Great comparison. they’re fun to watch, but you really only need to go once and then you’re good. And you’re going to “see the Globetrotters,” not to a basketball game. IMO, it’s the same thing here.
I watched a 60 Minites segment on the team, and the owner’s enthusiasm was infectious. You gotta love someone so excited about what they’re building, even if it’s all part of the bit.
That said, I think I’d be cool checking it out once. I love soccer & hockey because they’re fast. I love baseball for the exact opposite reason. The idea that the pitcher is on stilts is cool—and a skill I’ll never have— but it’s not baseball in the same way that a Globetrotters game isn’t basketball per se.
One of my favorite UNLV professors was Dr. Borer and he wrote a book about how baseball is like a religion - "Faithful to Fenway: Believing in Boston, Baseball, and America's Most Beloved Ballpark" - and I can see where you are coming from; defending baseball's storied past and nostalgia. I also feel like, no matter how hard we lash about inside our enclosures; everything is gonna turn into Blernsball - from Futurama, whether we like it or not... I've also watched 2 games of banana ball on the corporate overlord streaming services and it's a fun way to kill 2 hours; I don't plan on making it my entire identity; but it's ok to watch and I can totally see the appeal to kids and families... Great article. thanks for sharing... cheers...
Great article! I could not agree more. Rick Dempsey and Greg Maddux’s rain delay antics entertained crowds as well but at some point I want to watch a baseball game.
Please tell me where you still find “stillness between pitches.” Every game I’ve been to recently has loud sound effects, music clips, etc., for every second there’s no actual play. Hate it. Banana Ball sounds like a perversion of the game. Thanks for the article.
Hi Mandy, if you read some of my other post you will get a feel for where I come from, I rant about that quite a bit. Check my Between Innings posts, thank you for reading this.
Is this a "zero-sum" problem? I see Major League Baseball and Banana ball as different flavors of ice cream, among several others. Once you've had your first ice cream cone, there's a much better chance that you're going to come back and try another flavor. But too many people are passing over the whole shop without ever coming in. That is the slow death that I worry over.
My two daughters have struggled to get into baseball even though it's their dad's passion, but I put on a Banana ball game and now they are asking for merch and cheering--for the Firefighters for some reason. During that game, I was able to explain more of baseball's rules than I'd ever gotten through before. The next time we go to a real game, they will be in a better position to appreciate what's going on, and all the joys that experience offers.
No disagreement, it's not for everyone. But baseball is in desperate need of onramps and I see these college stadiums full of screaming people and former minor leaguers getting treated like rock stars and it feels like a rising tide.
The story of the Bananas is one where the owner is desperately trying to field a team and, more importantly, run a business and was creative enough to create the concept and make it succeed. Minor league baseball is essentially fans coming to see baseball as entertainment. Yes, there is baseball, mostly good baseball with hungry players eager to prove themselves, but what puts “butts in the seats” is the flash and fun. The Savannah Bananas are that and more and might be characterized as hyper entertainment. At the end of the day it’s a financial model that has exceeded expectations.
Seems like if everything is entertainment, nothing is entertainment. The reason real sports are exciting are the lulls. If every at bat was a gimmick, there’d be no investment. This version is just a drug until the drug doesn’t do its job anymore.
I never really cared about the Globetrotters either. 🤷
Great comparison. they’re fun to watch, but you really only need to go once and then you’re good. And you’re going to “see the Globetrotters,” not to a basketball game. IMO, it’s the same thing here.
I'd never heard of Banana Ball until this post. It sounds utterly dreadful. And garish.
Although I have not attended a Banana Ball game, my sense is that Banana Ball
is baseball as much as deep dish pizza is pizza. Both can be enjoyed but they are not the same as the real thing.
I watched a 60 Minites segment on the team, and the owner’s enthusiasm was infectious. You gotta love someone so excited about what they’re building, even if it’s all part of the bit.
That said, I think I’d be cool checking it out once. I love soccer & hockey because they’re fast. I love baseball for the exact opposite reason. The idea that the pitcher is on stilts is cool—and a skill I’ll never have— but it’s not baseball in the same way that a Globetrotters game isn’t basketball per se.
Hate it.
They can call it banana ball, banana dick, banana circus, but that is not baseball.
Our world is becoming so unserious and the wonderful, thoughtful game of baseball is just one casualty of many.
Love this response!
One of my favorite UNLV professors was Dr. Borer and he wrote a book about how baseball is like a religion - "Faithful to Fenway: Believing in Boston, Baseball, and America's Most Beloved Ballpark" - and I can see where you are coming from; defending baseball's storied past and nostalgia. I also feel like, no matter how hard we lash about inside our enclosures; everything is gonna turn into Blernsball - from Futurama, whether we like it or not... I've also watched 2 games of banana ball on the corporate overlord streaming services and it's a fun way to kill 2 hours; I don't plan on making it my entire identity; but it's ok to watch and I can totally see the appeal to kids and families... Great article. thanks for sharing... cheers...
Great article! I could not agree more. Rick Dempsey and Greg Maddux’s rain delay antics entertained crowds as well but at some point I want to watch a baseball game.
1-0 is cool when you're on the 1 side...signed a Reds fan. 😞
Please tell me where you still find “stillness between pitches.” Every game I’ve been to recently has loud sound effects, music clips, etc., for every second there’s no actual play. Hate it. Banana Ball sounds like a perversion of the game. Thanks for the article.
Hi Mandy, if you read some of my other post you will get a feel for where I come from, I rant about that quite a bit. Check my Between Innings posts, thank you for reading this.
Is this a "zero-sum" problem? I see Major League Baseball and Banana ball as different flavors of ice cream, among several others. Once you've had your first ice cream cone, there's a much better chance that you're going to come back and try another flavor. But too many people are passing over the whole shop without ever coming in. That is the slow death that I worry over.
My two daughters have struggled to get into baseball even though it's their dad's passion, but I put on a Banana ball game and now they are asking for merch and cheering--for the Firefighters for some reason. During that game, I was able to explain more of baseball's rules than I'd ever gotten through before. The next time we go to a real game, they will be in a better position to appreciate what's going on, and all the joys that experience offers.
No disagreement, it's not for everyone. But baseball is in desperate need of onramps and I see these college stadiums full of screaming people and former minor leaguers getting treated like rock stars and it feels like a rising tide.
Great perspective, thanks for taking the time to comment.
The story of the Bananas is one where the owner is desperately trying to field a team and, more importantly, run a business and was creative enough to create the concept and make it succeed. Minor league baseball is essentially fans coming to see baseball as entertainment. Yes, there is baseball, mostly good baseball with hungry players eager to prove themselves, but what puts “butts in the seats” is the flash and fun. The Savannah Bananas are that and more and might be characterized as hyper entertainment. At the end of the day it’s a financial model that has exceeded expectations.
Banana ball is pure entertainment. It complements the MLB game.
Seems like if everything is entertainment, nothing is entertainment. The reason real sports are exciting are the lulls. If every at bat was a gimmick, there’d be no investment. This version is just a drug until the drug doesn’t do its job anymore.