Photo courtesy of Amelia Berg | The Savannah Bananas
Love ‘em or loathe ‘em, the Savannah Bananas — a collective of six barnstorming exhibition baseball teams that turn the game into a raucous circus and sell out stadiums large and small — wants to bring “Banana ball” to youth sports.
It’s the “next frontier” for Banana Ball, Bananas owner Jesse Cole recently announced on LinkedIn.
“Youth sports certainly has its challenges. It’s expensive, overly competitive and often inconvenient for families,” he wrote. “It will take a lot of work to create something that is new and different. But we believe we can bring back the fun and affordability to parents and kids all over the country.”
In an accompanying video of him speaking to Bananas players, he claimed, “parents don’t even look forward to [attending their kids’ baseball games] anymore” and stated “I believe there’s a world where there’s a million-plus kids playing Banana Ball.”
That’s a bold vision, and one that might seem as impossible as the trail blazed by the one-time Coastal Plain League’s collegiate summer baseball team. The Bananas went rogue in 2018 to play exhibition games emphasizing showmanship, fan participation, and fast and continuous play — heavy on comedic bits and dance routines — and earlier this year, they celebrated their 500th(!) straight sellout. That was followed by more sold-out appearances at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans and Petco Park in San Diego.
Cole dares to dream big. In the LinkedIn video, he envisions a “Banana Ball World Series” for youth players that attracts 30,000 fans. Of course, he’s also presuming kids will want to emulate the Bananas they see on the field — many of whom are former minor league and college baseball players.
The Bananas already have a bit of a lead at first base in that regard.
According to the Youth Sports Business Report:
The Bananas launched youth programming in 2024 through a partnership with Athletx Sports Group. The inaugural Youth Banana Ball Tournament took place in Cleveland in August 2024. A second tournament in Savannah in July 2025 drew 770 participants from 44 states, according to local media reports.
The tournament format uses individual registration, placing players on teams rather than accepting pre-formed rosters. Age divisions span 9U through 12U. Programming includes instructional camps led by Banana Ball players where participants learn trick plays and choreographed celebrations, tournament games played under modified Banana Ball rules, and tickets to professional Banana Ball games.
According to the tournament website, participants compete for awards including “Most Valuable Banana,” “Top Trickster,” and “Best Walk Out” in each age division. Championship games at the 2025 Savannah tournament took place at Historic Grayson Stadium, the home venue for professional Banana Ball teams.
“We have 770 players from all over the United States … represented this week in Savannah,” Adam Virant, director of baseball operations for the Savannah Bananas, told WSAV.com during last summer’s Youth Banana Ball Tournament. “This is literally the future generation of Banana Ball. I think that in about 10 to 12 years, we’re going to see a child who came to our tournament this year playing on this field as a professional baseball player, at Grayson Stadium.”
No word yet on when a Banana Ball-style youth league would actually launch, or how Cole plans to build on those first two youth tournaments. But there are reports, according to the Youth Sports Business Report, that the “league” could be limited to tournaments and camps.
“It [will take] putting ourselves in the shoes of our fans and focusing on one step at a time.” Cole wrote on LinkedIn. “We started on this journey by hosting camps and tournaments and learned a lot. We have a long way to go on what can … be done all over the country. But we are ready for the challenge.”
Meanwhile, if you don’t know what the fuss is all about, you can watch the Banana Ball Championship League — featuring the Bananas, Firefighters, Party Animals, Texas Tailgaters, Loco Beach Coconuts and Indianapolis Clowns — in action on the current 75-stadium, 45-state tour, which runs through late September. If those games aren’t sold out already, that is.
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