Noah Bridges Embraces Fan Support For Savannah Bananas

BROCKTON, Mass. - Noah Bridges has interacted with fans at every stop on his baseball journey that now continues with the Savannah Bananas.

The 24-year-old played college baseball in his hometown at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. During his time with the UNCW Seahawks, a fan account posted every time he scored a run.

That fan engagement continued during his time in the Cape Cod Baseball League with the Cotuit Kettleers and now with the Bananas. Bridges' relationship with fans continues to be a staple of his love for baseball.

"Everywhere I go, I realize people come to watch," Bridges told NESN.com in an interview on Wednesday. "I've been a baseball fan. Whenever I had an interaction with someone when I was a fan watching, it meant the world to me. Coming out and being able to switch roles a little bit and having little kids look up to you is a good perspective. They come to watch you and they love you. Show love back."

One experience for Bridges stands out when he tried out a new glove from a fan and made one of his best plays as a Banana.

"There was one time in one of our first games that I went into the crowd," Bridges recalled. "There was a group of softball girls and I stepped on one of the girls' gloves on my way back to left field. I felt bad that I had cleats on and I apologized. She said it was OK. I joked around and said I was going to use it in the game and said, 'Yeah, go!' So, I hadn't had a ball in left field all night. With one out, one of the Party Animals crushed it over my head. I had a good jump on a hard-hit ball. I'm out there with a tiny glove and hoping I snag this. I reach up on one foot and make the catch. The cool part about that was that none of our players and staff knew what was going on. I started jumping up and down like we won the World Series. The section with the girls behind our dugout just erupted because they knew what was going on. It was pretty cool."

Now as the team continues on tour, fans follow the Savannah squad with a deep appreciation for their entertaining style of baseball.

"We hop off the bus and people recognize us and want to take pictures," Bridges said. "It's been so cool to go to all of these different cities and seeing historical ballparks."

The transition from his college career to the baseball entertainment game positively impacted how Bridges views the game he loves.

"Before I got here, baseball was more than a game and dictated how I felt," Bridges said. "Fans are out here because they love what we're doing. It's baseball. It's a game. It's changed to loving it as a game instead of letting it consume my life."