Original Publish Date/Outlet: August 8, 2026 | Minnesota Star Tribune
Those iconic yellow uniforms made their way to downtown Minneapolis this weekend.
The traveling, entertaining baseball sensation, the Savannah Bananas, are making a stop at Target Field. They played Friday, and have two other games Saturday and Sunday against barnstorming partners the Loco Beach Coconuts.
The party began long before first pitch Friday. Thousands of fans gathered around Target Plaza as early at 1 p.m. to partake in some of the pregame festivities. There were cornhole stations, along with booths showcasing the endless amount of merch Banana Ball has to offer. Some members of the Bananas even took time to sign autographs and take photos.
The entertainment on the field began 90 minutes before first pitch with “Before the Peel.” Fans were able to participate in multiple competitions, including a Family Feud-style game.
The Bananas’ “fans first” philosophy rang true throughout the evening. Fans couldn’t take a breather even if they wanted to. The Bananas’ spontaneous antics during and in between innings kept fans’ eyes peeled, pun intended.
A Coconuts ambassador did a handstand on top of a lifeguard’s chair at one point. Shirtless, middle-aged men were rubbing themselves with shaving cream at a different one. Anything could and did happen during Banana Ball.
Banana Ball rules
The rules of Banana Ball keep the game fun and engaging for all fans. Scorekeeping is different. For all innings except the final one, the team that scores the most runs wins the inning, thus earning one point.
Bunting is not allowed, and those who do so are ejected. Players can steal first base, and if a pitcher throws four balls, the batter can run and all fielders except the pitcher and catcher must touch the ball before trying to throw the runner out. The batter could realistically touch all four bases.
There are also no mound visits, and foul balls caught by fans in the stands are outs. Games are kept to a two-hour time limit. No new innings begin after an hour and 50 minutes have passed, and some games do not reach the ninth inning. Every single run counts in the final inning, which can create some incredible comebacks.
Banana Ball’s spin on America’s Pastime has taken the country by storm. Its popularity has grown exponentially over the past several years and its momentum has only continued.
The Bananas have amassed over 23.9 million followers across Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, YouTube and X.
While there are no former Minnesota Twins, University of Minnesota baseball players or Minnesota natives on either roster, fans were graced by the appearances of Twins legends Joe Mauer and Brian Dozier on Friday.
Mauer threw out the first pitch and Dozier got an honorary at-bat in the later innings.
Savannah Bananas history
The Savannah Bananas began as a summer collegiate team in 2016. The Savannah Sand Gnats, a former Class A affiliate of the New York Mets, decided to move to South Carolina in 2015. Jesse and Emily Cole, a husband-and-wife duo, leased Grayson Stadium later that year and launched Fans First Entertainment the following year.
The Savannah Bananas played summer ball in the Coastal Plain League from 2016 to 2022. The Bananas played their first intrasquad game under Banana Ball rules in June 2020.
The Party Animals, FFE’s second team, formed in July 2020 and the two played for the first time later that year.
Due to an increase in popularity, the Savannah Bananas left the Coastal Plain League in 2022 to play Banana Ball full-time.
2023 was a big year for the Savannah Bananas. They embarked on their first tour with more than 100 games across 33 cities, introduced the Firefighters and were featured in a new exhibit at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y.
They added the Texas Tailgaters in 2024 and two more teams, the Coconuts and the Indianapolis Clowns, in 2025. The latter was named in tribute to the former Negro League team.
The Banana Ball Championship League was announced in 2024 and began its first official season featuring all six teams in 2026.
Target Field will be the sixth Major League ballpark the Savannah Bananas will play in this season.
Saturday’s game is at 7 p.m., and the Sunday finale is at 3 p.m. Tickets are available only on secondary markets.