SUGAR LAND, Texas — Taking the game of baseball to a whole new level, the Savannah Bananas are entertaining sold-out crowds this weekend at Constellation Field in Sugar Land with fans from all over going bananas.
“Attendance in Major League Baseball has declined 13 million in the last 15 years, and young people aren’t watching games and so how do we make it fun for young people, and that’s what we started doing," Savannah Bananas Owner Jesse Cole said.
Peeling themselves away from their home state of Georgia, the Savannah Bananas slid themselves right into Sugar Land Thursday for a game some may call baseball, but these guys call it "banana ball," where the rules are rewritten and the players perform.
“They can expect one of the best shows they’ve ever seen. It’s going to be a whole lot of dancing, a whole lot of loud crazy noises, competitive baseball and a fast pace game," catcher Bill LeRoy said.
The Savannah Bananas are facing off against their favorite opponent, the Party Animals. Who will win is anyone’s guess, but really, who cares?
“When you show them it’s all about having fun, when you’re having fun, fun wins," LeRoy said.
While the game is the main attraction, the rest of the ridiculousness really draws a crowd, like the Man-nana’s, the dad bod cheerleading squad, the 'catch a banana in your pants' competition and the pre-game banana peel. There’s no shortage of ‘nanner’ nonsense.
It’s a potassium party that attracts all ages, from the young to the young-at-heart.
“Funny, hilarious," 10-year-old Richard Walden said. “They make it better, they make it better.”
“So I really want to see the difference between them play and the Major League Baseball players," 91-year-old Adan Martinez said.