Let’s not pretend like the Savannah Bananas are known for their play on the baseball field.
They are not. Theatrics guided by the Golden Rule of “Fans First” are what drive fans to Grayson Stadium by the masses, and let’s not pretend like those fans care all that much about who wins the baseball game breaking out between the acts and antics. They do not.
But here’s the thing: The Savannah Bananas are winning most of these baseball games. They are the Coastal Plain League’s marquee team for what they are doing off the field, and they are quickly becoming the CPL’s most dominant team between the lines as well.
It’s not just about the 18-5 start to this season for head coach Tyler Gillum’s team … or the fact that the Bananas have outscored opponents by 56 runs through 23 games … or that they’ve clinched yet another playoff spot with a first half West Division title … or that they’ve won five straight games three different times already … It’s also about how they are winning all these games.
For as much as they irk the game’s traditionalist fans, the Bananas are playing an old-school brand of baseball that those same traditionalists can’t deny.
They lead the league in stolen bases with 66 through June 24, that’s nearly three swipes per game on average. At a .270 clip, Savannah is second in the CPL in batting average (remember when that stat mattered!?) and they’re second in team ERA (3.12). They’ve struck out the fourth fewest times and they’ve hit just nine home runs through the season’s first month and change.
In other words … these Bananas put the ball in play, they get guys on base, they move runners over and in, and they pitch better than most.
THAT is the style of game old heads are always longing for. It’s working incredibly well thus far this summer, and all signs point to the Bananas being big favorites to win the CPL for a second straight summer.
SPORTS NOTES
One of the most sought after quarterback recruits in recent memory, Arch Manning (Isidore Newman – New Orleans, LA) announced his verbal commitment to the University of Texas last week … The No. 1 rated recruit in the Class of 2023 and nephew to Peyton and Eli Manning, Arch chose the Longhorns over notable offers from the likes of Georgia and Alabama. The recruiting battles between Texas and traditional SEC powers like UGA and Bama should become more common moving forward, as Texas and Oklahoma are set to join the conference by 2025.
Friday is July 1, and that means it’s another chance to celebrate Bobby Bonilla Day … The former Major League Baseball outfielder collects a check for $1,193,248.20 from the New York Mets, his former team, annually on the first of July. Bonilla, now 59, had the remaining $5.9 million left on his contract bought out by the Mets in 2000. But, instead of paying him the $5.9 million, the Mets agreed to make annual payments of nearly $1.2 million to Bonilla for 25 years, beginning on July 1, 2011, including an agreed upon 8% interest. The Mets will pay Bonilla through 2035, making it one of the worst (and funniest) contracts in professional sports history.
FOLLOW Travis Jaudon on Twitter/Instagram @JaudonSports. Email him at travisLjaudon@gmail.com. Listen to him host Hot Grits Podcast, Savannah’s No. 1 sports podcast, with new episodes released each Tuesday.
This article appears in Jun 29 – Jul 12, 2022.
