I grew up watching the great game of baseball in Baltimore, smack dab in the heart of Camden Yards — watching greats like Cal Ripken Jr., Brady Anderson, and Mussina. That was baseball. But the consensus I get from people now is that “baseball is slow and boring,” and it has ushered in a new era. Enter… Banana Ball.
I’d seen the dances on TikTok and the crazy antics online, and as a dancer and choreographer, my attention was grabbed. But nothing prepares you for the real thing. It’s not a game; it’s a cult of fun, and you love EVERY GAH DANG MINUTE OF IT! The party starts with “Before the Peel,” a street festival filled with merch, live music, meet and greets with the players, Princess Potassia (who comes out in a full dress and sings with the voice of angels), and the Man-Nanas (the glorious dad-bod cheerleading squad). The party culminates into a parade right into T-Mobile Park led by the Man in the Yellow tux: Jesse Cole!
From there, it was just pure, glorious anarchy. There’s no shortage of entertainment while you wait. Players come out and play catch with fans using baseballs, footballs, and other banana-related things. Even the snacks are on-theme, with specialty drinks and food at your beck and call. This wasn’t a weekend for sitting quietly in your seat. We had crowd sing-alongs, section vs. section battles, and players throwing bananas from the top deck in a game of Bananas in your pants. They held the “slowest race on earth” with babies crawling on the field, followed by grown-ass people racing with air mattresses and a battle of “grandma gladiators.” Who thinks of this stuff?!
The Seattle love was perfect. They brought out Mariners legend “The Big Maple” James Paxton and of course he threw a K, and the place went nuts. Then, in a killer nod to the city, they turned the lights off for a Nirvana moment that was pure magic. Hell, they even had Pat Monahan from Train as the final act of crowd karaoke with the players performing majestically crafted choreography and a damn proposal at home base!
The music was good all night, the energy was insane, and through it all, the game is governed by 11 rules that make the game faster and crazier. Honestly, I FORGOT THERE WAS BASEBALL BEING PLAYED SEVERAL TIMES. It was just a non-stop barrage of entertainment. It’s loud, it’s ridiculous, it’s brilliant, and it was the most fun I’ve ever had at a ballpark. If this is the death of “America’s Pastime,” then sign me up for the funeral party.