By: Marin Dremock
If you use Tik Tok for any reason, let that reason be to discover the Savannah Bananas. The Savannah Bananas are a baseball team in the Coastal Plain League, a summer collegiate baseball league in the Southeastern U.S. The Bananas, based in Savannah, Ga., make baseball fun.
I first discovered the team through their Tik Tok account, @thesavbananas. I came across a video of the team performing a dance on the field either before the game, after the game or during the middle of an inning. I laughed (rather hard), liked the video and continued scrolling.
Of course, because of all of the tailored-content algorithms out there, I came across more of the Savannah Bananas’ videos on Tik Tok and on Instagram. Naturally, I decided to follow them.
Let’s face it: baseball can get boring. Nine (or more) long innings of watching a pitcher go through his warm-up routine, waiting for them to throw and watching a batter take 50 practice swings is, at times, tiring. It’s not tiring because it’s hard to follow. It’s tiring because it doesn’t fight to keep your attention, even for baseball fans like myself.
But the Savannah Bananas keep your attention. They’re entertaining! They play in black and yellow plaid kilts, announce themselves as they walk up to bat and dance around the field during the game. They spice up baseball.
For example, according to the Bananas’ website, their dances are choreographed, but you never know which one they are going to perform at each game. They not only introduce themselves as they walk up to bat, but they can be escorted by a band or create another fun way to step up to the plate. Their scoring celebrations and post-game interviews are unique and one of a kind. They lift up a “Banana Baby” and reenact The Lion King every game. They have a group called the Banana Nanas, their senior citizen dance squad.
The Bananas are not just a wacky, outlandish summer league baseball team. They are also a team dedicated to their fans. Their stadium, Grayson Stadium, is the first ever ad-free ballpark. They personally respond to social media posts, and they even sell and send merchandise worldwide, with free shipping across the U.S.
In this new year, get away from the negativity that social media might bring by flooding your For You page on Tik Tok or Instagram home screen with yellow, blue and green. But mostly yellow. The players’ and team’s interaction with fans over social media and in person is such a personal touch to an otherwise distanced sport. Like they say, the Bananas make baseball fun, and they definitely do not disappoint.
My newest travel bucket list destination: Grayson Stadium, Savannah, Ga., for a Savannah Bananas baseball game.
Sources: The Savannah Bananas