Bananas pulling out of summer league, will keep barnstorming

The Savannah Bananas, who became a national sensation with their irreverent style of baseball, are leaving the Coastal Plain League to focus full attention on their professional barnstorming team.

Owner Jesse Cole made the announcement in a Youtube video, saying,“we’ll be able to bring the Savannah Bananas to more people in Savannah and around the world.”

The Bananas joined the summer league for college players in 2016, playing in historic Grayson Stadium after the departure of the city’s longtime minor league team.

The amateur team was an immediate sensation, on and off the field. With antics that drew attention from national media and a team that won three CPL titles, including the last two, the Bananas have sold out every home game since their founding.

Cole built on that success by launching a pro team that plays a version of the game known as “Banana Ball,” which includes a two-hour time limit, no restrictions to the on-field revelry (from wearing kilts to a player who uses stilts), and offbeat rules such as no walks, no bunting and outs being counted when a fan catches a ball in the stands.

The response prompted Cole to go all-in on a team that can play more games in Savannah — where the owner says the waiting list for tickets has grown to 80,000 — and on the road.

“The Coastal Plain League gave us an opportunity,”cole said.“it’s been a great journey and a ton of fun. But as we continued to watch our fans and listen to our fans and saw the amazing response to Banana Ball, it became a nobrainer.”