A couple holds up the Savannah Bananas’ “Banana Baby.” (Photo courtesy Savannah Bananas)
Next week, baseball gets a makeover – for two days, at least.
The Savannah Bananas exhibition baseball team is bringing its way-off-base tour featuring a circus-like version of America’s pastime to downtown San Diego’s Petco Park for two games on Sept. 5-6.
Team owner, entrepreneur, and all-around ringleader Jesse Cole will attend the game in his trademark yellow tuxedo. In 2016, he tapped into an eager fanbase that grew into a national obsession.
However, purists might need to either look the other way or just go along with the fun, because traditional baseball this is not. Some rule variations include:
Speed. Games last two hours. Pitchers are not allowed to step off the rubber. Batters can not step out of the batter’s box. No manager’s meetings are allowed on the mound.
Creativity. Umpires do flips after they call a player out. Don’t be surprised to see a player wearing stilts. In the third inning, the pitcher, catcher and middle infielders do a choreographed dance routine.
Fan interaction. Each game, one fan is allowed to protest one umpire call. And if a fan catches a foul ball in the stands, it’s an out.
Banana baby. Every game, players honor the Banana Baby by blasting Lion King opening music and kneeling around the baby while it is lifted in a banana costume. (No word on whether it is the same baby each time.)
The team also offers “the world’s only Dancing Umpire,” Vincent Chapman; “the world’s only Breakdancing Coach,” Maceo Harrison; the “Banana Nanas,” a senior citizens dance team; the “Banana Splitz,” a youth dance team; and the “Man-Nana’s,” also called the Dad Bod Cheerleading Squad.
Tickets for the Petco games have sold out, but are available on re-sale platforms like SeatGeek and StubHub.