem Globtrotters are, let alone seen one of their performances. It’s a niche thing. Nothing more.

That seems not to be the trend, given the above. Besides, if these guys even come close to the popularity of the Harlem Globetrotters, they will have achieved something remarkable.

[Jordan]

Originally Posted by Déjà Bru

What a great idea! I had no clue, coming into this thread.

Wait, you didn't know about them until you saw this thread? If so, I find that quite endearing.

[CONN CHRIS]

I have watched them on Youtube live in the past (is that still free). I first had my interest piqued when Bill Lee threw an inning for them.

[bestbrother]

Originally Posted by mytreds

Name me five people who know who the Harlem Globtrotters are, let alone seen one of their performances. It’s a niche thing. Nothing more.

Ive got family members who enjoyed watching them in the UK, not basketball fans at all in the slightest. So as someone from the UK I could name 3 who watched them

[LD84]

Originally Posted by bestbrother

Ive got family members who enjoyed watching them in the UK, not basketball fans at all in the slightest. So as someone from the UK I could name 3 who watched them

I saw them as a kid/teen who lived in Europe and later the US.
Next time they are here or anywhere close, I will take my kids

[LD84]

Originally Posted by Jordan

Wait, you didn't know about them until you saw this thread? If so, I find that quite endearing.

I thought the same thing, they have been pretty hard to miss the last 2-3 years if you are interested in sports much less baseball.

[Westheim]

I had heard the team name thrown around, but it's only been like since last year that I realized they were not a professional team. The Mets had the Savannah Sand Gnats for a minor league team when I started watching, so I reasoned, oh ya, makes sense there's a different name when they belong to a different franchise...

That being said, I'm not interested much at all in a guy on stilts pitching from 15 feet up. Not my type of entertainment.

[Cobra Mgr]

Originally Posted by mytreds

Name me five people who know who the Harlem Globtrotters are, let alone seen one of their performances. It’s a niche thing. Nothing more.

Are you talking about the current roster? Or do you mean knowledge of their existence?

[BaseballMan]

I really don't have a problem with them as long as it remains exhibition.
If it became a farm team for a Major League team i might not like it as a
player may not get the experience he needs to develop.
But otherwise its just fun.
I would never think of the Globetrotters on the same level as the great teams from the Celtics, Lakers and Bulls. But their players were skilled.
But its more focused on individuality whereas the NBA is more team focused against higher competition.
But Curly Neal, Medowlark Lemon, Geese Ausbie were recognized players when i was growing up. I know they were on some cartoons and i believe they were on some reunion episode of Gilligan's Island.
Anyway i just see it as fun entertainment for people and not serious baseball competition.