Savannah Bananas

• Location: Savannah, GA
• League: Coastal Plain League 2016-2022
• Stadium: Grayson Stadium

Team History

The Savannah Bananas won the Coastal Plain League championship in 2016, their first season in the league. The Bananas play at Grayson Stadium which played host to South Atlantic League teams for many years.

They are known for their colorful on-field antics and for barnstorming across the country outside of the summer collegiate baseball season. These exhibition games are played under special "banana rules", that include a player being out if a fan in the stands catches a foul ball. They also perform elaborate choreographies and dance moves akin to those that have made the Harlem Globetrotters famous in basketball. They have also attracted attention by having celebrities join their team for a game or two. Some examples include having a player pitch a game on stilts, as well as having WWE legend John Cena appear in a game for the team. Some former major league players who played in games with the Bananas include Johnny Damon, Jake Peavy, Jonny Gomes, and Eric Byrnes. Following the 2022 summer season, the Bananas folded their collegiate summer team and now focus on playing "Banana Ball" solely making internet content/live events.

Year-by-Year Record

Year	Record	Manager	Playoffs
2016	30-20	Sean West	Champions
2017	30-25	Sean West	Semi Final
2018	37-13	Tyler Gillum	Semi Final
2019	35-15	Tyler Gillum	1st Round
2021	36-8	Tyler Gillum	Champions

Further Reading

• Matt Monagan: "Former MLBers feel like kids again playing Bananas: Pink Speedos, shirtless weigh-ins and lots of dancing", mlb.com, September 6, 2023. [1]
• Henry Palattella: "'Banana Ball' comes to the Hall: Team celebrates exhibit opening", mlb.com, September 21, 2023. [2]
• David Wharton (Los Angeles Times): "Meet the Savannah Bananas, who've captivated fans and MLB. 'We exist to make baseball fun'", Yahoo! News, May 16, 2022. [3]

Links

• Bananas website