The Savannah Bananas, who became a national sensation with their irreverent style of baseball, will be leaving the Coastal Plain League to focus all of their attention on their pro team.
Owner Jesse Cole made the announcement in a YouTube video, saying “we’ll be able to bring Savannah Bananas to more people in Savannah and around the world.”
The Bananas joined the summer league for college players in 2016, playing at historic Grayson Stadium after the departure of the city’s former minor league team.
The amateur team was an immediate sensation, on and off the field. With antics that drew national media attention and a team that won three CPL titles, including the last two, the Bananas have sold out every home game since their founding.
Cole built on that success by launching a professional team that plays a version of the game known as “Banana Ball,” which includes a 2-hour time limit, with no restrictions on on-pitch revelry (from wearing kilts to a player who uses stilts), and unconventional rules like no walks, no bunting and outs are counted when a fan catches a ball in the stands.
The response prompted Cole to go all-in on a team that can play more games in Savannah, where the owner says his team has a ticket waiting list that has grown to 80,000, and on the road.
The CPL team played 24 home games per season, a number that will reach 30 next year. Additionally, the smashing Bananas plan to play around 25 cities in 2023.
Cole said leaving the CPL was a bittersweet but necessary decision.
“The Coastal Plain League gave us a chance,” he said. “It’s been a great ride and a lot of fun. But as we continue to watch and listen to our fans and see the incredible response to Banana Ball, it became a no-brainer.”
The pro Bananas played a one-city “world tour” in 2021, added a half-dozen sold-out stops to their itinerary in 2022 and recently launched a summer series at Grayson Stadium that included a live broadcast of a game on ESPN2 and the premiere of a five-part series “Bananaland”.
The Bananas’ eclectic roster includes Bill Lee, the 75-year-old former major league pitcher known as “Spaceman,” who is known for walking into games drinking a beer.
During last week’s televised game, there was a terrifying moment when Lee collapsed while warming up in the bullpen. He stopped breathing before he was revived by emergency workers and taken to a hospital with what was described as a “cardiac episode.”
Cole said Lee has been released from the hospital and expects to make a full recovery. In fact, he plans to pitch again for the Bananas.
“It’s going to be a big part of our 2023 tour,” Cole said. “He’s very excited to get back out there.”
Cole said he has been contacted by five major league teams to discuss holding games at their stadiums. It will not happen next year, but it could be planned for 2024.
The Bananas will continue to play most of their games against the Party Animals, their version of the Harlem Globetrotters’ perennial opponent, the Washington Generals.
But Savannah also plans games against other professional teams, most likely from independent minor leagues.
During this year’s tour, the Bananas split two games against the Kansas City Monarchs of the American Association, which became an MLB associate league under the minor league realignment.
Source: www.espn.com