Savannah Bananas conclude world tour at Baseball Hall of Fame

Sep. 16—The Savannah Bananas' 2023 Banana Ball World Tour concluded Saturday when the team made a visit to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Doubleday Field in Cooperstown.

The exhibition barnstorming team — baseball's version of the Harlem Globetrotters — showed why they've become a sports phenomenon.

"You could never ever imagine what has happened this year," Owner Jesse Cole said of the conclusion of the tour. "To play 33 cities, coast to coast, sellout every single game. Over a half million fans, people coming from all over the world to see our games. It's special.

"These guys have worked hard, our staff has worked hard to put on a show every single night, do things that have never happened before on a baseball field. To finish here in Cooperstown is the perfect ending."

People were lined up all down Main Street Saturday morning in anticipation of getting the chance to see the Bananas.

"It's great," Ted Simmons, a member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 2020 said. "They've brought in everybody from little league to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and everything in between in one place for one reason."

Lee Smith, Class of 2019, was also in attendance and began the ninth inning on the mound for the Bananas.

"I'm excited to see them up close and personal for the first time," Simmons said prior to the game. "This phenomenon that everybody all over the country is talking about. This is incredible, particularly in Cooperstown. I've been to some of the annual baseball games they hold here with former Major League Baseball players but they don't fill it like this place is going to be. This is standing room only."

Many of the Bananas' players have never been to Cooperstown and were enjoying the opportunity to do so.

"I have never been to Cooperstown," pitcher Kyle Luigs said. "I think it's kind of like a bucket list thing. When you're 10-12 years old this is the place you want to play.

"I was not fortunate enough to get that opportunity but I think it's very cool and fitting to end the crazy eight-month stretch that we've been on all over the country to wrap up what all that craziness has been in Cooperstown, where baseball is life. It's definitely a cool town to be in and I'm very excited to be here."

"I was in college last year. I never thought I'd be playing in Cooperstown and going to the Hall of Fame, so that's pretty sweet," pitcher Jared Donalson added.

The Hall of Fame added an exhibit dedicated to the Bananas, which the team got a chance to see Friday.

"It's an unbelievable exhibit," Cole said. "It's really special. To celebrate the game of Banana Ball, what's happened, with literally the idea books where I write ideas everyday, sharing the rules of what this game could be back in 2018 and showing the first banana ball thrown, first banana ball caught by a fan and our jerseys. It's special. It means a lot."

"Just seeing it and being there for the first time and seeing my face up there, it's pretty unreal," pitcher Nolan Daniel said.

"Surreal moment; it's awesome to be a part of this," pitcher DJ "The Invader" added. "Being in the Hall of Fame is an awesome moment for Jesse, for me and this entire organization."

"First time at the Hall of Fame and you're getting inducted into it, that's really special," Luigs said. "Being here since 2018, we've known every year that we were doing something special, didn't really quite know what that was or how far it would take us."

The fans in a packed Doubleday Field were treated to pregame festivities, constant engagement from the players and music throughout the entire afternoon, as well as trick plays and unique rules once the game began.

As has become their trademark, the Bananas made things happen on a baseball field that you wouldn't see anywhere else.

Some examples were a player pinch-hitting on stilts, a catch made while mid-backflip, a pitcher in a astronaut helmet, shirtless home run trots and a dancing umpire among others.

The players' walk-up music also lasted throughout their at-bats while teammates danced with the fans.

It's a rule in Banana Ball that the game can't exceed two hours, keeping the game fast and action-packed. For every inning each team wins, they get a point.

The opposing Party Animals scored four runs in each of the second and third innings, while the Bananas scored once in the third, giving the Party Animals a 2-0 lead.

The Bananas scored once to win the seventh inning, cutting it to 2-1, which held through the eighth.

In the ninth inning every run counts, and the Bananas put up a zero in the top half, thanks in part to Smith's guest appearance.

They were unable to scratch a run across in the bottom half, giving the Party Animals a 2-1 win in the final game of the tour.

While the Bananas' world tour came to an end, those involved feel that the team's journey is just getting started.

"I truly do believe, like [Cole] says, we're in the first inning," Luigs said. "We're really just getting started with this thing. We're just starting to get a lot of national attention with social media playing a big role, but it's really cool to see the places that it's taken us so far."