By Judy Shields
Photos: The Hollywood Times
Rancho Cucamonga, California (The Hollywood Times) 07/25/2023
The forecast was 102 degrees for this beautiful Saturday afternoon, July 22, 2023 in Rancho Cucamonga. That forecast of heat was not going to keep us away from going to the see one of the best baseball games EVER! If you haven’t head of the Savannah Bananas, who need to check them out, so click this link to find out everything about them and what you missed this passed weekend.
They were here for three games, Friday and Saturday at 6:30p and Sunday at 3p. They sold out 2 games and added a thrid game on Sunday. This was the first time the team had traveled to California to play baseball.
The Banana Ball World Tour started on February 27th and they will be in 33 cities and 22 states and we were lucky enough for them to visit us here in Rancho Cucamonga, California. My 32 year old son, Jesse was hesitant to come and be my photographer/videographer because of the heat, but he finally decided to come along. He was so impressed with the team, the entertainment and the team players he met as well as the founder and owner of the Savannah Bananas, Jesse Cole. Which Jesse Cole told my son he had a great name!
Our day started off arriving at LoanMart stadium at 4:30 p.m. to meet up with Kara Heater, Marketing Director for the Savannah Bananas (what a great job she has!). She got us in as press to cover the game and gave us the awesome media badge, what a great collectible item! She is a wonderful young lady with the biggest smile and was so accommodating to us that day and made our experience so memorable. Thank you Kara.
She brought us in through the 1st base side gate to go onto the field to see what was going on. They have a VIB (very important banana) meet and greet for those fans that bought that package to have the opportunity to come on to the field to meet all the players and get their merchandise signed, like yellow bats, yellow baseballs and all the amazing Savannah Bananas merchandise.
They have great T-Shirts for all sizes and really cool baby and youth ones too! I got a magnet, keychain, yellow baseball that Jesse Cole autographed for me, and a T-Shirt for my grandson.
Here is the interview with Jesse Cole:
There are so many cool Savannah Bananas merchandise to own. Click HERE to see what they have to order and get something for yourself and that baseball fan in your life.
We had the opportunity to speak with the on-field host “The Young Professor” Matt Graifer, Chief Potassium Enthusiast, a former wrestling announcer, which makes him the perfect voice for the job.
We also met the Savannah Bananas traveling magician Jake Schwartz. Jake is known for his outside-the-box style of magic and ability to bring people together through the show. As the official magician of The Savannah Bananas, Jake is creating a brand new style of magic that is fully integrated into a baseball game. Follow Jake everywhere @JakeOfSpades_
We had a great conversation and he even did an amazing card trick which had me totally amazed. Way to go Jake. Enjoy our conversation and magic trick:
Once the VIB event was over those fans took their seats and the team players gathered around to do some interviews and photo ops for the Big Media guys, like channel 5 News. After this, the players lined up to get ready to start their parade walk to get to the main gate where the band would be waiting and all the excited fans.
Although it was a hot day, the fans packed the stadium and were so delighted by what was going on down on the field. The Dad Bod Cheerleader Squad were up in the stands or up on the dugouts. Pretty much everywhere you looked there was entertainment. The Savannah Bananas play against the Party Animals and to be able to watch these two teams play against each other was worth it.
The whole game only took two hours to play the nine innings. It seemed like it took longer because they made it so entertaining, we all could not get enough of watching them play baseball, from hitting singles, doubles, triples and and especially watch “Stilts” run from first base to second. All the interaction Jesse and team players had with their fans was really special.
So what are the rules you might ask, this is what makes the game of baseball to Jesse Cole:
Enjoy some of the video highlights from the game:
The Savannah Bananas won the game that Saturday night and when it was all over they all gathered together to wish themselves “great game”!
The evening temperature was not so bad now with sun gone and early clouds helped with that as well. We actually headed out to the main gate so that we would be ready for when the teams came out to visit with the fans, so we missed some of the activities that may have been going on inside the stadium.
The Banana Prep Band was outside practicing so we got to listen to them jam for a little while. There were also gals dressed in banana costumes awaiting the fans. The Dad Bod Cheerleading members were outside as well talking with some of the fans that happen to go out at that time. There was a big blowup archway once you passed the band stage. There was also another merchandise booth for the last minute shoppers.
Jesse Cole was the first one out to stand over by the band to meet all the fans to take photos and sign autographs. It was not too much longer before the team players came out and lined up to meet more of their fans.
All I have to say, when they come back, I can only bet they will return to California and maybe to play against the Dodgers and/or Angels, which would be awesome, you all have to get tickets the first day they go on sale. This is real baseball full of entertainment.
The Savannah Bananas headed up to San Jose, then to Fresno and finishing up at our state capitol of Sacramento, before heading back to the East Coast, until next time!
Keep connected with the Savannah Bananas via their social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheSavBananas
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheSavBananas
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesavbananas/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVMOQmAEqtzfBGV-_X6_zMw