The world-famous Savannah Bananas will be playing at Rate Field in Chicago Saturday evening as part of their massive U.S. tour.
The Bananas, famed for their social media savvy, quirky game rules and massive crowds, made their first-ever trip to the Windy City as they tour more than a dozen Major League Baseball stadiums, playing to sold-out crowds across the country.
When do the games start? Who will they be playing? How can you watch the game? And what makes “Banana Ball” so darn special?
Here’s a full rundown of the sporting phenomenon.
When will the Bananas take the field?
Saturday’s game is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. Central time.
By the time their tour is completed, the Bananas will have played in a staggering 17 Major League Baseball stadiums, and that trip will include a stop at Chicago’s Rate Field on Friday and Saturday.
In addition to the 17 MLB stadiums, the Bananas have also played inside of football stadiums, playing at the homes of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Tennessee Titans, as well as the home of Clemson’s football team.
Who are they playing?
There are currently five teams that play “Banana Ball,” with the Bananas serving as the originators of the game and the Party Animals serving as their frequent foil.
The Party Animals will be playing a home game against the newly formed Texas Tailgaters in Arkansas this weekend, leaving the Bananas to take on the Firefighters, a team that was formed prior to the 2024 world tour.
For the first time, the Savannah Bananas baseball team will be bringing their world-famous show to Chicago, the club announced on Thursday.
Is there a way to watch the game from home?
The Bananas have routinely aired games on their YouTube channel and will continue to do so for the remainder of the tour, meaning that fans will be able to watch games on the website.
The team also has struck a deal with TNT Sports to air games, with Saturday’s game in Chicago the first that will air on truTV and on HBO Max. That game will also start at 7 p.m.
What rules make “Banana Ball” unique?
Technically, “Banana Ball” games can last nine innings, things like teams getting three outs, batters getting four balls and three strikes, and force outs and tag outs are all the same, but there are a ton of wrinkles fans are educated about when they step foot into a Bananas game.
For starters, the winning team isn’t determined by runs, and instead is determined by points. Teams do still try to score runs, but whichever side scores runs in a given inning instead earns a point, and the team with the most points at the end of the game wins.
While games can go nine innings, the real pace of the game is determined by the clock, as games last for two hours.
To keep up that pace, batters can’t step out of the box, they can’t bunt, and there are no mound visits for pitchers.
Batters can also steal first base on wild pitches, and if they “walk,” they actually sprint around the bases as quickly as they can until all nine players on the opposing team have touched the baseball.
Fans can also get involved in the action, as any foul ball caught by a fan is considered an out, and a designated fan can challenge one call on the field per game, shooting a confetti cannon to signal that desire.
Finally, the Bananas have added a new rule known as the “Golden Batter,” which allows a team to sub out a batter at the plate for anyone in their lineup once per game.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
