Over Labor Day weekend, PNC Park was bustling with excitement and laughter. The crowd roared as players in yellow jerseys ran from base to base. However, the team everyone was rooting for was not the Pittsburgh Pirates, but rather the Savannah Bananas.

The team played on Friday and Saturday against their Banana League rival, the Texas Tailgaters. The Bananas ended up winning both games, but their victory on Friday was not an easy feat.

It was also a major accomplishment for a Banana Ball League game to sell out PNC Park for two consecutive games, which last happened mid-July for the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Mac Miller bobblehead promotion.

The Savannah Bananas are the faces of the Banana Ball league and go head-to-head with other teams in a rather light-hearted game of baseball with many twists. One of these twists is “showdown rounds” if the game ends in a tie. On Friday, the Bananas had to play three “showdown rounds” at the end of the game to claim their win.

Besides the showdown rounds, several rules of Banana Ball make the game drastically different from any regular baseball game. Banana Ball fanatic and Point Park University softball pitcher Makaila Cohen, explained several aspects of a Banana Ball game that make this league unique.

“There are many reasons why Banana Ball is different from regular baseball,” Cohen said. “The umpires sometimes dance. When a ball is caught by someone in the audience, it’s considered an out. There is even a guy who can pitch on stilts,” Cohen said.

Unlike a traditional baseball game, Banana Ball is fast-paced and keeps fans engaged with audience interactions and even special guests. 

PNC Park welcomed YouTuber Mr. Beast, who gave away $50,000 to one random fan and $10,000 to another one. Saturday night’s special guest was rock band Gym Class Heroes, who sang their song, “Stereo Hearts,” alongside Savannah Bananas player Dalton Mauldin. 

The Bananas also paid homage to the “Steel City” by featuring a clip of player and Pittsburgh native Ryan Cox dancing and lip syncing to several Mac Miller songs throughout various iconic Pittsburgh landmarks. Additionally, the Mrs. T’s Pierogis mascots made a special appearance by dancing around the field and participating in various antics. 

The Savannah Bananas have a massive presence on social media platforms like TikTok. The team has amassed 10.5 million followers on the app, with their most popular video having over 12 million likes. When asking fans how they were first exposed to the team, many, like Banana Ball worker and Point Park student Kyla Pothier, say social media. 

“I have been following the team for several years now,” Pothier said. “They kind of appeared on my social media around COVID, and I have been interested in everything they have to offer since then.”

When Pothier was given the chance to work at the merchandise booths alongside other Point Park students, she knew she could not pass up the opportunity to be at the game. 

The process of purchasing tickets to a Banana Ball game is not for the faint of heart, according to multiple people in attendance an those working the game.

Donna Moroso and her partner, Jack Burt, were eager to purchase tickets to the game when the league released their dates for their 2025 Banana Ball World Tour. However, when the couple found out they had to win a lottery drawing just to purchase a ticket, they knew that this process would not be simple. 

“I got an email that said I was in the pool picked for the lottery, but this would still not guarantee that I would get tickets,” Morosco said. “It then went on to say that on a certain date, I would be allotted a few minutes to go on the website and actually purchase tickets.”

It seems as though the two secrets to obtaining tickets to a Banana Ball game are pure luck and being more than ready to purchase tickets at the assigned time slot given to customers. This process may seem tedious, but Burt said he thought it was worth the opportunity to see the fun-filled game.

“The prices are still pretty low at $40 per ticket,” Burt said, “which you have to admire. The game didn’t even start until 7 p.m., and the antics put on by the team started at 6 p.m. They really pour their hearts out to put on a show for fans of all ages.”

The Savannah Bananas will face the Firefighters on Sept. 5–6 in San Diego, with hopes of maintaining their winning streak.

Considering all of the attention the game has been receiving this past week, the Savannah Bananas may soon make a return to the “Steel City,” giving more Pittsburghers the opportunity to experience a Banana Ball game.