Oct 6, 2022 - Sports

Savannah Bananas coming to Nashville

Nate Rau

A player flips on a baseball diamond. — Savannah Banana Malachi Mitchell (2) flips in the air as the team cheers before the start of a banana ball game. Photo: Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

The Savannah Bananas, the exhibition baseball team with alternative rules and a party atmosphere, are bringing their zany brand of America's favorite pastime to Nashville next year.

The Bananas will play at First Horizon Park on June 2 as part of their national tour. Tickets will go on sale about two months prior to the game, the team announced.

Details: Players sometimes wear stilts during the Bananas' circus-style baseball game. In-game action incorporates elaborate dance routines, and the rules are bonkers.

Be smart: There are no walks, no stepping out of the batter's box and if a fan catches a foul ball, the batter is out. Attempting a bunt is an automatic ejection, so don't head to a Bananas game expecting to see small ball on display.

Tie games are decided with a frantic race around the bases with a single fielder trying to throw the ball in before the runner crosses home plate.
There's a strict two-hour time limit, and each inning counts for a point with the first team to five points is declared the winner.

Why it matters: Major League Baseball is in the midst of an existential crisis as it ponders how to win over younger fans.

The Savannah Bananas may offer an extreme take on modernizing baseball, but the strategy has won over fans. Home games in Savannah have drawn sellout crowds.

Watch ESPN's story about how the Bananas became so popular

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Savannah Bananas coming to Nashville

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