Banana Ball

About Banana Ball and how Michi-chan Sports will approach our reporting of their outcome-based events.

“It’s not your grandfather’s pastime”. It is Banana Ball! Founded by Jesse Cole, who was looking for a way to turn around a collegiate professional baseball team into something more fun, not just for the players, but also for the fans, had transformed his team The Savannah Bananas into “the greatest show in sports”.

The mantra of Banana Ball is simple, FANS FIRST. Cole had looked at many of the things that were creating certain fan behaviors, such as why fans tend to leave baseball games early. Banana Ball is not just baseball, but it is baseball and a show. Those who attend a Banana Ball game will be treated to a good baseball game and a show consisting of a cast of characters, plus the players are also a part of the show. Players are encouraged to perform “trick plays” to the point that statistics are kept on them. Trick plays include catches behind the back and between the legs, catching fly balls by tapping the ball off another player’s glove and bare handed catches. Even catching the ball in your cap, a no no in MLB, is fair game in Banana Ball.

Is Banana Ball a staged act like pro wrestling or the Harlem Globetrotters?

There are many who think that the Savannah Bananas are no different than the Harlem Globetrotters and the other team, such as the Party Animals can be equated to the Washington Generals. Anything can be further from the truth. Unlike the Globetrotters, the Bananas do not win all of their games. In fact, the Party Animals, one of the other three home teams in Banana Ball have beat the Bananas many times. Even during the 2023 Banana Ball World Tour when the tour ended at Doubleday Field at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY, both teams had even records, and it was the Party Animals who won the season.

What is pre-planned, rehearsed and staged in Banana Ball?

• All of the pre-game activities that take place before the actual game begins.

• The walk-ups.

• The celebration dances when a team scores a run or wins an inning.

• The promotions and performances during inning breaks (although the performance of the fans will determine the outcome of competitive challenges during between inning promotions).

• The crazy antics that take place between at bats.

• The victory celebration by the winning team.

What part of Banana Ball is real?

• The actual game play.

• The game’s outcome (who wins the game).

The 11 written rules of Banana Ball

1. Win the inning, get a point. Banana Ball is multiple competitions rolled into one. The total number of runs in the game do not matter. The team that scores the most points in an inning will receive one point. In the final inning, each run counts for a point. The team with the most points at the end of the game is the winner. The game is truly designed to give a home team advantage.

2. Two hour time limit. Right before the first pitch is thrown in the first inning, a two hour clock starts. If that clock runs out while the game is still on, that inning will be the final inning unless the game reaches the 9th inning before time runs out (which is actually the norm these days). This speeds up the game significantly, even better than what MLB did with their pitch clock. Pitcher statistics include MPI (Minutes Per Inning). There have been cases where the MPI did run under one minute.

3. No stepping out of the batter’s box. With some exceptions, stepping out of the box is not allowed as it delays the game. A batter who improperly steps out of the box will be charged with a strike.

4. No bunting. In Banana Ball’s own words, “bunting sucks”. The Michi agrees. Bunting makes for a boring game and puts strategy over the fan experience. Anyone caught bunting is ejected from the game.

5. Batter can steal first base. Mainly on a wild pitch or a pass ball (but it can be done at any time), a batter can steal first base, even if it not strike three.

6. Ball four sprints (no walks). Walks, especially intentional walks are boring. In Banana Ball on ball 4, it turns into a sprint where the catcher has to throw the ball to a fielder and then it has to be thrown to all seven fielders before the ball becomes live. Most ball four sprints yield a single run but we have seen some get two and in rare cases, three.

7. No mound visits. This is one of the things that can really slow down a game. Just stay put and let’s play Banana Ball!

8. Foul outs to a fan. If you attend a Banana Ball game, make sure to bring a glove, especially if you are seated in a non-netted area. In Banana Ball, if a fan cleanly catches a foul ball, it is considered an out. The catch must be clean and direct without it ricocheting off of the stadium or another fan. Just 100% clean. This is one of two ways that fans can directly impact the outcome of the game. This is truly “fans first!”.

9. Showdown tie breaker. Growing up, I have seen my share of extra inning games that last forever. Japan got made progress on this by stopping games after 12 innings and declaring a tie. Japan did this to assure that fans could catch the last trains going home. While in MLB, they are doing things like “ghost runners”, Banana Ball is one-upping that. Instead of extra innings, the game goes to a “show down”. (1) It is one hitter vs. one pitcher, catcher and fielder. If the batter makes an inside the park home run, they will get a point. (2) If there is still a tie after the first showdown, the second round pits the batter vs. only a catcher and a pitcher. Again, if the batter makes an inside the park home run, they will earn a point. (3) If there is still a tie, all subsequent showdowns will be a pitcher, catcher and fielder vs. a batter and loaded bases and every run counts for a point. If at any time, a home run hit over the wall is made, that team will automatically win the game.

10. Challenges / Fan Challenge. Each team has one challenge that will be retained if the challenge is overturned. The types of plays that can be challenged include fair/foul ball calls, force/tag play calls and catch plays in the infield or outfield. Also, before the game, Banana Ball will select a fan representative, who “swears” to remain impartial (of course…) to be able to initiate a fan challenge for the same reasons a team challenge can be made. A fan challenge can only be made once per game, regardless of the outcome of a previous fan challenge. This is the other fans first game impacting aspect of Banana Ball.

11. Golden Batter. One time in the game, a team may send any hitter in the lineup to bat in any spot, even if it means back to back at bats. This puts the best hitter in at the most crucial time of the game.

Michi-chan Sports format of score results

For Banana Ball, we provide the score in the form of points(runs). An “SD” indication on the scoreline (such as “SD1”) indicates that the game went to showdowns and the number indicates the number of showdown rounds played. Runs earned in showdowns are not counted in the run total. If a game is won in showdowns by a walk-off home run, we will include (“Walk-off HR” and the team name in addition to the rest of the score line. Remember, its the number of points (the part not in parenthesis) that indicates who the winner is.

Michi-chan Sports embargo policy

Banana Ball games are webcasted live through YouTube. In some cases, they are also broadcasted live on linear television such as ESPN, ESPN 2 or one or more regional sports networks or IPTV streaming services, such as ESPN+. Each telecast also drives a fan base to extensively engage in live chats over You Tube or a private chat that is for members of K Club, Banana Ball’s fan club. Revenues are derived from views, extremely limited embedded sponsors (such as Dunkin), YouTube channel membership, gate admissions (no service or convenience fees, which is one of the NICE things about this sport), linear television or IPTV rights and merch sales. Banana Ball owner Fans First Entertainment has no external investors and there is no advertising their main field, Grayson Stadium in Savannah, Georgia. Live games are normally broadcast on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights and Sunday afternoon. Viewers to YouTube can “time shift” the game, even while it is being carried live (but they will not be able to participate in the chats).

Michi-chan Sports considers a Banana Ball live game video to be ripe (pardon the banana pun) on the day of the broadcast as it is very likely that there will be social media activity at the conclusion of the game or in the live chat of the outcome. This is true especially in the case of games that are simulcasted live on linear or IPTV. We place embargos in order to protect the creators. Based on the methods of how revenues are earned and the time shifted viewing on the same day (which even this Michi admits to), the public’s engagement during these games and the broadcast schedule that places games on consecutive days, we will embargo any written account of the game only on the same day that the game is broadcast and therefore could write on it the next calendar day. To respect “morning after” viewing, we will embargo on Substack until 12 noon ET the next calendar day. We may provide flash results through other social media channels (Facebook, X, Bluesky, Instagram, etc.) earlier in the day (or at the conclusion of the game for Sunday afternoon games). This is no different than any other journalistic media source.

On our Substack article, we will embed a link to the subject video(s) of the game(s) to assure that those who watch the games through our article, including those who organically reach the article through a web search will still provide viewing hours to the creator. We will publish information about the overall outcome in headlines and bylines.

Michi-chan Sports reporting on Banana Ball, including the use of elements of the presentation constitutes journalistic illustrative fair use, pursuant to US copyright laws. The Michichan.com Substack is not monetized and we do not currently offer paid subscriptions. The Michi considers Banana Ball to be a “tier 2” sport (a non-major league sport with a significant appeal) (again, banana pun not intended) and feels that it deserves representation and most amount of love we can provide, considering how much love this franchise gives to their fans.