Savannah Bananas: Everything to know about the Harlem Globetrotters of baseball
By Rylie Smith
In the competitive world of sports, the Savannah Bananas are the perfect team to watch for a fun and stress-free game.
Baseball has been considered “America’s Pastime” for over a century, and the Savannah Bananas are taking that phrase to a whole new level. The team is comprised of college students under Coastal Plain League, and their main goals are to bring entertainment and have fun.
Comparable to the Harlem Globetrotters, the Savannah Bananas aim to be as unproblematically crazy and entertaining as possible. The home page of their website features a statement that says, “We make baseball fun. Fans first. Entertain always. All inclusive.”
They’ve garnered positive attention from multiple media outlets such as USA Today, ESPN and The Boston Globe. They are truly a unique team that never fails to bring joy and laughter to a spectator’s day.
Who are the Savannah Bananas?
According to their website, “The Savannah Bananas Premier Team was born out of the idea to keep baseball fun in Savannah all year long. The Bananas continue to add more games in the traditional “off season” and needed to fill a roster. After a multitude of Minor League Teams were cut in 2020, many players lost their jobs. The Premier Team allows players another opportunity to be scouted and paid for their play.”
The team didn’t have to fight hard for recognition; within the first 24 hours, they were a trending topic on Twitter and received attention from SportsCenter and Good Morning America. They launched in 2016 and have been on an upward rise ever since. The family-friendly and positive team is one with talented players, so fans looking to watch a good game and ones looking to be entertained can both find enjoyment watching the Bananas.
With attention from massive media outlets, the team quickly grew and became known for their unique and bizarre antics, such as performing choreographed dances every game or wearing kilts while playing, among many more.
According to their shoutout from ESPN in 2021, MLB could learn a lesson from the Bananas in how to play an engaging game.
ESPN wrote, “The Bananas, who operate out of the Coastal Plain League, sell out every game. Their TikTok account boasts more than 575,000 followers, more than any major league team. Their brand has somehow become national. The mastermind is a 37-year-old, yellow-tuxedoed iconoclast named Jesse Cole, a former collegiate pitcher who scoffs at the rigidities of professional baseball.”
The Bananas may be a crazy team, but they are doing it right when it comes to creating a show everyone will love.