As their 2025 World Tour winds down, the Savannah Bananas made a historic first appearance at Yankee Stadium on Sept. 13 and 14, playing games against The Firefighters, bringing their unique Banana Ball rules to the bright lights of the Bronx.
The Bananas took the first game of the two-game set, winning 3-2 in the first round of their unique Showdown Tiebreakers. However, The Firefighters picked up a Showdown win of their own the next night, picking up a 5-4 victory to salvage a weekend split.
However, for the Bananas, their 2025 success is the payoff of a nine-year journey. After their inception in 2016 as a college ball team in the Coastal Plain League (CPL) by Jesse Cole, the team has become a national sensation. Since 2022, the Bananas have played World Tours as a barnstorming team, making their mark in MLB stadiums and, beginning this season, football stadiums. This year marked their first visit to Yankee Stadium.
“It’s hard to believe,” catcher Bill LeRoy said. “This place is beautiful. In the baseball world, it’s the dream of a lot of guys to play here, and I’m lucky to be a part of this Banana thing, I have been for a long time.”
Each of the Bananas’ games features its unique ruleset of Banana Ball. Games end in two-hour time limits, bunting and stepping out of the batter’s box are not allowed, and walks are instead Ball 4 Sprints that enable the runner to go as far as they can before all nine fielders touch the ball.
As was the case on both nights at Yankee Stadium, both games ended in Showdowns. A showdown opens with a batter facing. a pitcher, fielder, and catcher, progressing to a batter against a pitcher and catcher if still tied. Should a third round be required, the batter faces a pitcher, fielder, and catcher, this time with bases loaded.
Banana Ball is also known for its unique activities to get fans engaged. The Bananas are famous for their choreographed celebrations and dances before pitches are thrown, but several big names got in on the action. On Saturday, Big Time Rush and Miguel Cervantes, formerly of Hamilton on Broadway, performed “My Shot” with the players getting in on the act.
“We break down the barrier between fan and player,” infielder and lifelong Yankees fan Jackson Olson said. “We’re in the crowd the entire game. People don’t see it and notice it, but we have guys in the very upper decks all game, and that’s how this works, and obviously the baseball has to be good for this work too.”
Pregame activations include the first banana, a kid hitting the first home run of the game, and a fan warmup led by a young member of the crowd. Sunday’s game uniquely featured a rock-paper-scissors relay and Alex Ziegler balancing a ladder on his head.
Their first World Tour featured one stop at Hank Aaron Stadium in Mobile, AL. As the Bananas’ brand has grown, they’ve appeared at Daikin Park in Houston, Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Fenway Park in Boston, and more over the course of their history. For longtime members of the Bananas, it’s a chance to reflect on where they came from to playing under the bright lights of Major League ballparks.
“I played for the CPL team, spent a summer with them, and they said ‘hey, you want to go on tour’” recalled centerfielder D.R. “Doc” Meadows. “The rest is history.”
While the Bananas play to expand the reach of their game, the rest of their mission is to provide a memorable experience for the fans. The show starts before the game, as the players march through the crowd outside the ballpark for the night’s game, singing, dancing, and getting fans excited for the game. Also, the rules of Banana Ball state that if a fan catches a foul ball on the fly, it’s an out in the game. Cole’s group, which owns the Bananas and affiliated clubs, is named Fans First Entertainment, and the players echo that sentiment in their everyday routine.
“I think the best part about being a Banana is touching the next generation of ballplayers,” pitcher Andy Archer said. “Baseball has given me the greatest friendships, the toughest lessons, and also some of the greatest memories, experiencing, competing with my team. I want the next generation to grow up experiencing all the benefits and goodness of that for themselves.”
The Bananas conclude their regular season against the Texas Tailgaters at Daikin Park next weekend. Their two opposing teams, The Party Animals and Firefighters, wrapped up their regular seasons and await the Tour Championship playoffs in early October.
