Long before the Savannah Bananas became a worldwide sensation, drawing thousands to a selection show to see where they would be playing next, the barnstorming Indianapolis Clowns of the Negro American League were entertaining fans with a mix of baseball prowess and comedic gags. Known as the Harlem Globetrotters of baseball they were the inspiration for the 1976 movie “The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars and Motor Kings,” which was partially filmed in Savannah.
On Thursday night before 5,000 fans at Historic Grayson Stadium, the Indianapolis Clowns made their return as one of the two newest Banana Ball teams. “They were pioneers on this way of entertainment and baseball mixed together,” said Jesse Cole, owner of the Savannah Bananas “Three years ago, we started having conversations. What if they came back? What if we could bring back this team and celebrate the history of what they meant for this game and being pioneers to truly bring the entertainment and the fun?”
Go Nuts!
The second team is one that Cole feels may be “the most fun brand we’ve ever created,” the Loco Beach Coconuts―a team that will be taking the beach with them wherever they play. Both teams will make out the new six team Banana Ball Championship League that will kick off in late February at Florida State University in Tallahassee, Fla. For the first time, all six teams will play over the course of three days, with games on Thursday and Friday at the baseball stadium, then Saturday they will move over to the Doak S. Campbell football stadium.
Throughout 2026 Banana Ball teams will play in front of 3.2 million fans at 75 stadiums in 45 states. The tour will stop at 10 football stadiums, including two of the biggest college stadiums, Neyland Stadium, at the University of Tennessee with 101,000 fans and Kyle Field, at Texas A&M with 102,000 fans. There will also be two games at the Superdome in New Orleans. A pair of games at Gillette Stadium, home of the New England Patriots, and three games at Wrigley Field in Chicago.
Headlining Party Animals
For the first time the Party Animals will be the home team at three major league stadiums in Milwaukee, Detroit and Cleveland without the Bananas. They will also be the home team at their first ever football stadium without the Bananas, playing on the blue turf at Boise State.
Fans in Savannah need not worry, because the Savannah Bananas will host around 25 games at Historic Grayson Stadium, including the Banana Ball Open in April and the Banana Ball playoffs in October.
“The way we see it, each team is national. We want to go where others won’t go. We want to go to North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana and Oregon,” Cole stated. “If you look at Banana Ball USA, fans at any place in the country can drive to a Banana Bowl game within five or six hours, and that’s something we’re tremendously proud of.”
Richard Burkhart is the photojournalist for the Savannah Morning News. You can reach him at RBBurkhart@gannett.com.