good morning everyone –
For those who follow baseball, you might have known that the World Champions recently paid a visit to Washington DC. No, I’m not talking about the Los Angeles Dodgers. I’m talking about the Savannah Bananas.
The Bananas are like a more Broadway-driven version of the Harlem Globetrotters. It’s a group of very talented athletes doing trick plays with other gimmicky teams. They were bright yellow uniforms and break out into choreographed dances. They have a guy on stilts.
Saturday marked the inaugural Banana Bowl, a spectacle that featured six teams in the Savannah Bananas universe, John Cena, Andy Grammar, the cast of Beauty and the Beast on Broadway, and the Jonas Brothers.
The Banana Bowl is the culmination of an odd journey for the Bananas, founded in 2016 and attracted few fans. The team over-drafted its bank account, and the owners had to sell their home to keep the team going. But then things changed. Fans flocked to the games en masse and the team began to play baseball through exhibition games under the “Banana Ball” competition featuring a mix of minor leaguers, collegiate baseball players and former MLB stars.
It’s a remarkable story.
I don’t understand the Savannah Bananas. I like bananas. I like the colour yellow. I like to think I’d like the city of Savannah, Georgia. But I don’t understand the Savannah Bananas.
But here’s the thing: the Bananas are huge. They sell out stadium. They drew out a sell-out crowd of 42,000 at Nationals Park. In May, they played in front of 102,000 fans in Texas.
Meawhile, the Tampa Bay Rays are struggling to fill out their attendance during the ALCS against the Cleveland Guardians.
It makes for a striking observation in baseball. Why are the Bananas so exciting? They’re certainly family friendly. People like bananas. Yellow is a fun colour. And I like to think people would like the city of Savannah, Georgia.
So as we wind down the end of the 2026 MLB season, remember the biggest team in the game won’t be lifting the Worl Series trophy. It’ll be the Savannah Bananas.
Fitzie’s track of the day: Hollaback Girl, by Gwen Stefani
And now for your links:
BBC: “Martinez outburst came out of ‘anger and frustration’”
The Guardian: “Millwall’s Alex Neil criticised for his comments on stoppage for alleged racism”
NorthJersey.com: “Savannah Bananas schedule 2027: Will NJ, NYC land Banana Ball?”
