Who Are Savannah Bananas, Who NESN Will Air Next Week?

The Savannah Bananas took the baseball world by storm last year, and the next stop on their world tour will be New England. And NESN will air all four games.

Jesse Cole and his wife Emily Cole founded the Bananas in 2016, and they competed at Grayson Stadium as a collegiate summer baseball team in the Coastal Plain League. They won three Petitt Cup championships, but Jesse Cole had higher ambitions for his goal as a baseball owner.

Cole grew up a Boston Red Sox fan. The Scituate, Mass. native was a bat boy for the team and played collegiately in New England. And after a shoulder injury in the minors cut his playing days short, he still wanted to be involved in baseball.

He drew inspiration from Walt Disney and P. T. Barnum and aimed to bring fun back to baseball. There was entertainment during Bananas games, but it wasn’t until “Banana Ball” was introduced in June 2020 that made a team from Savannah, Ga. the talk of the baseball world.

Banana Ball brought a different spin to the game with nine unique but simple rules. A 10th rule was added this year where each team is allowed at least one challenge with an added fan challenge.

Banana Ball grew popular enough to where the collegiate team folded after the 2022 summer season, and the Bananas went on a world tour documented in an ESPN+ miniseries.

Red Sox greats like Bill Lee and Shane Victorino suited up for the Bananas. Most famously, Jonathan Papelbon wore a kilt when he pitched. Dustin Pedroia, Jonny Gomes and Johnny Damon also enjoyed the fun ride of Banana Ball.

The Bananas often face off against their rivals, the Party Animals. But this isn’t like the Harlem Globetrotters and the Washington Generals. The Bananas have lost to the Party Animals, so anything can happen.

The most important thing is fans always are promised a good time so much so that Papelbon admitted his love for baseball was regained after playing with the Bananas and the same for 2013 World Series champion Jake Peavy and his son.

Also, don’t be deceived by the pitcher on stilts, the dancing or flashing ball skills, the Bananas and Party Animals actually can play. Both teams feature former minor-league or college players and players who aspire to play professionally.

There will be four games in New England, and while they are sold out, NESN has you covered to watch those games. Check out the broadcast schedule below, and as a reminder, games on NESN also can be watched using NESN 360 — all times ET.

Monday, Aug. 14 at 7 p.m. on NESN — from Hartford
Wednesday, Aug. 16 at 7 p.m. on NESN 360 — from Brockton
Friday, Aug. 18 at 7 p.m. on NESN 360 — from Portland
Saturday, Aug. 19 at 7 p.m. on NESN — from Portland

Jesse Cole’s dream is for the Bananas to play at and sell out Fenway Park, and as the team continues to rise with increased attendance and a growing social media audience, that dream could become a reality.