From dancing players to crazy rule changes, the Savannah Bananas are making baseball a-peel-ing again

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In a sport where change isn't often embraced and tradition reigns supreme, the Savannah Bananas baseball team is flipping the game on its head.

"The name of our company is Fans First Entertainment, so every decision we make is fans first," team owner Jesse Cole told The Current's Matt Galloway. "So we looked at every boring part of baseball and tried to make it fun."

That includes changes to traditional rules, such as implementing a no bunting rule, and imposing a two-hour time limit instead of nine innings. But the wackiest modifications have to do with the sport's showmanship.

"You'll see our Banana Nanas senior citizen dance team," he said. "Then, you'll see our Man-Nanas, our male cheerleading team; that's the dad bod cheerleading squad."

"We have weigh-ins before the games. We have parades. Players come up to bat with their bats on fire. We dance — we have a breakdancing first base coach. It's really a circus, and a baseball game breaks out."

It's a version of baseball the Bananas call "banana ball." These friendly games are usually contested in the Banana Ball World Tour by players within the Bananas' organization, but are sometimes played against other baseball teams.

Cole said the banana ball games emphasize fan entertainment and interaction.

"Every night, we're doing five to 10 things we've never done before in a live field in front of fans," he said. "Obviously, that's very showmanship, that's very Broadway meets baseball." 

But, the Bananas, who have been compared to the Harlem Globetrotters, are also a legitimate team. They have a squad that has competed in the Coastal Plain League, a collegiate summer baseball league, since 2016 — and have won two Petitt Cup championships, including one in 2021.

They've also sold out every game since their first season in the CPL, as well as every game on their Banana Ball World Tour.

Cole said his team is a great marriage between entertaining antics and competitive baseball.

"Fans want to see … the competitiveness with the fun, and at the end of our nights, you'll have the whole stadium standing on a close game, which is pretty rare for an entertainment-based type of experience," he said.

That's why, when scouting new talent to sign for the team, Cole looks for players who are both skilled and entertaining. 

"We have a pitcher, Mat Wolf, who can literally throw strikes between his legs and throw around his back," he said. "Our legend, catcher Bill LeRoy … has come up to bat introducing himself and announcing himself."

"So we look for guys that understand the showmanship and the fun, but also can play pretty, pretty good baseball."

LeRoy, who played for the Bananas' CPL team, said Savannah's version of baseball is "100 per cent different" than the version he grew up playing in Dublin, Georgia.

"I used to play in front of cows, and now I get to play in front of thousands and thousands — and even millions — of people," he told The Current's Matt Galloway.

Although it's not the baseball he was raised on, he's enjoying the entertainment and fast-paced nature of banana ball.

"Just being around all these guys that are super talented and super fun, and watching everybody smile and everybody themselves at the ballpark, it's something this world needs," he said.

Tradition vs. fun

As the Bananas sell out their games, Major League Baseball is struggling with a decrease in attendance.

After peaking at 74.9 million fans in 2007, MLB's total attendance has seen a year-by-year decrease to just over 68.5 million fans in 2019, the last full season without pandemic-related issues. 

Cole said it's because the league — and the sport in general — has stopped putting fun first. 

"I think there's been a huge challenge with what's happened with the game … and I think it's traditional purist view; the way they play the game, the way it was supposed to be played back in the day," he said. 

"I think now we need more celebrating, more fun, more entertainment."

Cole said players need to be allowed to express themselves more and interact with fans more. He believes MLB can learn from the Bananas, which allows players to dance mid-game and high-five fans after a home run.

"Now, more than ever, there are some of the most talented players in the world playing Major League Baseball, and I think, as a fan, we just want to get to know them [better], we want to have fun," he said.

According to the Bananas, making baseball fun is why they've been able to grow from a new franchise in 2016 to one of the most widely-known baseball teams in the world.

"Regardless of whether you like or hate what we do, you can't ignore the fact that we're putting smiles on millions and millions of people's faces," LeRoy said.

Written by Mouhamad Rachini. Produced by Ben Jamieson and Raj Ahluwalia.