Excite Ballpark, home of the San Jose Giants, was packed Tuesday night for a game of Banana Ball, a sport that combines baseball with unusual entertainment and strives to make each night unique, a la a Grateful Dead show. Founded in 2016, the Savannah Bananas have rapidly become a sensation, with 500,000 fans on a ticket waitlist and 4 million TikTok followers.
The Bananas squared off against the Party Animals and won 3-2.
From left to right, Fran Batarao, from Burlingame, 13, Jacob Cai, from Pacifica, 13, Jalen Mingao, from Daly City, 13, and Lucas Chan, from Redwood City, 13, pose for a selfie with Savannah Bananas’ Maceo (00) before the start of their game at Excite Park in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, July 25, 2023. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Logan Connell, 12, from San Jose, shows off hits banana costume before the Savannah Bananas game at Excite Park in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, July 25, 2023. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Savannah Bananas’ Kyle Luigs (12) high-fives fans as they parade through the crowd before the start of their game at Excite Park in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, July 25, 2023. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Savannah Bananas’ Vincent DeRubeis dances with fans before the start of their game at Excite Park in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, July 25, 2023. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Logan Connell, 12, from San Jose, gets an autograph from Savannah Bananas’ Dakota "Stilts" Albritton before the Savannah Bananas game at Excite Park in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, July 25, 2023. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Savannah Bananas Dakota "Stilts" Albritton hands out beads before the start of their game at Excite Park in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, July 25, 2023. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
A baby is introduced to the crowd by the Savannah Bananas and owner Jesse Cole, in hat, before their game against the Party Animals at Excite Park in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, July 25, 2023. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Savannah Bananas and Party Animals dance with fans before the start of their game at Excite Park in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, July 25, 2023. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
A young fan scores an in-the-park home run before the Savannah Bananas game against the Party Animals at Excite Park in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, July 25, 2023. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Savannah Bananas’ Malachi Mitchell does a backflip before their game against the Party Animals at Excite Park in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, July 25, 2023. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Savannah Bananas' Bill Leroy (1) celebrates his two-run home run against the Party Animals in the third inning at Excite Park in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, July 25, 2023. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Savannah Bananas' Bill Leroy (1) celebrates his two-run home run against the Party Animals in the third inning at Excite Park in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, July 25, 2023. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Savannah Bananas' Bill Leroy (1) dances before a pitch to Party Animals’ Dalton Cornett (4) in the third inning at Excite Park in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, July 25, 2023. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Baseball fans try and catch a foul ball during the Savannah Bananas game against the Party Animals in the sixth inning at Excite Park in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, July 25, 2023. If a fan had caught the ball the batter would have been out, no fan caught this foul ball. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Savannah Bananas' Mat Wolf (4) carries Savannah Bananas' Noah Bridges (9) to first base after Bridges was hit with a pitch against the Party Animals in the sixth inning at Excite Park in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, July 25, 2023. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Party Animals starting pitcher Dylan Porter (15) throws against the Savannah Bananas in the first inning at Excite Park in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, July 25, 2023. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Baseball fans react to a bat entering the stands from Party Animals’ Drew Gillespie (16) during their game against the Savannah Bananas in the sixth inning at Excite Park in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, July 25, 2023. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Home plate umpire Vincent Chapman celebrates after calling an out after a review during the Savannah Bananas game against the Party Animals in the fifth inning at Excite Park in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, July 25, 2023. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Savannah Bananas' Dr Meadows (5) can’t make a catch as he does a back flip on a double hit by Party Animals’ Dalton Cornett (3) in the first inning at Excite Park in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, July 25, 2023. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Former Major League Baseball player Eric Byrnes, far right, watches Savannah Bananas' Mat Wolf (4) pitch against the Party Animals in the seventh inning at Excite Park in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, July 25, 2023. Byrnes was conducting on-field interviews during the seventh inning. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Former Major League Baseball player Eric Byrnes, right, conducts an on-field interview with Party Animals’ Drew Gillespie (16) after his bat went into the stands against the Savannah Bananas in the sixth inning at Excite Park in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, July 25, 2023. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Baseball fans turn on their phone lights in-between innings during the Savannah Bananas game against the Party Animals in the first inning at Excite Park in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, July 25, 2023. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
The Party Animals bats against the Savannah Bananas in the seventh inning at Excite Park in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, July 25, 2023. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Former Major League Baseball player Eric Byrnes, right, conducts an on-field interview with Savannah Bananas' Noah Bridges (9) against the Party Animals in the sixth inning at Excite Park in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, July 25, 2023. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Young fans watch a pillow fight in-between innings of the Savannah Bananas game against the Party Animals at Excite Park in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, July 25, 2023. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Baseball fans cheer in between inning during the Savannah Bananas game against the Party Animals at Excite Park in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, July 25, 2023. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Savannah Bananas' Jared Donalson (21) carries Savannah Bananas' Dalton Mauldin (13) to second base during their game against the Party Animals in the eighth inning at Excite Park in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, July 25, 2023. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Olympic Softball player Leah O’Brien Amico waves to the crowd during the Savannah Bananas game against the Party Animals in the sixth inning at Excite Park in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, July 25, 2023. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Savannah Bananas' DJ "The Invader" (91) throws against the Party Animals in the eighth inning at Excite Park in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, July 25, 2023. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Baseball fans try and catch a foul ball during the Savannah Bananas game against the Party Animals in the sixth inning at Excite Park in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, July 25, 2023. If a fan had caught the ball the batter would have been out, no fan caught this foul ball. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Savannah Bananas' DJ "The Invader" (91), wearing helmet, is congratulated on the final out of the game in their 3-2 win over the Party Animals at Excite Park in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, July 25, 2023. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
The Savannah Bananas are introduced following their 3-2 win over the Party Animals at Excite Park in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, July 25, 2023. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
The Savannah Bananas dance following their 3-2 win over the Party Animals at Excite Park in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, July 25, 2023. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Chloe Andrew takes a selfie with Savannah Bananas’ Dakota McFadden (24) following the Bananas 3-2 win over the Party Animals at Excite Park in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, July 25, 2023. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
