Records were being broken, history was consistently being made and more fans were entertained by Banana Ball in 2024 than ever before.
From back-flip trick plays to guest appearances to the introduction of a new team, this season’s World Tour was filled with exciting moments.
But here’s some of our favorites.
George M. Steinbrenner Field | Tampa Bay, FL
Banana Ball traveled to Tampa Bay with talent and an addition to the rule book! The 11th rule, the Golden Batter Rule, allows each team to select a player to hit in any spot in the lineup at any time. Drenched in gold from helmet to cleats, Dan Oberst made history as Banana Ball’s very first Golden Batter.
The Party Animals completed a series sweep over the Bananas and made history while doing it. Noah Fisher, Chase Achuff, Dustin Baber and Jason Swan completed the first triple trick-play in Banana Ball history.
Trading in his pink for some yellow, Nick Swisher made his Bananas debut and became the first guest of the tour.
You can’t see him in the rings, but dressed in yellow, he was pretty easy to spot. John Cena added banana baller to his long list of accolades after joining the field in game three of the series.
Peoria Sports Complex | Peoria, AZ
The Bananas found their groove in Arizona and ultimately ended the Party Animals’ 12-game winning streak on night one of the series. That can be most attributed to a DR Meadows walk-off single. The Animals continued to reach uncharted waters after Reece Hampton became the first to have a 5-hit game in Banana Ball history.
Grayson Stadium | Savannah, GA
There’s no place like home, and this return to Grayson Stadium was especially important. The home opener of 2024 was also the 8th birthday of the Savannah Bananas. The Bananas brought the best gift of them all with a series sweep.
The Party Animals celebrated a milestone of their own, as game two of the series was their 100th game in Banana Ball history.
121 Financial Ball Park | Jacksonville, FL
The Bananas continued to be a reckoning force against their partying counterparts, drilling in their fifth straight win of the tour. Eric Jones Jr. had himself a night, notching three trick plays and a home run, which secured that game one win. Lightning in the area shot down game two, but only after the Party Animals took the win, headlined by Dalton Cornett’s home run.
Minute Maid Park | Houston, TX
At the 2024 World Tour Draft, the Savannah Bananas promised to bring Banana Ball to even more fans.
They delivered. Over 40,000 fans piled into Minute Maid Park to witness Banana Ball in person. It was the first Major League Ballpark in Banana Ball history.
And it was magic.
Both teams were offensively hungry and the sold-out crowd fueled a game that had a point scored in every single inning.
The crowd erupted as Roger Clemens was welcomed back home. The 7-time Cy Young Award winner met his match at the plate though, as Swan became the first banana baller to hit a home run in an MLB park. Jones Jr. followed suit with a homerun of his own, this time for the Bananas.
Clemens wasn’t the only one who took a break from retirement to play in yellow. Roy Oswalt took the bump and quickly struck out a guy in pink with a nasty curve.
The Bananas continued to notch their names into history books in Houston. Zack Phillips conducted the fastest inning in Banana Ball history to date after spending just 55 seconds on the mound.
The biggest night that the game had seen had a storybook ending. In true Banana Ball fashion, pitcher Drew Gillespie induced a foul ball by Ryan Cox, which was caught by a fan for an out. As fate would have it, that fan was Gillespie’s brother.
Come on people, what are the odds of that?!
Alex Box Stadium | Baton Rouge, LA
In the first Banana Ball game ever played on a college campus, the Bananas called Baton Rouge, and showed out in a three-game series at Alex Box Stadium.
From a live violinist, to shut-out mound performances, this game had it all.
Reece Hampton’s ninth inning home run in a tied game one sent the teams into Showdowns. He further proved his offensive dominance after his walk-off allowed the Party Animals to take the win.
Kyle Luigs pieced together one of his best performances yet with a four inning bout of no hits in relief.
The Bananas’ resident social media stars Jackson Olson and RobertAnthony Cruz secured a win in game three of the series with multiple dominating at-bats.
The weekend was headlined by guest appearances from LSU’s Tiger Girls, who performed their National Championship routine to “Smooth Criminal”, and LSU women’s basketball head coach Kim Mulkey, who threw the first pitch of an inning.
Coolray Field | Gwinnett, GA
A weather delay caused a double-header but heavy rain was no match for Banana Ball. The day crowd welcomed Atlanta Braves legend Jeff Francoeur to the field as he made his Banana Ball debut.
Rac hit a rocket and noted his first career home run in the night game of the double-header. He later showcased his moves when he hit a walk-off while doing Dance Dance Revolution.
Bill Nye the Science Guy, I mean, Bill Leroy, blasted a double just after conducting a successful science experiment.
To close up the series, Jake Skole blasted his third career home run and allowed the Party Animals to take the weekend.
Grayson Stadium | Savannah, GA
The teams paid homage to where it all started with two back-to-back home series.
The first on Easter weekend was a two-game split set.
The following weekend started off hot after Bryson Bloomer set the single-game RBI record with six, also noting an in the park home run.
A walk-off single from Dakota “Stilts” Albritton allowed the Bananas to even out game two, and Meadows took trick plays to a whole new level after completing a barehanded backflip catch.
The highlight of the weekend, however, and one of the best moments of the entire tour, was when head coach Tyler Gillum and Micheal Deeb celebrated a first inning walk off with the help of Alaina Rushing. Rushing, a 9-year-old battling bone cancer, celebrated her first month of being cancer free by taking her first steps without a walker to home plate. She was met by the team to dance the Alaina Shuffle.
Durham Bulls Athletic Park | Durham, NC
Bryson Bloomer continued to make waves at the plate in North Carolina. The Animal hit his second career home run and tied his own record with six RBI. He also tied the then record of 10 total bases that weekend.
Stilts made an impact as well and helped the Bananas avoid a sweep on the series after scoring the first run of his career. Meanwhile, Oberst approached the plate while dominating in Guitar Hero. Rock on, kid. Rock on.
Rio Grande Credit Union Field at Isotopes Park | Albuquerque, NM
Albuquerque was a trick play breeding ground for the Bananas. The single game record of 19 trick plays was tied in game one, headlined by six trick plays from Ryan Cox to tie the individual record.
Dustin Baber went yard after his legendary beer chug, this time, joined by UFC superstar Holly Holm. The octagon isn’t the only place she dominates.
Sloan Park | Mesa, AZ
Olson and Cox headlined night one in Mesa with five trick plays each. Night two ended in the Bananas winning after three rounds of Showdowns, but the true highlight was the Banana Ball debut of arguably one of the most iconic softball players of all time, Jocelyn Alo. Her offensive dominance was on full display when she not only smashed a ball down the third base line that was called foul soon after, but smashed the bat she was using as well.
The Bananas swept the series with the help of Rac, who landed two backflip catches and hit a home run in the eighth.
Game two in Sloan Park went down in history after each team combined to score 17 points, the most in a Banana Ball game to date.
Chukchansi Park | Fresno, CA
The Party Animals won their very first game in California due largely in part to two home runs from Hampton. This was the third time in Hampton’s career that he had a two-shot game. The dominance oozed from the Animals, as they combined to tie the single game record of five homers. Chase Achuff, Noah Fisher and Taj Porter accounted for the other three. It was Fisher and Porter’s first career bombs.
Alo etched her name in yet another history book as she became the first woman to secure a hit in Banana Ball. There were also seven fan caught foul balls, the most in Banana Ball history.
Sutter Health Park | Sacramento, CA
The Party Animals took the series in Sacramento and Hampton and Skole delivered in big ways. They each knocked in a walk-off during Showdowns.
Gillespie walked away with bragging rights after Showdowns as well after shutting down the hefty bat of Oberst.
The party didn’t stop there, though.
Country music star Kane Brown graced the field by performing “Miles On It,” surrounded by a sold out stadium of screaming fans.
Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark | Oklahoma City, OK
Fans in Oklahoma City came to play just as much as the Bananas did. In fact, one caught the 100th fan-caught foul ball in Banana Ball history.
Alo continued to prove how much of a beast she is, not only on the softball diamond, but in a Banana Ball game as well. She doubled for an extra-base hit and became the first woman to do so in the history of the game. This was also her last weekend suited up in yellow.
The Bananas ultimately secured the series but they definitely had some help. Alo walked to the plate dripped in gold in game three, and in her first ever appearance as a Golden Batter, secured a clutch walk-off hit to win the point in the eighth inning.
Huntington Park | Columbus, OH
Twenty-two trick plays! That performance in game one set the record for most trick plays in a single game. The Bananas accounted for 16 of the 22 trick plays.
It didn’t end there though.
That record was broken once again in game two, after the teams combined for 24 trick plays on the night.
Wondering how it’s done? No worries. Rac gave us all a trick play lesson mid-game.
Bill Leroy, the golden boy of Banana Ball, also secured his first home run of 2024.
Grayson Stadium | Savannah, GA
The Bananas returned home for the weekend, and this time, faced a new squad. The Firefighters made their debut as the newest team in Banana Ball.
Fans couldn’t take their eyes off of the new team.
Joe Lytle collected the very first hit in Firefighter history with a double and Isaac Para struck a match with the team’s first trick play.
Dakota McFadden became the first Firefighter to hit one over. Logan Lacey became the fifth Banana Ball player to land a backflip trick play.
Fenway Park | Boston, MA
A night in the most historic ballpark in the country was capped off by some of the most iconic ballplayers in MLB history. 77-year-old Bill Lee made his Banana Ball debut. The Spaceman’s walk up to the bump was like something from a movie.
Lee was met by two other MLB icons in Mitch Moreland and Johnathan Papelbon. It took Papelbon just three pitches to close up the eighth inning.
The Party Animals took the game in Fenway with a 4-1 win over the Bananas and their 12 runs on 13 hits left them with more than just a feeling.
First Horizon Park | Nashville, TN
What better way to spend the night in Music City than by being surrounded by superstars?
Leroy walked up to the plate accompanied by country music singer/songwriter Kameron Marlowe to kick off the jam session. That at-bat ended in a ball four sprint double for Leroy.
Tucker Wetmore, Gavin DeGraw, and Chris Kirkpatrick from NSYNC also had cameos.
Dalton Mauldin became the Swifties’ favorite Banana ballplayer after his walk up to “Teardrops On My Guitar.”
Grayson Stadium | Savannah, GA
While the Bananas and Firefighters were over in Nashville making “Friends in Low Places,” the Party Animals and Visitors were back home in Savannah for Banana Ball’s first ever multi-city weekend.
The Animals took the first two games of the home series but the Visitors took the last. KJ Jackson made his name known in the world of Banana Ball after hitting three home runs on the weekend. He went back-to-back with Correlle Prime in game one. Indiana Stanley also kicked off his Visitors career with a home run of his own.
Las Vegas Ballpark | Las Vegas, NV
The Party Animals showed out in a big way in Sin City. Chase Achuff tied the single-game trick play record. Skole kicked off game two with a home run to help the Animals steal the pair.
Victory Field | Indianapolis, IN
The Visitors found their first victory over the Bananas in Indianapolis. Headlined by that win was Prime’s outstanding performance. He finished the game with two doubles, two RBI and a trick play.
The Savannah Bananas brought the energy in games two and three. They added yet another outstanding female to their roster. Ashton Landsdell made her Banana debut and went to work almost instantly. She became only the second woman to pitch in a Banana Ball game. Making her presence known, she instigated Armando Becerra’s pop-out to third base.
Grayson Stadium | Savannah, GA
Back in Savannah, the Party Animals and Firefighters were putting on a show. The Firefighters took game one of the series, but the Animals ultimately bounced back and dominated in games two and three of the weekend.
Firefighter’s head coach Val Perez also made history and notched her first hit and trick play of the season.
Sahlen Field | Buffalo, NY
The Bananas smashed the Firefighters in a three-game series in Buffalo. Banana Ball’s ESPN primetime debut showcased the fastest game ever played at one hour and 29 minutes.
Michael Deeb and Jones Jr.’s home runs in game one gave the Bananas a 4-1 win.
Game two’s win for the Bananas marked their 100th win in franchise history. Brandon Crosby led the charge with two walk-offs after coming off of the bench.
Nationals Park | Washington, D.C.
It’s no question that one of the most iconic Banana Ball games to date came from inside Nationals Park on July 13th.
Rac, a former minor leaguer for the Nationals, lived out his dream of hitting a home run on that field, and this time, he walked up to the plate with his dad.
The kicker?
Three years prior, on July 13th, he had surprised his dad with a Nationals hat and the news that he had been signed.
Pretty full circle if you ask me.
Gio Gonzalez was given a warm welcome as he made his Banana Ball debut. The two-time All-Star notched a strikeout in his outing.
With the coolest entrance in Banana Ball and arguably any other sport, Danny Hosley took a spin with the Air Force in a helicopter across the city, and after touching down, was escorted to the mound.
Iconic isn’t even the word.
Grayson Stadium | Savannah, GA
Home for the weekend, the boys in yellow played host to the boys from down under. The Bananas faced the Aussie Drop Bears for the second year in a row, and dominated both face-offs.
The Drop Bears brought with them former MLB pitchers Kris Medlen and Peter Moylan, but even they were no match for the Bananas. They put the Bears to sleep, taking the first game 4-1 and the second 5-1.
DJ the Invader was crazier than any animal Steve Irwin had ever encountered, as he threw the fastest inning in Banana Ball history at only 48 seconds.
Louisville Slugger Field | Louisville, KY
For the second year in a row, Banana Ball kicked off ESPN 8: The Ocho, and the ending of game one was just as crazy as The Ocho’s Mullet Championships.
The Bananas were able to pull away with the win in game one, but only thanks to a fan that happened to bring their glove. It was only the second time in Banana Ball history that a fan-caught foul ball ended a game.
They didn’t put their fate in the hands of fans in game two, however, leaving the night with a 2-1 win and a 10-game win streak.
The Party Animals put a stop to any more madness and broke that streak with a 4-3 win in game three.
Progressive Field | Cleveland, OH
As if the fan-caught foul ball to end a game wasn’t crazy enough, it happened yet again the very next weekend. Despite Gillespie’s heroic outing on the mound, throwing the fastest inning ever at 47 seconds, the Bananas managed to slip away with a win with the help of one of their beloved fans. That was the third time in Banana Ball history but the second time it had happened across four games.
Olson embodied his title of Banana Ball’s Greatest Showman. Not only did he hit a home run on Progressive Field, but he predicted it too.
Come on, people! You just can’t make this stuff up.
Jason Kipnis and Corey Kluber were each met with standing ovations as they made their Banana Ball debut. Zion Clark, professional mixed martial artist, became the first person to pinch run without any legs.
Harbor Park Stadium | Norfolk, VA
The Party Animals took the series in Virginia after a dominant win in game two and three of the series. A new record was set after 28 trick plays were completed in a single-game.
After spending the weekend trying to figure out how to pronounce Norfolk correctly, the boys got to jam out to Bastille.
Grayson Stadium | Savannah, GA
The Bananas continued to showcase excellence this weekend at home. They completed a series sweep over the Party Animals after winning Showdowns in game one and game three.
In game two, they walked-off the sixth, seventh and eighth inning with the help of back-to-back-to-back blasts from Reese Alexiades, Leroy and Rac. It was the first time in Banana Ball history that three straight innings had ended with walk-off home runs.
To cap off the weekend, the Bananas were joined by country music star Brett Young, who traded in his mic for a glove after performing “Sleep Without You.”
That guy is a tank.
Smith’s Ballpark | Salt Lake City, UT
The boys were back on the road the next weekend to bring Banana Ball to even more fans. This time, they gave Salt Lake City a show to remember. Honestly, even I’m still thinking about it.
Alexiades was dressed head to toe in proper ski attire and skied his way to the plate for his at-bat. With how clunky skis are, and the fact that they are made for snow, it was obvious the Alexiades had to hit the ball far to have any chance of making it to first base.
What better way to do that than by hitting a home run?
That’s just what he did. The ball cruised over the wall and fans got to watch Alexiades make running in skis on a baseball field look somewhat natural.
The Party Animals ended up splitting the two-game set in Utah, keeping their season series hopes alive and keeping fans on the edge of their seat. We also found out that Salt Lake City folks aren’t big fans of Cosmo the Cougar. That cougar can move, though.
Principal Park | Des Moines, IA
For NFL teams across the country, their dream of winning a SuperBowl was just beginning. Any hope of the Party Animals winning the season series, however, was diminished after just one game in Iowa.
Olson managed to clear the bases and bring himself home to win game one. The Party Animals scraped by with a win in game two after dominating in Showdowns but after a dominating 5-1 win in game three, the Bananas took the series.
On the bright side for the Animals, Spongebob and Patrick made guest appearances. How could you not be chipper with those guys around?
Citizens Bank Park | Philadelphia, PA
Yo’ Adrian! The Bananas are here!
For the first time ever, Banana Ball was played at Citizens Bank Park in front of a sold out crowd of over 45,000 fans.
There were 21 trick plays made in the game and Olson was at the forefront of that performance. He completed his 100th trick play of the year this night.
The Bananas were also joined by some of the best in the business, as Shane Victorino, Joe Blanton, Jamie Moyer and Ryan Howard all made their Banana Ball debuts. Each former player was welcomed back home with a standing ovation.
The Party Animals ultimately pieced together one of their best performances, taking the game 3-2.
Grayson Stadium | Savannah, GA
The Bananas found their way back home for the last Savannah weekend of the 2024 tour. It was a Showdown marathon.
After battling in three rounds of Showdowns in game one, the Party Animals walked away with the win. Noah Fisher headlined the stat sheet and set the single-game record after going 4-4 at the plate. With two home runs and two doubles, he joined Bloomer as the only players to ever have multiple two-homer games.
The Party Animals took the series in game two after another three rounds of Showdowns.
The Bananas bounced back in game three and took the win thanks to Deeb’s walk-off double.
loanDepot Park | Miami, FL
The 2024 Banana Ball season finale came with its fair share of excitement. Not only did Skole hit a home run to help lead the Party Animals to a 3-2 victory, but the Bananas performed the Barden Bella’s final performance from “Pitch Perfect” almost flawlessly.
Really great work, guys.
The night was headlined by guest appearances from switch pitcher Pat Venditte and Dee-Strange Gordon’s triple in his at-bat. Anibal Sanchez and Juan Pierre also made an appearance.
The Party Animals proved to be a dominant force on the biggest of stages. They won three of the five games they played in MLB parks against the Bananas.
@thesavbananas Don’t mind us, just recreating the iconic Pitch Perfect scene🤷♂️ savannahbananas pitchperfect annakendrick bananaball musicals parody
♬ You Make Me Feel – J.M3
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