The (now world-famous) Savannah Bananas may have split from the Hostess City (only temporarily) for their first-ever world tour, but the team is back in town for the weekend, and fans can take in the action (April 8-9) streaming on ESPN+. The network announced they will be covering the Bananas to help introduce "Banana Ball" to its viewers.
Here's the release from ESPN:
ESPN+ will exclusively live stream two games from the 2022 Banana Ball World Tour on April 8 and 9, featuring the social media-famous Savannah Bananas as they launch the sport of Banana Ball across the South. The games kick off at 7 p.m. ET on both April 8 and 9 in Savannah, Ga., with programming kicking off at 6:15 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
On their tour, the Bananas play against their friendly, Savannah-based rivals, the Party Animals, and in addition to performing dances, singing songs and enacting wild stunts throughout the game, they introduce fans to the Banana Ball rules:
No Bunting
Walks are sprints
No mound visits
Can’t step out of the batter’s box
Hitters can steal first base
If a fan catches a foul, it’s an out
Each inning is a winner take all
Two-hour time limit
Overtime one-on-one showdown
Fans will also learn more about the Bananas via an SportsCenter "Featured" all about the team and its owner, Jesse Cole.
About the Savannah Bananas:
Since arriving in Savannah in 2016, the Bananas have received worldwide attention and have sold out every night with over 4,000 fans in attendance and have a waitlist for tickets in the thousands. The team has become known for their Dancing Players, Dad Bod Cheerleading Squad, Banana Nanas Senior Citizen Dance Team, Breakdancing First Base Coach, Banana Pep Band and outrageous entertainment. In 2021, The Bananas launched a new professional team playing a new game, Banana Ball – our spin on the rules of baseball with a two-hour time limit where there are no walks, no bunting, and fans can catch foul balls for outs.
The most talented and entertaining 35 players were scouted and signed to play in the 2021 Spring Series in Savannah and then go to Mobile, Alabama to play in front of two sold-out crowds at the famous Hank Aaron Stadium. The 2021 Spring Series and One City World Tour received attention from the Wall Street Journal, ESPN, MLB players and personalities, Sports Illustrated, Baseball America and more. A single video of a Bananas pitcher dancing before throwing a pitch received over 30 million views. Fans cheered, danced, laughed, and some even cried like they never had before at a baseball game. This is the Bananas Experience.
Now, the Bananas are expanding the World Tour as they continue on their crusade to "Make Baseball Fun" through their mission of being "Fans First and Entertaining Always."
For more information on how to stream ESPN+, click HERE. (You will be taken to an outside site.)
