In Colorado’s Denver at Coors Field, the first thing that catches the eye is the children. Hundreds of kids, along with their families, friends, and baseball teammates, flood into the baseball stadium.
Several hours before the game starts, the line outside Coors Field already stretches around the block.
Some have been here before. They wear bright yellow shirts or hats. There are even a few people dressed in banana costumes.
Others are here for the first time, eager to see what all the hype is about.
Everyone is drawn in by the man wearing a yellow hat, yellow tuxedo, shirt, and shoes: Jesse Cole, the founder of Banana Ball.
In homage to the 19th-century “Father of the Circus” P.T. Barnum, Cole refers to American Banana Ball as “the greatest show in sports.”
Banana Ball combines elements of minor league baseball, traveling carnivals, and Disney magic shows.
There’s a marching band, singing princesses, real clowns, and yes, a baseball game featuring two talented teams, quirky game rules, and even a couple of former Major League players on the field.
The Savannah Bananas, founded in 2016, are the resident team of this touring event, with their home base in Savannah, Georgia. However, the creative idea behind Banana Ball has a long history.
Banana Ball is a fresh interpretation of an American sports tradition that reached its peak in the mid-20th century before fading with the rapid growth of Major League Baseball.
Jesse Cole has breathed new life into touring Banana Ball games, and fans can’t get enough of it.
On Saturday afternoon, fans of all ages from all over gather outside Coors Field. The game between the Savannah Bananas and the Indianapolis Clowns is still five hours away, but fans know that the game is just part of the extravaganza.
“We have three generations of Banana Ball fans here,” Chris Bryan from Aspen, Colorado, said. “We are super fans of Banana Ball.” He added with a chuckle.
For the Bryan family, the appeal of Banana Ball lies in the healthy, pure entertainment experience it brings.
“The atmosphere here is fantastic,” 10-year-old Will said.
“It’s great for a family to participate together,” added Laura Bryan, Chris’s mother. She and her husband David came from Shreveport, Louisiana, to join the event with their children and grandchildren.
Before the game, the stage attracted a crowd of onlookers. Others watched the performances on screens scattered throughout the venue. Entertainment included live music, player introductions, juggling acts, and a comedy skit by the group of overweight men in matching short shorts and crop tops known as the “Man-Nanas.”
These canned jokes and comic acts might have been inspired by classic country music TV shows like “Hee Haw” or directly from the vaudeville stage.
Cole, a former college baseball player, said he started Banana Ball with a simple idea: to make baseball fun again.
“Sitting in the stands watching games, I realized that many parts were too long, too slow, too boring. How could that be changed?” Cole said.
Cole drew inspiration from P.T. Barnum, Bill Veeck, and Walt Disney, as well as shows like “Saturday Night Live,” Cirque du Soleil, and World Wrestling Entertainment, to infuse creativity.
In 2008, when Cole became the general manager of the Gastonia Grizzlies, a summer collegiate baseball league team, he created a quirky and family-friendly atmosphere that broke attendance records for seven consecutive years.
In 2015, Cole moved to Savannah, Georgia, and founded a new team named the Savannah Bananas. Instead of participating in leagues, he focused on turning baseball into an entertainment event.
Within a few years, teams like the Party Animals, Firefighters, Texas Tailgaters, Loco Beach Coconuts, and Indianapolis Clowns joined the Banana team for a touring performance. The tour sold 2.2 million tickets in 2025, with stadiums packed to capacity.
As game time approached at Coors Field, attention shifted to the field. The Young Professor, dressed in purple and green floral tuxedo, glasses in place, took center stage and elevated the atmosphere.
Next up was Princess Potassia, adorned in a crown and a bright yellow gown, dancing gracefully around the bases to a melody from a popular song by the contemporary music genius Stevie Wonder.
Following her act, Savannah Bananas’ team captain Bill LeRoy rushed into the stands with a bunch of bananas.
On the field, two young men in oversized clown pants engaged in a competition. LeRoy tossed bananas from the upper deck, and the winner was whoever caught the most bananas with their pants.
Even after the game started, the comic acts continued during breaks.
During the seventh inning break, actress Kristen Bell came out and sang her hit song “For the First Time in Forever” from the Disney animated movie “Frozen.” The audience erupted in applause as her face appeared on the big screen.
Then, Bell and Savannah Bananas pitcher Derek Klena, a Tony-nominated actor, sang the song “The Time of My Life” from the movie “Dirty Dancing” and performed the classic “angel lift.”
Traditionalist baseball enthusiasts might question if Banana Ball can be considered real baseball.
“It’s very close,” said Vinnie Mattivi, father of Vincenzo Mattivi from Pueblo, Colorado. Although Banana Ball features many flashy actions, hitting the ball remains a difficult task.
Mattivi believes that changing rules allows for more people to get involved in Banana Ball. “Real baseball isn’t for everyone,” he added.
However, there is a serious side to this sport as well.
During the player introductions, several Indianapolis Clowns members entered the field, each holding a flag with the name of a former player.
“Even before the lights, music, and performances, some players represented ideals that were more noble than the game itself,” halftime player Jackie Bradley Jr. said.
Bradley mentioned the original Clowns team, which played in the Negro Leagues in the 1940s and 1950s. Baseball legends like Hank Aaron and Satchel Paige once played for this team.
Bradley retired from the Major League Baseball in 2023 and joined the Indianapolis Clowns last season, partially to pay tribute to the glorious history of the Negro Leagues.
“To me, the opportunity to honor the players and coaches who wore the Indianapolis Clowns uniform before me is a huge draw,” Bradley said in an interview with Dajiyuan Times before the game.
After the game, Cole stopped for a brief interview near the player’s rest area. “Just a moment,” he said, turning his attention to the stands where a few children were asking for autographs.
“I’ll be up there in five minutes,” Cole said. “I’ll be signing for two hours.”
This scene epitomizes the Savannah Bananas’ unwavering dedication to the fan experience.
Chris Dehnert, the owner of the renowned creative baseball merchandise brand Dugout Mugs, witnessed this firsthand when he attended the Savannah Bananas’ home games.
“The team’s games – and the level of the games – always put the fans first,” Dehnert said, who later became involved in product licensing with the team.
Dehnert revealed that Cole’s attitude had the approval of players and staff and even reflected in the quality of stadium food.
“It creates an atmosphere that makes you want to be a part of it. From a marketing perspective, I think that’s the key to success,” he said.
The organization sold tickets through a lottery system, preventing scalpers from monopolizing the market and keeping ticket prices low. Fans reported paying between $50 and $75 for each ticket. Coors Field with around 50,000 seats saw sold-out games for two consecutive nights.
There’s always a reason for inviting fans onto the field during breaks. These lucky fans, mostly children, get to watch the game from the player’s rest area before being called onto the field.
Players jump into the stands whenever they have a chance – handing out doughnuts, signing autographs, or inviting lucky kids who caught a foul ball onto the field for a reward.
Banana Ball is on track for success. From expanding from one team to six, ticket waitlists for years, to broadcast deals with major TV networks like ESPN, Disney+, and HBO Max – all of this is a testament to the organization’s dedication to the fans.
Cole attributes this to his passionate devotion to the fans. This passion extends even to the fans sitting at the highest, most remote seats in the stadium.
“Before we go to a city to play, we gather on the top tier of the stands,” Cole said. “We ask ourselves, ‘How can we create an atmosphere that makes fans in these seats feel that energy?’
“We’ve been to arenas that can hold 100,000 people. We’ll travel the world. And it all starts with every single fan.”