What Are The Savannah Bananas?

Though most of the spotlight in baseball goes to the 30 professional teams that make up the MLB, some minor league or exhibition teams have grown in popularity over the past few years. A great example of this phenomenon is the Savannah Bananas. The Savannah Bananas are a popular exhibition baseball team that are based in Savannah, Georgia. Read on to learn all about the young and unique team.

• Sport: Baseball
• Founded: 2016
• Hometown: Savannah, Georgia
• League: Banana Ball World Tour (independent)
• Official Website: https://thesavannahbananas.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesavbananas/
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thesavbananas

History

The Savannah Bananas were founded in 2016 as a new Savannah-based team in the Coastal Plain League. In their inaugural season with the amateur league’s west division, the team achieved immediate success in terms of both attendance and game play. In fact, the team even won their first Petitt Cup Championship that year, a feat they repeated in 2021 and 2022.

After the 2022 summer league season, the Bananas decided to remove themselves from amateur collegiate play. Instead of following MLB rules and participating in the CPL, the team would play its own form of baseball, entitled “banana ball,” and become a touring exhibition team (similar to the Harlem Globetrotters in basketball).

Banana Ball

The Savannah Bananas exclusively play a branded version of baseball called “banana ball.” Listed below are all of the banana ball rules that deviate from standard professional baseball play:

• For the first eight innings, only one point per inning is rewarded.
• Teams with the most runs in an inning get one point.
• In the ninth inning only, every run counts as one point.
• Teams with five points and a lead at the end of an inning automatically win.
• Games are played with a two-hour time limit.
• Bunting is not allowed and is an ejectable offense.
• Batters are not allowed to step outside the batter’s box.
• Batters can steal first base if a wild pitch or passed ball occurs while at-bat.
• Mound visits are not allowed at any time.
• Foul balls caught by fans are officially counted as outs.
• After the fourth ball, batters are allowed to advance as far around the bases as they can.
• Ties are broken by a three-round “1 on 1 showdown,” in which each team selects a pitcher and hitter to represent them.
• Every 1 on 1 showdown continues until an out or a run is scored.

Popularity

The Savannah Bananas have sold out every game since their first season in Savannah and have continued to sell out during their Banana Ball World Tour. In addition to their humorous team name and mascot Split, the team is renowned for their on-field shenanigans, mid-game dance moves, and increasingly viral videos. Though they were already popular while playing for the CPL, the rise of the social media platform TikTok offered a new venue for the team to show off and monetize their hijinks on the pitch. As of 2023, they already have over five million followers on the platform.

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