The Savannah Bananas: A fun twist on an outdated sport or a mockery of America’s Pastime?

The Savannah Bananas is a baseball team based out of Savannah, Georgia, notorious for their adaptation of baseball: Banana Ball. Similar to the exhibition basketball team the Harlem Globetrotters, founded in 1926, the sport aims to entertain their audience with trick plays and reimagined rules. The Bananas were founded by Jesse Cole, who previously served as the General Manager of a summer-league collegiate baseball team, the Gastonia Grizzlies. Inspired by the mottos “fans first” and “entertain always,” Cole introduced Banana Ball in 2016. The rules are designed to include the audience; for example, if a foul ball is caught by a fan, the batter is out. They also mitigate the tedious aspects of the game, capping the games at a two-hour time limit, and removing walks. Neil Mehta ‘26 said, “I think it is a modern take on it. Especially as baseball is decreasing in popularity, I think it is also a fun way to introduce kids to the sport.”

The team has gained an impressive audience from their social media platforms, attracting fans who prioritize the entertainment aspect of sports. The Savannah Bananas TikTok page has over 10 million followers, notably surpassing the official Major League Baseball (MLB) following of 8.6 million. Maeve Phipps ‘27 explained that “their social media presence is huge. I always see their videos on my For You Page and they do a great job of marketing the team and getting fans…engaged with them.” Varsity Softball Captain A’nai Alvarez echoed Phipps’ statement: “I love their social media presence, and I love watching all of the behind-the-scenes of everything they do. It is also nice to see their involvement with young players.” Most of the star players regularly post on their social media pages, and have attracted large followings. Jackson Olson, an infielder for the Bananas and a Connecticut native, has over 2 million followers on both TikTok and Instagram. He consistently posts promotional content for the team, and describes his story of declining a MLB offer to complete his college degree, and eventually joining the Bananas. Kate Wagner ’28 stated, “I first discovered the Savannah Bananas on Jackson Olsen’s TikTok. I watched a lot of their skill videos and dancing clips from the games, and it influenced me to go to a game in person.”  

Several students argued the Savannah Bananas improve the relevance of baseball. Phipps said, “I do not think that they undermine the sport of baseball. It is a fun twist that makes the game more interesting and fun to watch.” Alvarez expressed a similar sentiment: “Sports are entertainment. It is the same as any game show. Sports are games.” Mehta argued, “It’s a cool way to change up the game a little bit, and of course, I like the various stunts that they do.”  Mehta continued, “The point of sports is entertainment. Sports should try to keep a balance between maintaining the original rules of the game while still trying to be as entertaining as possible.” Wagner agreed, saying “Banana Ball makes baseball more enjoyable, because a lot of the slow parts of the game are cut out.” 

However, not everyone agrees. Natalie Billings ‘27, for example, argued, “I think it is stupid that they do those dances, and they should focus on actually playing baseball.” Furthermore, she claimed, “Banana Ball ruins the romanticism of baseball [and] the traditional aspects of the sport.” Varsity Baseball Assistant Coach and Math teacher Bob Studley expressed a similar sentiment, “[Baseball] is the greatest game ever invented, Banana Ball is sort of a hybrid sport…similar to beach volleyball and three-on-three basketball. It is cool, but there is no way baseball is going away and getting overtaken by Banana Ball.”  

Although the Savannah Bananas provoke varying opinions about the relevance of traditional sports, it gives audiences the option to integrate entertainment and modern approaches. Studley concluded, “I think it is super entertaining, but it is entertainment, not the real sport of baseball…it will never replace baseball.”