The Savannah Bananas brand has arguably become bigger than the Savannah Bananas themselves. What seemed a crucial component of the Bananas experience—the actual team—is increasingly absent from games featuring the showboating version of baseball they popularized. Yet fans do not seem to mind.
From Collegiate Roots to Bananaball League
When the Guardian last examined the Bananas in 2023, the organization had just abandoned its amateur roots in collegiate summer baseball to focus strictly on 'bananaball,' a funhouse-mirror reflection of baseball emphasizing trick plays, player antics, and crowd engagement. At the time, bananaball was limited to two teams: the Bananas and their eternal rivals, the Party Animals. It seemed they would follow a well-trodden path to moderate, long-term success, much like basketball's Harlem Globetrotters, who have performed scripted exhibition games since the 1950s. However, the Bananas have chosen a different route.
A Growing League of Eccentric Teams
A bananaball game on a sunny May evening at Richmond's CarMax Park reveals the organization's unique approach. Fans outside the ballpark often said they were attending a Savannah Bananas game, but they were actually watching the Firefighters take on the Indianapolis Clowns—two of six full-time professional bananaball teams touring the United States. Simultaneously, the Party Animals played the Loco Beach Coconuts in Las Vegas, while the Bananas drew over 100,000 fans in College Station, Texas, against the Texas Tailgaters. What began as a pair of barnstorming exhibition teams has grown into a small but expanding league, a leap the Globetrotters never made.
The eccentric team names aim to broaden bananaball's appeal. The Texas Tailgaters embrace cowboy imagery, the Coconuts evoke a tropical vibe reminiscent of Jimmy Buffett, and the Firefighters are composed of square-jawed hunks. The Clowns, the most familiar name to baseball ears, have an organic origin: the original Indianapolis Clowns were a renowned Negro League team in the early to mid-20th century.
Merchandising and Disney-Like Atmosphere
Merchandising is abundant at games, with stalls selling everything from caps to koozies. While not inherently negative, it signals a shift. In 2023, bananaball had an inclusive, community feel, with families, bachelorette parties, and older baseball fans mingling. By 2026, the experience feels less like a baseball game and more like a day at Disney World. The target demographic is clearly children; nearly everyone at the Richmond ballpark was either a child or accompanying one. Music sets the ambience, with Gen Alpha poultry-themed anthems like 'Chicken Banana' and 'Steve's Lava Chicken' blaring from speakers.
The Disney comparison is intentional. Founder Jesse Cole cites Walt Disney as a key influence, and players note an overlap between Disney fandom and bananaball fandom. However, not all attendees are families. Heather Albrecht, a baseball enthusiast who has visited 29 of 30 MLB ballparks, attended with her sister as part of a bucket list trip with their late mother. She believes bananaball could overtake MLB in popularity, noting that Bananas games sell out MLB parks that were empty ghost towns during regular season games.
Showmanship Over Competition
MLB need not worry yet; average attendance last season was 29,386, steady for a decade. But MLB could learn from bananaball's appeal to younger fans. Strip away TikTok dances, pyrotechnics, and crowd work, and the on-field product might become an interesting side competition. Bananaball could be the T20 cricket to MLB's test counterpart. The preference for showmanship is central; the game's outcome matters less than laughs per minute. If a competitive element emerges, so much the better.
Interestingly, no significant attempts have been made to replicate bananaball in other sports like American football, hockey, soccer, or cricket. However, format innovation continues within baseball. Near Richmond, the Tri-City Chili Peppers, an amateur collegiate summer team, are pioneering 'cosmic baseball' played with UV-reactive gear under black lights. They openly credit the Bananas as inspiration. Cole welcomes competition, saying, 'I commend anybody trying to do something different to make their sport fun and bring joy to people.'
Addressing Critics and Looking Ahead
Cole is thoughtful when responding to critics who dismiss bananaball as a passing fad. He sees comments predicting its demise and acknowledges history suggests such bets are strong. He points to the And 1 basketball league and others that have come and gone. 'Only a few companies sustain creativity over time—Disney, Saturday Night Live. They continually create, try new things, and aren't afraid to fail. We share that.' Focusing on a young demographic may be the key to achieving this decades-spanning goal.
Towards the end of the Richmond game, two Little-League-aged fans in bananaball gear played catch beyond centerfield, copying trick plays they had seen. When asked if they wanted to be ballplayers, one shouted, 'I want to be a Firefighter.' When asked which player he wanted to emulate, he clarified, 'No, a firefighter. I want to fight fires.' If his dreams come true, it is clear which team his future family will support.
