Savannah Bananas 2023 tour: Schedule, tickets and more to know about baseball's most entertaining team

While Major League Baseball tries to find ways to keep the youth engaged in the sport, maybe they'd be better off looking to a team in Georgia for advice. The Savannah Bananas might just be the hottest ticket in baseball.

There are no debates about pitch clocks, ghost runners, bigger bases, or anything else related to pace of play. There is no need to "fix" anything related to "Banana Ball" in the Peach State.

In fact, this once little-known team has become a social media sensation and now the Bananas are taking their act on the road. Not that they aren't already out in the world; with over 4.3 million followers on TikTok, the team has three million more than MLB's biggest and most historic team, the New York Yankees.

@thesavbananas Yeah kicklines are great but kicklines in Banana costumes are arguably 20x better 😮‍💨 #savannahbananas #baseballlife #baseball #kickline #fypシ #trending #dance #AXERatioChallenge ♬ WHY ARE PPL USING THIS SOUND - 🐢 riley 🦒🇳🇿

A former summer collegiate league team, baseball's version of the Harlem Globetrotters now solely traffic in the entertainment side of the sport, playing exhibition games with a twist. They abide by the rules of "banana ball," which is designed to keep the game moving and entertain people of all ages. In 2022, the team announced it would be leaving the Coastal Plain League to pursue year-round Banana Ball. 

Here is everything you need to know about the Savannah Bananas 2023 "World Tour" including schedule information, tickets, roster and an explanation of what Banana Ball entails.

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Savannah Bananas 2023 tour schedule

The Bananas 2023 tour will include visits to 32 cities outside of Savannah in total, up from only five in 2022. All the games on the schedule begin at 7 p.m. local time, with doors opening at 5:30 p.m. The March 5 game in Jacksonville, Florida; June 24 in Birmingham, Alabama; and the first game of the doubleheader on Sept. 9 in Milwaukee will all start at 1 p.m. local time. 

As with the Globetrotters' famous foils, the Washington Generals, most Bananas games are against a standing opponent, the Party Animals. 

The season began Feb. 17 in West Palm Beach, Florida. Every game in Savannah is played at the historic Grayson Stadium, home of Bananaland. The ballpark is the former home of the Savannah Sand Gnats, a Mets minor league affiliate that relocated to Columbia, South Carolina. The stadium originally opened in 1926 and was rebuilt in 1941 after being destroyed by a hurricane in the summer of 1940. 

Full details of the Bananas' schedule are available on their website. 

Savannah Bananas tickets 2023

Tickets to watch the self-described "World Famous Baseball Circus" are hard to come by, with the team completely selling out of all box office tickets. Bananas tickets are listed at $25 face value for no additional taxes and fees. In some cities, demand was so high that the team opted to implement a lottery system.

Fans can join the waitlist for additional tickets on the Bananas' website, or purchase through resale markets like TicketSmarter. 

@thesavbananas We'll be honest... we're still living for #RushTok #savannahbananas #bananaball #dance #mlb #baseballboys #sorority #fy #viral #baseball ♬ original sound - thesavbananas

Once inside the stadium, fans are treated to all-you-can-eat concession stands, banana-branded beverages and an escape from the advertising world. Grayson Stadium became the first ad-free ballpark in 2020. 

MORE: MLB spring training 2023 dates, schedules, locations for all 30 teams

Savannah Bananas roster 2023

The Bananas' roster will evolve over the course of the season, as retired Major League Baseball players will make cameo appearances. The list of cameos is not known, per team policy. This ensures that fans will always be surprised by who shows up. Team owner Jesse Cole has said that Cy Young winner Jake Peavy and World Series champion Jonny Gomes are regulars on the tour. 

Jonathan Papelbon and Josh Reddick have also appeared in the yellow uniforms, with Johnny Damon most recently taking part in the festivities. 

The regular roster includes 76-year-old pitcher Bill Lee who is a member of the Red Sox Hall of Fame. Tyler Gillum, Eric Byrnes and Adam Virant will share all the head coaching duties on the tour this season. 

What is Banana Ball?

The biggest difference between regular baseball and the Banana-branded version is the institution of nine rule changes. While MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred tries to speed up the professional game, Savannah's team is already there. The game is fast-paced and played with a two-hour time limit. Following one hour and 50 minutes of play, a new inning cannot be started. 

Each inning is worth one point toward the final score. Whoever scores more runs in that frame is awarded the point. Only in the final inning does every run add to the total score. Due to the time limit, every game is not guaranteed to last nine innings. 

Batters are not allowed to step out of the box, nor can they bunt. Anyone who tries to bunt is ejected from the game. There are no walks allowed. If the pitcher throws ball four, the hitter takes off running and is allowed to advance as many bases as they want. Every player aside from the catcher and pitcher must touch the ball before being allowed to attempt to tag the runner out.

Pitchers that struggle are also not allowed a break in the form of a mound visit. They can only be coached up from a distance, in an effort to keep the game moving along. 

One of the fans' favorite rules is one that allows them to get involved. If a player hits a foul ball and a fan catches it, the batter is then declared out. There is no need for a Derek Jeter-esque dive into the stands in Banana Ball. 

@thesavbananas Banana Ball Rule #9: If a fan catches a foul ball, it's an out. 👀 #savannahbananas #baseball #bananaball #fyp #viral #SmellLikeIrishSpring #mlb ♬ Cool for the Summer - Sped Up (Nightcore) - Demi Lovato & Speed Radio

If the game ends in a tie, it will be decided by a "Showdown Tiebreaker," which is a three-round event that will determine the winner. 

Outside of the rulebook, fans can be entertained by players on stilts, hitters singing or swinging flaming bats, or dancing coaches and umpires. 

@thesavbananas He witerally gwiddied after a stwikeout call 🤭 #savannahbananas #baseballlife #mlb #umpire #fy #trending #viral #baseballboys #griddy #witerallygwiddying ♬ original sound - Shelby Willis

Right now the team is playing in spring training and minor league stadiums that hold 4,000 or more people. Cole hopes that next year, the Bananas tour can start visiting some major league ballparks, which should help fix the ticket situation. 

As long as "Banana Ball" keeps growing in popularity, they'll remain a hot ticket. If that's the case, maybe Manfred will try making his sport more like his banana competitors.