What is Banana Ball? Comerica Park sells out 2 games this weekend
FILE - Savannah Banana Malachi Mitchell (2) flips in the air as the team cheers before the start of a banana ball game in 2022. The two teams playing this weekend in Detroit at Comerica Park are the Firefighters and the Party Animals.
Banana Ball is being played in Detroit for the first time this weekend at Comerica Park.
Here’s what to know about the league and its game:
Banana Ball at Comerica Park
Big picture view:
This is the first time Banana Ball is being played in Detroit. Expect big crowds Friday and Saturday night downtown for the games, which begin at 7 p.m.
The Firefighters are taking on the Party Animals at a sold-out Comerica Park.
How to watch:
Tickets are sold out, but you can stream both games on the Party Animals’ YouTube page.
What is Banana Ball?
The backstory:
The Savannah Bananas started playing Banana Ball year-round in 2022, and the Fans First Entertainment organization now fields six independent professional teams in the Banana Ball Championship League.
What they're saying:
The organization describes the event as baseball reimagined with fast-paced play, crowd participation and nonstop entertainment.
One fan described it to FOX 2 as a mix between baseball, Broadway and the circus.
Dig deeper:
The games include choreographed dances, scoring celebration routines, and 11 Banana Ball rules:
- Win the inning, get the point
- Two hour time limit
- No stepping out
- No bunting
- Batters can steal first base
- No walks allowed
- No mound visits allowed
- If a fan catches a foul ball, it’s an out
- Showdown tie breaker
- Banana Ball challenge rule
- Golden batter rule
Getting Banana Ball tickets
Big picture view:
Both games this weekend are sold out, as Banana Ball games typically do.
Dig deeper:
The games also have a different way of acquiring tickets, which is through a lottery. The organization announces which cities its coming to the next season, and fans can enter a lottery.
If you’re drawn, you’ll have an opportunity to continue through to the purchasing process.
Tickets also sell for a flat rate ($35 or $40, depending on the venue) and are not sent to the buyer until 24 hours before the game to avoid resale.
Banana Ball only sells tickets through its official lottery on FansFirstTickets.com. "Any tickets for sale outside of this platform are likely fraudulent," the organization says.
What's next:
More information on the next season, including which cities will host games, will be revealed on Oct. 15.
Founder Jesse Cole said on LinkedIn earlier this year that the organization has heard from more than 200 cities – and even other countries – about wanting to host games.
Venues hosting games in 2027 could include more minor and major league ball parks, NFL stadiums and college football stadiums (which, by the way, a photo of The Big House was shown in Cole’s video).
Cole said they’re also talking to some "wild" venues that "you would never expect to host a sporting event."
The Source: Information in this article was taken from the official websites of Banana Ball, MLB and 313Presents, and from a LinkedIn post by Banana Ball founder Jesse Cole.