>> SO HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF THE SAVANNAH BANANAS? IF NOT, YOU ARE ABOUT TO BECOME A FAN
THAT MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
TEAM DOES A LOT OF THINGS
RIGHT. AND SOCIAL MEDIA IS AT
THE TOP. THEY ARE BILLED AS
TICK TOK’S FAVORITE TEAM. YOU
CAN SEE THEY REALLY KNOW HOW
TO HAVE FUN, BUT IT’S NOT JUST
TICK TOCK. THE TEAM’S BRAND IS
EVERYWHERE ACROSS SOCIAL MEDIA
TO THE TUNE OF NEARLY
4 MILLION FOLLOWERS. IT’S MADE
THEM FAMOUS NATIONWIDE AND HAS
LED TO A WAIT LIST FOR
TICKETS. NEARLY 70,000 FANS
JUSTIN BARNEY IN OUR NEWS, 4
JAX 14 TO SPEND TIME ON THE
FIELD. THIS VERY UNIQUE TEAM
AND FOUND OUT WHY THEY SELL
OUT.
>> EVERY SINGLE SEASON.
>> JUST AN UNBELIEVABLE
EXPERIENCE ARC ENJOY AS YOU
SAW IN THOSE TIKTOK VIDEOS.
NOT ONLY THAT THEY PLAY
BASEBALL. THESE GUYS, THE
SAVANNAH BANANAS FOR EVERY
GAME INTO JUST A PARTY. THE
ROSTER IS MADE UP OF COLLEGE
ATHLETES FROM AROUND THE
COUNTRY WHO ARE OFF FOR THE
SUMMER. IF YOU’RE ATTENDING
ONE OF THOSE GAMES LIKELY TO
SEE SOMETHING LIKE THIS. JAMAL
SAINT CYR PICKS UP THE PACKAGE
FROM HERE.
>> BASEBALL, AMERICA’S
PASTIME. IT’S ROOTED IN
HISTORY AND HIGH SOCKS.
STRIKES HOME RUNS AND EVEN
TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALLGAME.
>> WELCOME TALLEST IT’S NEVER
BEEN KNOWN FOR STILLS, BLAMING
BATS AND TWERKING. LOTS AND
LOTS OF WORKING. EVEN OUR
CAMERA GUY, JOE DRUMM COULD
ESCAPE THAT WORKING. DOES HAVE
TURNED SAVANNAH INTO A
BASEBALL DESTINATION AND
GRAYSON FIELD. AND TO
MENTALLY.
>> WE CAME ALL THE WAY FROM
CALIFORNIA AND THIS
>> THE IDEA OF BANANA BALL
CAME FROM OWNERS, JESSE COLE
AND HIS WIFE IN THE
>> JESSE IS ALWAYS EASY TO
SPOT A GAME. CINCY’S CORNERED
THE MARKET ON ABOUT.
>> EMILY UP FOR MORE
TRADITIONAL OUTFIT WHILE SHE
CUTS THE GRASS BEFORE A GAME
WITH SCISSORS. YEAH. THOSE ARE
SAYS NOTHING THE BANANAS DO
WAS REALLY NORMAL. SO IT’S
EASY TO UNDERSTAND WHY PEOPLE
THOUGHT THEY WERE BANANAS.
WHEN THEY FIRST STARTED THE
TEAM. WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED
WITH THIS IDEA HOW MANY PEOPLE
SAID YOU’RE CRAZY, IT WILL
NEVER WORK COMING IN EVERY
DAY. PEOPLE THINK WE’RE CRAZY
AND I LIKE THAT.
♪
>> CALL IT CRAZY OR CALL IT
BANANAS. BUT IT’S WORKED OVER
THE LAST 6 YEARS. THE COALS
WHEN FROM SLEEPING ON AN AIR
MATTRESS. AND SO IN JUST A
HANDFUL OF TICKETS. HAVING
WEIGHTLESS FOR TICKETS THAT IS
HIT 70,000. WHAT DO YOU HEAR
FROM FANS AND WHEN YOU’RE OUT
AND ABOUT THEIR LIFE IN ZONE
OR THEY TELL YOU ABOUT YOU
KNOW, FIRST.
>> I WASN’T INVITED ANYWHERE.
YOU KNOW WHERE IT CAME OVER
THE SAVANNAH AS THEY KNOW WHAT
YOUR NAME A TEAM. WHAT ARE
NOW? PEOPLE ARE VERY KIND. AND
SAID, YOU KNOW, THANKS FOR
BRINGING SO MUCH FUN, ENJOY
THE GAME. AND THEY’VE ALWAYS
SAY WITH GAME AT IN THE GROVE
OF BUNCHES OF BANANA FANS, WE
BUMPED INTO KRISTEN CHASE
GALLO, A FATHER AND SON FROM
SAINT AUGUSTINE.
>> BASED ON THE BANANAS, TED,
TO ONE CHRIS’S LEG AND THINK
IT’S SAFE TO SAY THE PAIR
REALLY LOVE BANANAS, I CAN’T
EVEN BELIEVE 15 TO 20. THE
GALLOWS ARE THE ONLY FOLKS
FROM NORTHEAST FLORIDA THAT
HAVE GOTTEN TO EXPERIENCE THE
FUN.
>> IT’S BEEN A LAND WAS A
CIRCUS. THE PLAYERS WOULD BE
THE RINGLEADERS IN 2 OF THEM
PLAYED BASEBALL RIGHT HERE ON
THE FIRST
>> TY JACKSON WAS THE MANDARIN
MUSTANG IS TURNED HIS ORANGE
IN FOR PLENTY OF ENGAGED OR
HE’S PLAYED COLLEGE BALL AT
FLAGLER COLLEGE.
>> US 23 FRAME FOR GAGE 40’S.
BOTH GUYS SAY WHEN THEY FIRST
JOINED THE BANANAS, THEY HAD
NO IDEA.
>> WHAT THEY WERE SIGNING UP
FOR IT.
>> WHAT WAS IT LIKE WHEN YOU
FIRST GOT HERE? LIKE, DID YOU
KNOW WITH THE SAVANNAH BANANAS
WERE ABOUT BEFORE YOU SIGN ON
THE FIRST TIME AND NOTHING? I
NO IDEA WHAT I WAS GETTING
INTO HAD NO IDEA. WHAT IS IT
ABOUT BUT I DIDN’T KNOW
EXACTLY WHAT WAS GOING TO END
UP HAPPENING. I DID
>> NOW JACKSON VORHEES BOTH
VETERAN THIS EXPERIENCE HAS
CHANGED FOR IT.
>> PAVES THE WAY YOU KIND OF
LOOK AT YEAH, I NEVER SAY I’M
NOT PLAYING NOW AND MORE
ENERGY. MORE PASSION THAT SAYS
LIKE UP IN TO MORE CONFIDENT
MYSELF AND ARE LIKE. ABLE TO
DO THINGS IN FRONT OF OTHER
PEOPLE.
♪
PEOPLE. ♪ >> BUT GOAL WAS SIMPLY TO MAKE
BASEBALL FUN AND APPEALING TO
EVERYONE IN INLAND MOSAICS
HERE FOR CHANNEL 4. THE LOCAL
STATION.
>> SAVANNAH’S ABOUT 2 HOURS,
10 MINUTES AWAY. BUT ONE THING
I DID TALK TO OWNER JESSE COLE
ABOUT HE SAID HE HAD SOME
CONVERSATIONS WITH JUMBO
SHRIMP OWNER KEN BABBY. IT
COULD BE A POSSIBILITY THAT
THE WORLD TOUR OF THE SAVANNAH
BANANAS ENDS UP RIGHT HERE IN
JAX. THAT WOULD BE COOL. BRING
THEM IN. AND AS THE JACKS AND
YOU SAID THAT THEY ARE SOLD
OUT WITH 70,000 FANS ON WEIGHT
ON THE WAITLIST FOR THE GAMES.
IN SAVANNAH, 70,000 FANS FOR
$20, GENERAL ADMISSION TICKET
JUST AN UNBELIEVABLE. I’VE
NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT IN
MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL. IT’S
INCREDIBLE. THE FOLLOWING THE
SAVANNAH BANANAS HAVE BUILT. I
WANT TO SHOW YOU RIGHT HERE.
THE GENERAL MISSION TAKEN TO
MENTION $20 EACH TO INCLUDE
ALL YOU CAN EAT FOOD AND
DRINKS HERE. THE SWING INTO
THE HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS ON
SITES LIKE EBAY AND STUBHUB
THAT AND SAY BE CAREFUL IF
YOU’RE BUYING ON THE SITES
LIKE THAT DUE TO FRAUD. THEY
SEE IT ALL THE TIME.
>> YOU KNOW, JUSTIN WHITE,
OKAY, WE CAN BRING THE BANANAS
HERE. BUT
>> WHY CAN’T THE JUMBO SHRIMP
BE JUST LIKE THE ONE? WE JUST
WANT BRING WE CAN TURN THEM
INTO THAT WOULD BE NICE. YOU
KNOW, IT’S A 2 DIFFERENT
BRANDS OF BANANA BALL UP THERE
IN SAVANNAH AS THEY TRY TO
KEEP THE BASEBALL COMPETITIVE