Thread by @latimes

How do you will a baseball team into existence? Jesse & Emily Cole had a vision (but no money) and brought it to a skeptical Savannah community.

This must be a joke, a resident said of the new team's nickname. It isn't. And @TheSavBananas are thriving.

@TheSavBananas The logo – a cartoon Banana with bat cocked, lips twisted in a grimace. Bright yellow uniforms and a costumed mascot named “Split.” An elderly cheer squad called the “Banana Nanas.”

If fans were angry, Jesse Cole thought, they were paying attention. latimes.com/sports/story/2…

@TheSavBananas It was no secret baseball was lagging behind a quick-twitch world, young fans loath to sit for games that stretched past three hours. Cole and his staff started playing “What if?”

“We looked at every boring play,” he says. “And we got rid of it.” latimes.com/sports/story/2…

@TheSavBananas “Banana ball” hit the road in 2021 for two games in Mobile, Ala. The crowd of 3,500 was the biggest most players had seen.

“They said it was the most fun they’d had in baseball,” Cole recalls. “I knew if the players loved it, the fans would love it.” latimes.com/sports/story/2…

@TheSavBananas The Savannah Bananas are packing ballparks, building a national brand with highlights on @espn and 2.4 million #TikTok followers.

Not only have MLB executives noticed, but more minor league teams are lining up to play @TheSavBananas next year. latimes.com/sports/story/2…

@TheSavBananas @espn At @MLB games, a fan catching a foul ball might make “SportsCenter.”

When it's the @TheSavBananas, you're now part of the baseball game itself.

Here's the unique way the Bananas make fans part of the experience: latimes.com/sports/story/2…