Party Animals @ Savannah Bananas

0:00 And why do they call it banana ball? Why

0:03 not orange ball or grape ball? And and

0:06 what is the deal with banana ball?

0:09 It sounds more like something your

0:11 doctor should be telling you to cut back

0:13 on. Over, you got to be careful. Need to

0:16 cut back on that banana ball, your

0:17 cholesterol's getting a little high.

0:21 And what is the deal with the party

0:23 animals? Why are they called the party

0:26 animals?

0:27 They're not even animals. They're

0:29 ballers.

0:32 And what about that rule where all the

0:34 fans could catch foul balls for outs? I

0:37 mean, imagine the jury is in parish.

0:39 You're up there and you think, "Hey

0:41 Easton, how was your game last night?"

0:43 Well, not so great guys. You know, I I

0:45 fouled out to Joe from accounting DURING

0:47 THE GAME.

1:03 >> OH, WHAT a pleasure to have banana ball

1:05 back in the Bronx. Tonight we kick off a

1:08 two-game series in Yankee Stadium

1:10 between the defending champion party

1:12 animals and the current top team in the

1:14 sport, the Savannah Bananas. Two teams

1:17 trending in opposite directions as the

1:19 animals look to stop a five-game skid

1:22 while the Nanners come into the Big

1:23 Apple winners of six straight regular

1:26 season games. And what a thrill to be

1:28 back on the ESPN app and Disney Plus as

1:31 we get to see the two original teams in

1:34 the sport square off in the city that

1:37 never sleeps. Over 40,000 fans on hand

1:40 for the affair one night early.

1:43 We were supposed to see these two these

1:45 two teams square off tomorrow night.

1:48 Mother Nature had other plans. So, we

1:51 duel here on a big tiger Friday as we

1:54 welcome you inside with the statistical

1:56 savant of banana ball Josh Tolewski.

1:58 Biko Skala, thank you all so much for

2:00 spending your Friday night with us here

2:02 in virtual Banana Land. Josh, it's only

2:05 the third time this year that the

2:06 Bananas and Party Animals do battle, and

2:09 they split the series. The Party

2:10 Animals, the only team in the regular

2:12 season that has defeated the Bananas

2:14 this year.

2:14 >> And it was a very even match up when we

2:16 saw the Bananas and Party Animals battle

2:18 it out in the Super Dome. Each team

2:20 scored seven points a piece. So, you saw

2:22 both of these teams matching each other

2:24 point for point throughout this series.

2:26 And although the Party Animals weren't

2:28 in that Banana Ball Open a weekend ago,

2:30 they had the opportunity to refresh

2:32 everything, put things in the rearview

2:34 mirror mentally, and focus on putting

2:37 together a great record for the rest of

2:39 this season. Meanwhile, even though it

2:41 was a setback for the Bananas against

2:43 the Tailgaters, they are still the top

2:45 team in the BBC AL.

2:46 >> The Party Animals were off last weekend

2:49 after getting swept in Albuquerque by

2:50 the Firefighters. That knocked them out

2:52 of the Banana Ball Open. The Bananas, of

2:54 course, at 10 and 1 were the one seed

2:57 going into it. They defeated the Clowns

2:59 4-0 on Thursday night. The Tailgaters

3:02 took down the Firefighters 4-3 on Friday

3:04 night setting up this battle. And how

3:06 about the Gators offense early? One run

3:08 already home, make it two thanks to the

3:10 RBI single by Tash Porter. And then,

3:13 there was a solo home run from Dan

3:14 Oberst in the bottom half, but Jonathan

3:16 Hughes survived. 1-0 Tailgaters. Three

3:18 trick plays in the frame.

3:19 >> Yeah, and those three trick plays would

3:21 prove to be pretty effective for the

3:23 Tailgaters later in that contest. Here

3:25 in the third inning, it's the rookie

3:27 third baseman, Jordan Barnes, launching

3:29 his first career Banana Ball home run. A

3:32 big blast for the Texas Tailgaters. And

3:35 then, bottom half of the inning, John

3:36 Hughes picks up another trick play in a

3:39 sub-two-minute inning to put the Gators

3:41 up 2-0.

3:42 >> Mind you, this the first career Banana

3:44 Ball start for Jonathan Hughes, and it

3:46 was going swimmingly until Dan came back

3:49 around. His second home run. It was a

3:50 six-second bottom of the fourth inning

3:53 in walk-off fashion. So, 2-1, but how

3:56 about Hughes? He pitches through five

3:58 frames credited with four thanks to the

4:00 walk-off in the fourth. Strands the

4:01 inning-winning run in scoring position,

4:04 closing out that fifth inning, and

4:06 handed a 2-1 lead over to his bullpen.

4:08 Bottom of the eighth inning, Joe Sperone

4:10 with the Tailgaters down two in the

4:12 trick play department, hunting that

4:14 equalizer, and on changeups, all three

4:17 ground balls induced this inning on the

4:19 changeup. His catcher, Tom Porter, said,

4:21 "I WAS JUST SPAMMING THAT THING BACK

4:22 THERE." AND JUST LIKE THAT, THE

4:24 TAILGATERS earn the equalizer point, and

4:26 they lead 3-1 going to the ninth. And

4:28 that would prove a major equalizer point

4:31 for the Texas Tailgaters. Here bottom

4:33 nine, the Bananas down to their final

4:34 out. It's Dan

4:36 against Joe Sperone for the second time

4:39 in the inning thanks to the golden

4:40 batter, AND OVERS SENDS THIS OUT to deep

4:43 right-center field, BUT WATSON PERFECT

4:45 THROW INTO HIS CUTOFF MAN, JORDAN

4:47 HUSSEIN, AND A PERFECT relay to Jordan

4:50 Barth AT THIRD BASE. THEY GUN DOWN Dan

4:53 Overs, and the Tailgaters PULL OFF A 3-2

4:56 UPSET victory in game one.

4:58 >> Yeah, you get another look. Watson

5:00 couldn't have played it any better.

5:01 Hussein couldn't have had a better relay

5:04 throw. Barth a really nice deke, making

5:06 it look like there wasn't even going to

5:08 be a throw, and then a tag at the last

5:09 second. So, that set up the Gators one

5:11 win away from a playoff spot. Chris

5:13 Clark three Ks in the first, but Dan

5:15 Overs a single, steals second, STEALS

5:17 THIRD. BARTH THOUGHT HE TAGGED HIM OUT

5:19 ON THAT ONE. He flips the ball in.

5:21 Porter was already in the dugout as

5:23 well. So, Dan comes in on the E5, and

5:26 that would loom large. Even though Clark

5:28 strikes out the side and a big smile on

5:30 his face at that. Kyle Lewigs able to

5:34 get the or the Tailgaters in order just

5:37 like that, the Bananas strike first on

5:38 Sunday.

5:39 >> And a sub-two-minute inning for Cowboy

5:41 Kyle to start that ballgame. Now, here

5:43 in the fourth inning, Chris Clark, he

5:44 was cruising from then on out. Eight

5:47 strikeouts through his first four

5:49 innings on the pitcher's mound.

5:51 JUSTIFIABLY FIRED UP AND IN THE bottom

5:54 half OF THE INNING, KYLE Martin batting

5:55 with two outs, it's another

5:57 round-tripper for the rookie extra

6:00 hitter for the Texas Tailgaters tying

6:02 the game AT 1 TO 1. NEXT INNING, MAC

6:05 DANFORD, THREE-RUN BOMB AND ALL OF A

6:08 SUDDEN IT'S THE TEXAS TAILGATERS WITH A

6:10 2-1 ADVANTAGE.

6:12 >> That is how quickly the game can turn on

6:14 you in Banana Ball. But the Nanners, a

6:16 golden opportunity to strike in the top

6:17 of the sixth. THEY HAD HIM LOADED WITH

6:19 NO OUTS and with one down, coming in

6:22 from the bullpen, Matthew Fletcher, the

6:23 rookie, gets Easton Parish to pop out to

6:26 Barth and then Kyle Jackson to fly out

6:29 to Watson. The Bananas leave the bases

6:32 loaded. Still a 2-1 Tailgaters lead, but

6:36 bounding ball, Nick Lopez with the

6:38 walk-off as that bounces over the head

6:39 of KJ, make it 3-1 for six.

6:41 >> Yeah, that would send Bill Leroy up to

6:43 the plate though. Top seven, Fletcher

6:45 staying in the game and Leroy greets him

6:47 with a solo shot to open up the seventh

6:50 inning. A big blast for Bill Leroy. Jake

6:53 Bazela takes over for the Bananas in the

6:55 bottom half and how about Bill Leroy?

6:58 Not just DOING IT WITH THE BAT, BUT THE

6:59 GLOVE AS WELL. THE NINE-YEAR BANANA

7:02 NEARLY FALLING INTO HIS DUGOUT, makes

7:05 the catch and helps secure a point for

7:08 the Bananas in the inning.

7:09 >> But Bill had a chance to blow it open,

7:12 top of the eighth, bases loaded and

7:13 stranded again. Taylor Justice, really

7:16 athletic play. It would be reviewed, the

7:18 call upheld. Justice just able to get a

7:21 piece of that glove on the helmet of

7:23 Leroy. That means no runs in the eighth

7:25 inning, which means it's 3-2 going to

7:27 the ninth AND WITH ONE OUT, ROBERT

7:29 Anthony Cruz, his second homer of the

7:31 open, his second game-tying home run in

7:33 the ninth inning off of Reese Miller

7:35 this year.

7:36 >> I mean, he's got that clutch gene for

7:38 the Bananas, what the C in RAC stands

7:40 for if you ask me. THEY WOULD BE MATCHED

7:42 UP AGAINST EACH OTHER IN ROUND one of

7:44 showdowns. Reese Miller gets his revenge

7:47 against Cruz, and then Nick Lopez WITH

7:49 AN 0-2 COUNT on him takes the fastball

7:52 up in the zone, pushes it out to the

7:54 opposite field, and the Texas

7:56 Tailgaters, the three seed, come away

8:00 with the Banana Ball Open victory and

8:02 clinch a spot in the Banana Ball

8:04 playoffs come October.

8:06 >> Yeah, through the four-game midseason

8:08 tournament, the Texas Tailgaters were

8:10 the best of everybody in that Banana

8:12 Ball Open, and they are the first team

8:15 in the playoffs this year. What an

8:17 absolutely thrilling open it was between

8:20 the five teams still in Banana Land,

8:23 three playoff spots to go. The Party

8:25 Animals had the weekend off. When we

8:27 return, we're going to get their

8:28 starting lineup tonight.

8:42 >> STEELS!

8:44 OH, BRUTON!

8:49 AND BEHIND THE PLATE, WEARING NUMBER

8:51 ONE, ON THE MIC, MYSELF, BILL

9:10 >> SOMETHING BIG IS HAPPENING.

9:14 SOMETHING BIG, I FEEL it happening out

9:17 of my control. Pushing, falling, and

9:20 it's grabbing me. Feel it in my bones

9:22 like, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh,

9:24 oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh,

9:24 oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh,

9:25 oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh,

9:25 oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh,

9:26 oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh,

9:26 oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh,

9:26 oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh,

9:27 oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh,

9:27 oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh,

9:28 oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh,

9:28 oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh,

9:28 oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh,

9:29 oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh,

9:29 oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh,

9:30 oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh,

9:30 oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, OH, OH,

9:30 OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH,

9:31 OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH,

9:31 OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH,

9:32 OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH,

9:32 OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH,

9:33 OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH,

9:33 OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH,

9:33 OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH,

9:34 OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH,

9:34 OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH,

9:35 OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH,

9:35 OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH,

9:35 OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH,

9:36 OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH,

9:36 OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH,

9:37 OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH,

9:37 OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH,

9:37 OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH,

9:38 OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH,

9:38 OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH,

9:39 OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH,

9:39 OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH,

9:39 OH, OH, OH,

9:40 >> I'm feeling for you,

9:41 Savannah

9:50 >> New York City

9:52 I need you to put your hands in the air.

9:54 Both hands way up in the air and get

9:57 your spirit fingers wiggling. Because

10:02 it's time for the most storied tradition

10:06 in all of Banana Ball.

10:09 This tradition goes back to the very

10:13 beginning, 2016.

10:15 And since that fateful day it has

10:18 brought endless sums of good luck and

10:22 good vibes to our Savannah Bananas.

10:26 Yes, ladies and gentlemen, it is time to

10:28 meet tonight's Banana Baby.

10:33 This is Logan.

10:47 >> Welcome back to Banana Ball live from

10:48 Yankee Stadium. A tried and true

10:51 tradition as it's the Banana Baby. We'll

10:53 get it down to the Young Professor.

10:55 >> Vibes flowing and New York CITY GIVE IT

10:58 UP ONE MORE TIME FOR OUR BANANA BABY,

11:03 LOGAN.

11:10 Ladies and gentlemen, direct your

11:12 attention to center field. THEY'RE THE

11:16 WILDEST, CRAZIEST, SEXIEST, most

11:20 outrageous group of animals you'll ever

11:22 lay your eyes on. And they're here for

11:26 just one reason.

11:29 To party!

11:31 Here come the party

11:35 animals!

12:23 And now,

12:26 the starting lineup for the Party

12:28 Animals! Number six, Maurice Hampton!

12:38 Number 11, Chase Hayhurst!

12:53 Right fielder, X, Jake Cole!

13:04 The extra header, number 407, Mikey

13:08 Baller!

13:16 At first base, number two, Jason Swan!

13:32 >> DH number four, Tanner Tinder Thomas.

13:48 The catcher, Andy Cosgrove.

13:58 Number 12, Noah Fischer.

14:13 Number eight, Bryson Bloomer.

14:24 And number nine, Dustin Baber.

14:37 On the mound, triple seven, Garrett

14:41 Delano.

14:54 The party animals are managed by Mike

14:56 Papamichael,

14:57 assisted by Thomas Simsiman,

15:01 and Anthony "How You Doin'" Corrado.

15:37 >> Now that we've got the party animals

15:39 lined up, when we return, we'll take a

15:41 look at the standings and take a tour

15:44 back in time to the last time these two

15:47 teams clashed.

16:00 >> About 11 months ago, Jack was diagnosed

16:03 with a brain tumor.

16:05 Since then, he has shown incredible

16:08 strength, courage, and resilience

16:11 through every step of his journey.

16:14 Through surgeries,

16:16 treatments, and tough days, Jack keeps

16:19 showing up with a big smile and a spirit

16:23 that inspires everyone around him.

16:26 Jack reminds all of us what it truly

16:30 means

16:31 to be brave.

16:42 >> Ladies and gentlemen,

16:44 PLEASE HELP ME WELCOME

16:46 ONE OF THE BRAVEST KIDDOS TO THE PLATE

16:48 TODAY.

16:49 MY DEAR FRIEND, 5 AND 1/2 YEARS OLD, HIS

16:52 NAME IS JACK.

17:01 HE'S DIGGING IN THE BOX.

17:03 HERE COMES PITCH NUMBER ONE.

17:07 RIGHT ON.

17:09 The party animals are bringing the heat.

17:12 The count's on one. Brett Helton is

17:14 staring him down. Here comes pitch

17:15 number two.

17:18 And he throws the curveball.

17:20 >> That doesn't seem very fair.

17:22 >> OH, WOW. SPLIT!

17:25 WHERE DID YOU COME FROM?

17:29 OH, WOW.

17:31 THAT'S CHLOE CRAZY. SPLIT'S not happy.

17:33 Oh, foul ball.

17:36 Split's got the ball on the tee. HERE

17:37 COMES THE FAIR FIGHT AND THE SWING! AND

17:40 A DRIVE UP THE MIDDLE! Bryson Blue

17:42 throws it first!

17:44 Ready willing Can't handle it.

17:47 JACK IS ROUNDING FIRST BASE, ladies and

17:49 gentlemen.

17:51 With blazing speed.

17:54 JERRY MUM, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, HE'S

17:56 ROUNDED FIRST.

17:58 He's rounded second.

17:59 >> to Banana Ball live from Yankee Stadium.

18:02 This youngster trying to complete an

18:04 inside-the-park home run against the

18:06 Party Animals. HE IS ALMOST THERE. HE'S

18:10 GOT TO BEAT THE THROW. AND HE'S GOT TO

18:12 GET THE FOOT ON HOME PLATE.

18:15 JACK WITH A DINGER.

18:18 An improbable result

18:20 for our little hero. Placed into the sky

18:23 by Kyle Luigs. Let's get a gander

18:27 at the standings. 11 games in here in

18:29 the Banana Ball Championship League. The

18:31 Naners at 10 and 1 riding that six-game

18:34 winning streak. The Fire Fighters coming

18:36 off a two-game sweep of the Party

18:38 Animals in Albuquerque a couple weekends

18:40 ago. You see the X next to the

18:41 Tailgaters because they won the Banana

18:43 Ball Open last week.

18:45 >> have clinched that playoff spot. Then

18:46 the Clowns, Coconuts, and Animals all at

18:48 4 and 7.

18:49 >> Yeah, right now it's all house money for

18:50 the Texas Tailgaters. They could finish

18:52 with the worst record out of all of

18:54 these teams and still make that Banana

18:56 Ball Open as the four seed in this

18:58 tournament. So, from here it is going to

19:01 be up to the remaining teams to have the

19:03 three best records in this Banana Ball

19:05 Championship League if they want to make

19:07 the playoffs this season. The Bananas

19:09 sitting pretty at 10 and 1, but those

19:11 Party Animals a lot of work to do at 4

19:14 and 7. And the only reason you see one

19:16 loss for the Savannah Bananas is because

19:19 of what happened in New Orleans in the

19:21 Superdome. How about this on the Sunday

19:25 matinee game, Dylan Porter, who finished

19:28 up his college career at the University

19:30 of New Orleans, facing the top of the

19:33 Bananas lineup, pulling off a pistol

19:35 squat, and the ground ball machine go

19:38 burr. bouncer to Bloomer, bouncer to

19:41 A-Cup, back-to-back between the leg

19:43 trick plays, and then let's get Bloomer

19:45 back in on the action. What a way for

19:48 the Party Animals to take down the

19:49 Bananas back on March 15th.

19:51 >> Yeah, and they did that in the Superdome

19:53 with some funky dimensions. The Bananas

19:55 weren't able to collect a single home

19:56 run in that contest. Masterful work by

19:59 the Animals pitching all around the

20:01 Nanners, only able to scrap together

20:03 five hits in that contest.

20:06 >> But since New Orleans, it has really

20:08 been uh the best of times and the worst

20:11 of times. The best of times obviously

20:14 for the Savannah Bananas, 6 and 0,

20:17 dominating with 13 more points earned

20:19 than lost. You could see averaging 2.2

20:23 strikeouts per ball four sprint their

20:25 pitching staff is allowing, and that

20:27 4:17 MPI, they're averaging 4 minutes

20:30 and 17 seconds per three outs their

20:32 pitching staff is getting, best in the

20:33 league.

20:34 >> Yeah, and obviously when your pitching

20:35 is good as the Bananas have this season,

20:37 unsurprisingly, you're going to be

20:39 leading the pack. The Bananas, what you

20:40 always want to see in Banana Ball, is a

20:43 two-to-one strikeout to ball four sprint

20:45 ratio. Unfortunately, that is not the

20:47 case for the Party Animals, and that's

20:49 not only why you see that earned run

20:50 average skyrocketing at 8.87, but a big

20:54 reason that they are having long innings

20:56 is because they are not staying in the

20:58 strike zone and able to get three outs

21:00 in a quick amount of time. So, that's

21:02 why the Animals, on the other side of

21:04 the coin, averaging three outs in 5

21:06 minutes and 12 seconds in those six

21:08 games. And two weekends ago, the Party

21:11 Animals in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the

21:13 Bananas in Chapel Hill, North Carolina,

21:15 they both had two of the best players in

21:18 the sport go down via injury. You're

21:20 looking at DR Meadows, the 2024 Tour

21:23 MVP, Jake Skole, the 2025 Tour MVP, and

21:26 they've both been fantastic here in

21:28 2026.

21:29 >> In terms of value over replacement-level

21:31 players this season, both of these guys

21:33 rank in the top 10 amongst all players

21:36 in Banana Ball. And DR Meadows is

21:38 leading the world tour with his .459

21:41 average, also 11 stolen bases. He has

21:43 run all over the place, and it looks

21:46 like another MVP-caliber season coming

21:48 yet again from Jake Skole. A .341

21:51 average, two home runs, nine runs batted

21:54 in this season. He once again is leading

21:56 that team offensively, and thankfully,

21:59 the Party Animals are getting him back

22:01 in tonight's contest. And meanwhile, the

22:03 Bananas are going to play a fourth

22:05 straight game without DR Meadows if you

22:08 include those open contests.

22:10 >> Yeah. And as you saw a few minutes ago,

22:12 Jake Skole in the three hole and playing

22:15 right field tonight. Uh DR Meadows is

22:18 not ruled out for the game. He could

22:20 pinch hit off the bench, but he is

22:22 limited tonight. And if we see him, it's

22:24 probably just for one plate appearance.

22:27 That is to be determined. We'll be back

22:28 in just a bit.

22:39 >> Oh!

22:50 Oh!

23:28 >> All right, New York. Let's start

23:29 clapping those hands. Get them up. It's

23:31 time to meet the cast of your Savannah

23:33 Bananas. I am your chief potassium

23:35 enthusiast, the Young Professor. And

23:38 let's meet the rest of the gang here.

23:40 First, they carry the tune from coast to

23:43 coast for your Bananas. Give it up for

23:46 the world famous Banana

23:49 Band.

23:54 She

23:55 is her royal majesty of Bananaland. Give

23:59 it up for Princess Partasia.

24:05 THEY ARE THE GREATEST dad bod cheer

24:06 squad to ever grace God's green earth.

24:10 Give it up FOR YOUR MAN-NANA.

24:15 HE IS our bat trickster extraordinaire,

24:18 Mr. Alex Ziggy Sigler.

24:23 He is the world's strongest banana and

24:26 the king of Potassium. It's Split.

24:32 He stands 10 ft 9 in tall, the world's

24:35 tallest banana ball player, Dakota Stilt

24:39 Tall Britches.

24:42 >> Welcome back to Banana Ball live on the

24:44 ESPN app, Disney Plus, and the Savannah

24:47 Bananas YouTube channel. The Banana Band

24:49 blasting away on a brisk night in the

24:51 Bronx. Let's get the rules that turn

24:54 baseball into Banana Ball.

24:58 >> Banana Ball is the fastest and most

25:00 entertaining show in sports. And the 11

25:02 rules guarantee the most fans first

25:04 experience every second.

25:06 >> Unbelievable!

25:08 WELCOME TO THE BANANA BALL CHAMPIONSHIP

25:10 LEAGUE.

25:10 >> Rule number one, win the inning, win the

25:13 point. The team that scores the most

25:15 runs in the inning wins the point.

25:17 >> IT'S A WALK-OFF WINNER!

25:19 >> TO THE DEEPEST PART OF THE FIELD!

25:21 >> OH MY GOODNESS!

25:22 >> WITH THE equalizer point, trick plays

25:24 provide the away team an opportunity to

25:26 earn a point going into the final

25:28 inning. And in the final inning, every

25:30 run counts as a point. Rule number two,

25:33 Banana Ball has a two-hour time limit,

25:36 guaranteeing that every game is

25:38 fast-paced and action-packed.

25:41 Rule number three, no stepping out of

25:43 the batter's box. If you do, it will

25:45 result in a strike.

25:46 >> Max stepped out of the box, and because

25:48 he stepped out of the box, that's it!

25:50 >> Rule number four, no bunting, cuz

25:52 bunting sucks. If you bunt, you'll be

25:55 thrown out of the game. Rule number

25:57 five, batters can steal first base.

25:59 >> BALL THREE, GIDEON TAKING OFF FOR FIRST,

26:01 THROW FROM LEROY, IN TIME!

26:03 >> RULE NUMBER SIX, there's no walks. Walks

26:07 are ball four sprints. The batter can

26:09 advance as far as they want until every

26:12 position player touches the ball.

26:14 >> NO DEFENDERS HAVE TOUCHED THE BANANA

26:16 BALL! IT IS A FOUR-BASE SPRINT TO OPEN

26:19 up the ball game!

26:20 >> Rule number seven,

26:21 no mound visits.

26:23 Nope.

26:24 Rule number eight, foul balls caught by

26:27 a fan count as an out.

26:29 >> Oh, they caught it!

26:30 They kicked it! They kicked it!

26:32 On the corner post! We're going to

26:34 showdown!

26:35 >> Rule number nine, the showdowns. In

26:38 showdowns, the best of the best face off

26:40 in the biggest moment. One hitter versus

26:42 one pitcher with one fielder behind him.

26:45 And the hitter has to score.

26:47 >> Take the right center!

26:48 See

26:49 you

26:50 later! lightning!

26:51 >> Rule number 10, the banana ball

26:53 challenge rule gives the coaches and you

26:55 the fans a chance to impact a call on

26:58 the field.

26:59 Rule number 11, the golden batter. Once

27:02 a game, each team can give any player an

27:05 at bat regardless of the lineup. This

27:07 offers the biggest matchups on the

27:09 biggest stage.

27:10 >> Big on big!

27:12 Gamer, it's gone!

27:14 It's gone!

27:15 It's gone!

27:16 Get out of

27:17 here, ball!

27:18 That thing had

27:19 a family!

27:21 >> And those are the rules of banana ball.

27:27 >> The rules of banana ball brought to us

27:29 by DQ and let's zoom in on winning the

27:33 inning and getting the point because

27:36 the way you win a ball game, the most

27:37 points

27:39 wins the game. Every inning one gets you

27:41 a point until the final frame when every

27:44 single run counts as a point.

27:45 >> And we have seen the Bananas and Party

27:47 Animals trend in opposite directions

27:50 when it comes to the final inning of

27:51 play this season and that's what makes

27:54 tonight's game specifically so

27:56 fascinating. What's going to happen in

27:58 this final inning? The Bananas have

28:00 scored 12 runs which have translated to

28:02 12 points in the final inning which

28:05 leads all teams in the Banana Ball

28:07 Championship League. Meanwhile, on the

28:09 Party Animals side of the equation, they

28:11 have allowed nine runs which have

28:14 translated to points in that final

28:16 inning. Yaz C 5 wins saves this season,

28:19 the most in the league. The Animals

28:21 trying to figure out a way to stop this

28:23 ninth-inning Bananas juggernaut.

28:25 >> Let's get a gander at the Savannah

28:27 Bananas starting lineup.

28:31 >> Leading off, the DH, number 19, Dan

28:35 Oberst.

28:41 The center fielder, number two, Reese

28:43 "Superman"

28:45 Alexiades.

28:50 At first BASE NUMBER NINE, MAX YOUNG

28:53 GOLDBERG.

28:58 At third base number four, Kyle KJ

29:03 Jackson.

29:07 THE CATCHER NUMBER ONE,

29:09 Bill Leroy.

29:18 At second base, he's our greatest

29:21 showman, NUMBER EIGHT, JACKSON OLSON.

29:30 Left fielder number 15, we call him

29:33 Rack, Robert Anthony Cruz.

29:40 The right fielder number 18, DANNY

29:43 HASLEY.

29:48 The extra hitter number seven, Ty Tokki

29:52 Jackson.

29:59 And at shortstop number six, our glove

30:02 magician, Ryan

30:05 Cox.

30:12 On the mound for your Savannah Bananas

30:13 tonight, number 11, Austin Drury.

30:22 Your Savannah Bananas are led by Tyler

30:24 Gilliam, assisted by Adam Virro Virant,

30:27 Ryan Kellogg, Bryce Dober, and the

30:30 legend

30:31 >> The stage is set.

30:33 We've got our lineups. The only thing

30:35 left to do, play banana ball. First

30:38 pitch after this.

30:55 >> Ladies and gentlemen, at this time we

30:57 ask that you please rise if you're able

31:00 and remove your caps.

31:02 Here to honor America with the singing

31:05 of tonight's national anthem, please

31:07 welcome Victoria Chandler.

31:11 >> Oh, say can you

31:14 see

31:17 by the twilight's last

31:23 gleaming, what so

31:24 proudly

31:26 we hailed

31:30 at the twilight's

31:32 last

31:35 gleaming, whose broad stripes and bright

31:38 stars

31:41 through the

31:46 perilous fight

31:49 o'er the ramparts

31:52 we watched

31:55 were so gallantly

32:01 streaming? And the

32:02 rockets' red

32:04 glare,

32:08 the bombs bursting

32:11 in air

32:14 gave

32:15 proof

32:16 through the

32:17 night

32:19 that our flag

32:22 was still there.

32:28 Oh, say

32:31 does

32:31 that star-spangled banner

32:39 yet wave

33:00 >> Ladies and gentlemen,

33:01 Victoria

33:02 Johnson.

33:07 >> It's the Savannah Bananas. It's the

33:10 Party Animals. The original rivalry in

33:13 Banana Ball renewed here in Yankee

33:16 Stadium with over 40,000 fans on hand

33:20 for the action.

33:22 We get this battle a night early.

33:25 So impressive

33:27 to see the stadium nearly packed

33:30 with everybody having to get here a full

33:32 day early. That is the power of our

33:35 young sport of Banana Ball and the

33:37 greatest fan base in all of sports as we

33:40 welcome you back inside with Josh

33:42 Tolewski, Biko Skala. Again, happy Big

33:45 Tiger Friday. Thank you so much for

33:47 spending it with us here in virtual

33:49 Banana Land. What a thrill it is, what

33:51 an honor, what a privilege to get to see

33:53 these two teams duel it out here in

33:55 Yankee Stadium.

33:56 >> Again, this is still the greatest and

33:57 most historic rivalry in Banana Ball.

33:59 You're never going to take it for

34:00 granted, especially in a place as

34:02 magical as Yankee Stadium. And what's

34:05 more, so many of the players on both of

34:07 these teams have a lot of Yankees and

34:09 New York ties. So, it is a special

34:11 weekend for many, many a player.

34:14 >> Okay, let's get into the action. We'll

34:16 take a look right now at the Savannah

34:18 Bananas defensive alignment behind

34:21 Austin Drury. Once again, without DR

34:23 Meadows, so left, right in the outfield,

34:25 it's Robert Anthony Cruz, Reese

34:27 Alexiades, and Danny Hosley. Third to

34:29 first in the infield, you see Kyle

34:30 Jackson, Ryan Cox, Jackson Olson, Max

34:33 Young Goldberg. Behind the plate it's

34:35 Bill LeRoy and the designated fielder

34:38 Alex Ziegler.

34:39 >> And Alex Ziegler, that designated

34:40 fielder, he can play any position he

34:42 wants in different innings. The Bananas

34:45 likely going to use him at first base

34:47 for most of this contest in place of

34:49 Young Goldberg. BUT THE REAL GUY TO

34:51 focus on in this weekend set of games,

34:54 it's Ryan Cox, the Banana shortstop.

34:57 Last year across two games in Yankee

34:59 Stadium, Coxie recorded 14 trick plays

35:03 which included an eight trick play game

35:06 one, tied for the most trick plays in a

35:08 single game in Banana Ball's history.

35:11 >> And in the middle of it all, the rookie

35:13 Austin Drury, two trick plays to his

35:15 name so far in his rookie campaign. Boy,

35:19 he has been absolutely stupendous across

35:21 16 and a third innings, the league high

35:23 20 strikeouts.

35:24 >> Start number six for AD leading the

35:26 Banana Ball Championship League with

35:28 three wins and a lowest mark of 2.7%

35:33 ball four sprint rate. He has allowed

35:35 sprints just 2.7% of the total batters

35:38 he faced this season and opponents

35:40 batting just 246 against the Bananas

35:44 first round pick.

35:45 >> That's a powerful lineup that opposes

35:48 Austin Drury.

35:50 The Party Animals lineup presented by

35:53 PNC Bank. At the top, it's the

35:55 switch-hitting center fielder Reese

35:57 Hampton, followed by Chase Akuff, Jake

35:59 Skole, the clean-up man Mikey Ballard,

36:01 then Jason Swan, Tanner Thomas, Andy

36:03 Cosgrove in the bottom three. Do not

36:06 sleep on them. Noah Fisher, Bryson

36:07 Bloomer and Dustin Baber.

36:09 >> What's two right-handers in this lineup

36:10 that I expect to lead the Animals

36:12 offensively? Chase Akuff and Jason Swan,

36:15 both of whom were fantastic when they

36:17 faced the Bananas in New Orleans in

36:19 mid-March. Akuff four for or five for

36:22 nine and Swan four for six in that

36:24 series.

36:26 >> I think it's about time we start the

36:28 clock. For that, we get it down to Jesse

36:30 Cole.

36:32 Banana Nation, it is time. On three, I

36:36 need everyone here to yell, "Start the

36:39 clock."

36:41 1 2 3

36:46 Showtime.

36:47 >> Leading off

36:50 >> Reece Hampton at the dish, Austin Drury

36:53 on the mound.

36:55 And a combined

36:57 9 years

36:58 of minor league baseball experience

37:01 between the two.

37:05 Foul ball, second deck, not caught.

37:12 58°.

37:15 Everybody bundled up

37:17 for the action tonight here in Yankee

37:19 Stadium.

37:21 And as the fastball nips the bottom of

37:23 the zone, quick 0-2 count on Reece

37:25 Hampton. You see only hitting .238 here

37:27 in his fifth Banana Ball World Tour as

37:30 he chops it to Cox between the legs.

37:32 Over to first, no scoop from MJG though.

37:36 And it'll go in the books as a trick

37:38 play missed for the glove magician. Lead

37:40 off man aboard for the Animals.

37:42 >> And it's actually going to put Reece

37:43 Hampton in scoring position as that wild

37:46 throw from Ryan Cox actually reached an

37:49 area out of play trickling into a camera

37:51 well. So, Hampton now on second base

37:54 already for Chase Akins who's on a tear

37:58 for the Party Animals right now entering

38:00 with a .395 batting average.

38:06 >> Bender below the knees to the Animals

38:08 shortstop

38:10 here in his fourth World Tour.

38:13 And he has leveled up immensely

38:15 offensively across the last couple

38:17 years.

38:20 Pacing the squad with five doubles.

38:23 Bouncer to the right side. Olsen will

38:26 whip it between the legs. There's out

38:28 number one as Hampton advances to third.

38:32 Big out for the Savannah Bananas and an

38:33 early trick play that they love to see.

38:36 Olsen throwing this one through the legs

38:39 to Max Young Goldberg. Nonetheless, a

38:41 very productive out for Chase Ace

38:43 hitting that one over to the opposite

38:45 side of the field and advancing Reese

38:47 Lightning up to third base.

38:52 The Bananas are going to bring the

38:53 infield in against the 2025 MVP, Jake

38:56 Skole, here in year six in Banana Ball.

39:01 He's fourth with the Party Animals after

39:04 spending the 2021 and '22 tours in

39:06 yellow.

39:07 And picking up right where he left off.

39:09 Can't complain when you're hitting 341

39:11 with the OPS north of a thousand.

39:16 Foul ball.

39:18 Second deck. Not caught. Nice leaping

39:21 attempt, but snagged on the ricochet by

39:23 that man. This is a very cool reunion of

39:26 sorts for Jake Skole, a guy who spent

39:28 two years in the New York Yankee system

39:31 in 2015 and '16. Eight home runs, 43

39:35 runs batted in in 117 games in their

39:38 system. Right back up the middle. Jake

39:41 Skole

39:43 with his tenth ribeye on the tour.

39:48 Brings in his best buddy.

39:50 An unearned run against Austin Dreher

39:52 Hempton reaching on the trick play

39:54 missed.

39:55 A run nonetheless for the Animals.

39:59 Putting the pressure on early.

40:03 And just three batters into the game

40:06 getting to pull off their infamous Party

40:09 Rock Shuffle. Right back up the chute as

40:11 you get another gander.

40:13 Skole batted over 400 with men in

40:16 scoring position a season ago

40:18 raises his mark from 286 now and that's

40:22 why you're so glad if you're the Party

40:24 Animals to get Jake Skull back in this

40:26 lineup after he missed the finale last

40:29 week as Jackson at third base goes

40:31 between the legs and will get the lead

40:34 out at second base. A second trick play

40:37 in the ball game for the Naners and

40:39 still not a man moving up and into

40:42 scoring position.

40:43 >> Yeah, Mark Smith, the designated runner

40:45 was into spell Skull.

40:48 Jake's still not 100%.

40:53 Nursing that ankle injury, but

40:57 swing looks fantastic. So, Ballard

41:00 aboard.

41:02 And a ball and a strike on Jason Swan,

41:04 the first baseman.

41:07 Love to say it

41:09 but it means as much to Jason Swan as

41:12 anybody in the sport. Aging like a fine

41:13 wine. It's his fourth world tour. He's

41:15 hitting 351. He's got a 467 on-base

41:18 percentage.

41:20 Eight ball four sprints this year to

41:22 just one strikeout.

41:24 As he survives that foul ball to the

41:26 second deck.

41:28 >> I mean, he's as consistent as ever and

41:30 on March 29th, Swanny also had a career

41:33 accomplishment reaching 200 career hits

41:36 as he will go down swinging against

41:38 Austin Drury. Two trick plays and the K

41:41 in the inning for the Naners, but a run

41:44 on the board for the Party Animals.

41:46 They'll try and get out to an early

41:48 lead.

41:49 >> Another look at Drury's tour-leading

41:51 21st strikeout. Beautiful backfoot

41:54 slider.

41:55 Only the second K of the year for Jason

41:58 Swan.

41:59 And a quick look at the Animals

42:01 defensive alignment. Left to right in

42:03 the outfield, it's Fisher Hampton and

42:04 then the designated fielder John Howard

42:07 Bobo. Third to first in the infield,

42:09 Bloomer, Acuff, Baber, and Swan with

42:11 Cosgrove behind the dish.

42:13 >> Yeah, with Jake Scholl still recovering

42:15 from that injury, you're going to see a

42:16 lot of John Howard Bobo in right field

42:18 tonight. And as for the center fielder,

42:20 Reese Hampton, currently on a streak of

42:23 five straight games with a trick play in

42:25 center.

42:26 >> In the middle of it all, it's Garrett

42:28 Delano here in his fifth Banana Ball

42:31 World Tour, one of the best pitchers in

42:33 the history of the sport. Of course,

42:36 those numbers jump out to you. Those 19

42:38 inning pitched 19 innings pitched tied

42:40 for the tour lead, but this is not the

42:42 historic

42:44 Garrett Delano we're seeing in 2026 so

42:46 far.

42:46 >> Yeah, you see 30 hits allowed by Garrett

42:48 Delano. That's the most any pitcher on

42:50 tour has allowed. And as for Delano,

42:52 he's also allowed a home run in five of

42:55 his six starts this season. So, trying

42:57 to focus on keeping the ball in the yard

42:59 tonight in Yankee Stadium.

43:01 >> Let's feast our peepers on the Savannah

43:03 Bananas lineup presented by PNC Bank. At

43:07 the top, it is Obers, then Alexiades,

43:10 MJG cleaning it up, it's KJ, followed by

43:13 Leroy Olsen, Rack, Hasley, Tie Two Fly,

43:17 and Cox.

43:18 >> The Bananas utilizing quite the one-two

43:20 punch in Obers and Alexiades. Danny

43:23 Barrels batted .391 against Garrett

43:25 Delano a season ago. And as for Super

43:28 Reese, he posted a .389 mark. So, these

43:32 two righties see the ball out of Garrett

43:34 Delano's hand exceptionally well.

43:39 >> The Party Animals with one run

43:42 in their half of the first.

43:46 So, Obers represents the inning tying

43:49 run. It's a chilly night

43:51 for Delano to be rocking

43:54 his trademark cut-off pants.

43:58 And facing

44:00 his jiu-jitsu partner,

44:02 Dan Obers, the two-seam fastball fouled

44:05 away.

44:06 Dan coming off a superb Banana Ball

44:08 Open. He was four for 10, two home runs,

44:10 a double.

44:12 He was certainly the best hitter in the

44:14 Open.

44:15 Jordan Barth took home

44:17 Banana Ball Open MVP honors. What he did

44:20 helping the Tailgaters

44:22 win it all.

44:23 An Open high five hits, great defense at

44:25 third as well.

44:28 But with the bat, nobody was more

44:29 dangerous across the four-game

44:31 mid-season tournament than Danny

44:32 Barrels.

44:42 One, two from Delano.

44:45 Swing and a miss.

44:47 Nasty curveball.

44:49 And a nice start to the night

44:51 for Triple Sevens.

44:53 >> Yeah, and you mentioned Obers coming off

44:55 of such a hot series in that Banana Ball

44:57 Open. You're willing to swing a little

45:00 bit more, try and stay aggressive at the

45:02 plate when you're riding a hot streak

45:04 like Dan Obers, and that's why you see

45:06 him expand his zone and wave through

45:08 that breaking ball out of the hand of

45:10 Delano.

45:12 >> Reece Alexiades,

45:14 the center fielder, now for a fourth

45:16 straight game, going back to the three

45:18 games the Bananas had in the Open.

45:23 And hitting in the two hole

45:25 for the 12th time in 12 regular season

45:27 games. He's been fantastic there, as you

45:30 can see.

45:32 Can't complain with a guy hitting .316,

45:34 reaching base at a .460 clip.

45:36 >> And his lone home run this season came

45:38 against Garrett Delano in the New

45:39 Orleans Super Dome.

45:42 >> It was the only home run across the

45:44 two-game series in New Orleans between

45:46 these two teams.

45:49 Dangerous 3-1 pitch.

45:52 Big swing and a miss.

45:54 Fastball blown right by Super Reece.

46:01 And the payoff.

46:03 Fouled straight back.

46:05 Alexiades had three hits in the Bananas

46:07 4-0 win

46:09 against the Clowns zone earned Showman

46:11 of the Game honors, but then was held

46:12 hitless in the two-game final against

46:14 the Tailgaters.

46:25 Called strike three.

46:27 Alexiades thought he had a ball for a

46:29 strike, but then Chapman rings him up.

46:32 >> Well, this is the start that we're used

46:35 to seeing from Gareth Delano, a guy who

46:37 can paint corners with the best of them

46:40 and Cosgrove able to hold that frame at

46:42 the bottom of the zone and get triple

46:45 seven his second straight strikeout to

46:48 open up the night.

46:49 >> Changeup misses low and away to Max

46:51 Young Goldberg.

46:53 Back-to-back strikeouts to start

46:55 Delano's night.

46:58 MJG the only man who stands in the way

47:00 of the Party Animals and a 1-0 lead in

47:02 the all-important points department.

47:08 And a quick 1-2 count on the only rookie

47:10 in the Bananas lineup.

47:13 The second-round draft pick out of Palo

47:15 Alto, California.

47:19 Takes the changeup. Count evens up at

47:21 two and two.

47:30 Swing and a miss! GARETH DELANO STRIKES

47:33 OUT THE SIDE and the Party Animals lead

47:35 1-0. 3 minutes AND 33 SECONDS OF

47:39 DOMINANCE FOR GARETH DELANO. ANIMALS ON

47:42 THE BOARD first tonight.

47:56 >> Hear you.

48:52 >> Welcome back to Banana Ball Live on ESPN

48:56 app and Disney Plus.

49:00 Fardy with one of the best views in the

49:02 house.

49:03 And Geico and the Banana Ball

49:05 Championship League are teaming up to

49:07 send one lucky winner on the ultimate

49:09 fan experience to the 2026 Banana Ball

49:12 Championship game on October 10th. You

49:15 and four tickets, airfare, hotel, and a

49:17 VIP on-field player experience. Go to

49:20 itfeelsgoodtogobananas.com

49:23 to enter.

49:29 The Party Animals, the defending

49:30 champions.

49:32 Counting on their veteran experience to

49:34 be back in that Banana Ball Championship

49:36 game.

49:37 Daniel Thomas, off to a really nice

49:39 start

49:40 to his fifth world tour in black and

49:43 pink.

49:46 Came in injured. Off-season

49:49 shoulder surgery.

49:52 Didn't think he was going to be able to

49:55 play on the Party Animals season opener

49:57 February 27th in Tallahassee as he flips

49:59 this the other way. Ryan Cox tip drill

50:02 and he will secure it with the wreck

50:04 right there in his back pocket.

50:06 Third trick play of the game for the

50:08 Nanners.

50:08 >> And that feels like a really nice makeup

50:11 trick play for Ryan Cox considering he

50:13 started the top of the first inning with

50:15 his trick play missed over at shortstop

50:18 on the ground ball and throw that went

50:20 awry of Max Young Goldberg. Now Cox able

50:23 to make up for it and get a quick first

50:25 out for Austin Drury here in the second.

50:28 >> Andy Cosgrove

50:30 hiding in the seven hole.

50:33 The 2025 Banana Ball Rookie of the Year

50:37 former Minnesota Twins minor leaguer, it

50:39 has been a very bizarre start to year

50:41 two in Banana Land for Cosgrove.

50:43 >> Yeah, it's quite odd Brandy Cosgrove

50:46 three for his last 20 at the dish but

50:48 seven ball fours within that span. And

50:51 the oddest thing amidst this skid of

50:53 sorts, Andy has not struck out since the

50:56 21st of March against the Texas

50:58 Tailgaters. So, it's a little bit of low

51:01 quality of contact but also just some

51:04 bad luck from a BABIP standpoint.

51:07 >> Swing and a miss.

51:09 Drury nabs his second punch out of the

51:12 night.

51:13 >> And what's the deal with the

51:14 broadcasters jinx? Why do they say

51:18 things that are going to lead the guy

51:19 striking out?

51:20 >> I did it to Jason Swan

51:22 to end the top of the first inning. Now

51:24 we get Andy Cosgrove.

51:47 >> Oh, oh.

52:07 >> Noah Fisher here in his third world

52:09 tour.

52:10 >> One of the goats of walk-ups in banana

52:13 ball. One of the greatest of all time in

52:14 our sport.

52:16 >> He's on your Mount Rushmore?

52:18 >> I think he has to be.

52:20 I've got Noah Fisher, I've got KJ, and

52:22 I'll figure out the rest.

52:24 >> Wow. I see I've got Jackson Olson on

52:26 mine. He He probably deserves to be

52:28 there as well.

52:31 >> Yeah, what is it?

52:32 >> I mean, gosh, now you're We've got Brett

52:34 who's getting

52:35 drenched in water about on a monthly

52:38 rate at this point.

52:41 >> Bill Leroy, man.

52:42 >> Thomas.

52:43 >> Uh Bill Bill

52:45 >> Chubby Bill

52:45 >> From a results standpoint

52:47 >> Yes.

52:47 >> Bill is on the Mount Rushmore.

52:49 >> Correct. I'm just thinking about

52:50 >> Leroy the science boy and pickle Bill

52:52 are goated.

52:54 >> You've got the Morgan Wallen Bill bomb.

52:56 You've got the Bill teaching Sam Bowman

52:59 how to hit home run. This is going to be

53:00 a tough play. KJ bare hands. No chance.

53:05 Fisher runs very well.

53:08 It has been a slow start offensively to

53:10 year number three for Noah Fisher, the

53:13 2023 Horizon League player of the year

53:15 at Northern Kentucky University, but

53:17 he's a guy you trust the pedigree. I

53:19 think he will turn it around.

53:20 >> And the interesting is he was batting

53:22 just 229 through the first two months of

53:25 last season, and then he got hot for the

53:28 Party Animals, proceeded to bat 308 with

53:31 an OPS north of a thousand in his next

53:33 15 games with three homers.

53:36 >> Good to see a stanky leg from Bryson

53:38 Bloomer after being plunked on the The

53:40 offering from AD.

53:42 Another look. Yeah, that's

53:44 Look like it was supposed to be a back

53:45 foot bender, ended up

53:47 clanking right off the right knee.

53:50 Oh, Bloomer, that is a tough place to

53:52 get hit.

53:54 Thankfully, he seems no worse for wear.

53:56 And now, Dustin Beaver.

54:00 Here in his fourth Banana Ball World

54:01 Tour.

54:02 A die-hard New York Yankees fan.

54:07 Gets to hit with two on and two down in

54:09 the middle of Yankee Stadium.

54:12 A ball and a strike on him. And not only

54:14 that, but with a new leprechaun's vest

54:16 as well.

54:23 A ball and two strikes on Beaver. We got

54:25 to talk to his aunt outside Yankee

54:27 Stadium. High drama trying to get this

54:29 new vest.

54:31 Swing and a miss.

54:34 Beautiful bender from Drury.

54:37 His third strike out of the night. As he

54:39 strands runners on first and second.

54:43 And puts up a goose egg.

54:56 >> For you, a celebration of the ages. We

55:01 have two Banana Ball fans who are going

55:03 to get a chance to live out their

55:05 fantasy and celebrate with their

55:08 favorite team here at Yankee Stadium.

55:12 And you are going to decide who wins the

55:16 celebration of the ages. Introducing

55:20 first, 47 years old. Give it up for

55:24 Graham.

55:26 Graham,

55:28 make your way down to the plate. Let's

55:30 see the celebration of the ages.

55:37 Graham just walked it off in Yankee

55:40 Stadium.

55:45 And here come the Party Animals.

55:54 He's got it down cold.

55:59 Two to the right, two to the left, four

56:01 in the middle.

56:10 That was a heck of a showing by Graham.

56:13 And now let's turn it over to his

56:14 opponent, 62 years old today.

56:19 It's her 62nd birthday.

56:21 >> Welcome back to Banana Ball live from

56:23 Yankee Stadium, Savannah Bananas against

56:26 the Party Animals.

56:28 Number nine, Roger Maris.

56:31 Retired.

56:32 Out there in Monument Park.

56:37 Here

56:38 in the home of the New York Yankees. And

56:39 we get to chat with number nine on the

56:41 Party Animals, Dustin Baber.

56:43 >> Which camera? Which camera are we on

56:45 here?

56:46 >> Uh you know what? Uh right behind you.

56:48 Do a like a 180.

56:49 Yeah, the other way. You're a another a

56:52 different 180. Yeah, that's that's kind

56:54 of where you want to be. Uh how special

56:56 is this for you, Babes?

56:57 >> Uh this is a dream that is 21 years in

57:00 the making.

57:01 Ever since I can uh

57:03 can remember, I've been a Yankee fan.

57:06 I got some pictures right there in

57:07 center field at old Yankee Stadium, new

57:09 Yankee Stadium. So, this is a This is

57:11 absolutely a dream come true.

57:13 >> Now, we heard from family that the

57:15 moment might have gotten you just a

57:16 little bit, but the leprechaun vest was

57:19 in jeopardy for this weekend. So, tell

57:22 me, what exactly happened that led to

57:25 you donning this one that you plan to

57:27 retire after the game?

57:30 >> All right, there you are. Uh best way to

57:31 put it is

57:32 we had that week off or that time off

57:35 with the open and that we weren't

57:36 playing in and everything went back to

57:38 Savannah.

57:40 And usually everything always stays on

57:41 the road, all our baseball equipment and

57:43 all the vests and stuff and

57:45 we went back to Savannah and it was

57:48 hanging in my locker. So I had to

57:51 panic order a new vest on Amazon, got

57:54 here, cut it up cut it up this morning

57:56 and

57:57 now you're looking at the new one.

57:58 >> But we were talking to your aunt before

58:00 the game, she said you then actually

58:02 found like a backup at the bottom of

58:03 your bag here.

58:04 >> Yeah, I had one that I had one from a

58:06 couple years ago that I was in the

58:08 bottom of my bag and I'm it I'm going to

58:11 be honest with you, one good dive and

58:12 that thing's disintegrating on the

58:14 field. So

58:15 I thought for a big game like this

58:17 I definitely should probably get a

58:19 better look than that.

58:20 >> I think I think that was A PRUDENT

58:22 DECISION. KYLE JACKSON!

58:24 >> FOUL BALL. Foul ball. Make a play.

58:25 >> Foul ball. Oh my god.

58:28 Not caught?

58:31 >> Not caught and I'm pretty sure that was

58:34 a head shot.

58:35 >> Oh no. We hope

58:36 >> Yeah, that was that hit hard.

58:38 >> We hope the fans are okay down there.

58:42 >> Yeah.

58:44 >> It's good I I

58:44 >> Yeah, that I think that was a that was a

58:47 eye or a forehead.

58:49 >> I'm saying we'll get some medical

58:50 attention. Good to see him walking on

58:52 his own, that's the important part.

58:55 >> Oh, I think I lost you. I think I lost

58:57 you. Oh, there we are.

58:58 >> Nice, we're back.

59:00 >> Ooh, good spot.

59:01 >> Screams the outside corner. Two-two on

59:03 KJ. You got 4-5-6 for the Bananas here.

59:07 KJ, Leroy, and Olson.

59:09 >> Oh yeah.

59:11 Let's go. Foul ball?

59:12 >> Yep.

59:14 And the count's full.

59:16 And the 2025 runner-up for Rookie of the

59:19 Year.

59:20 >> Yeah.

59:23 Hey, make a play. Oh,

59:25 pop opportunity? I got to cover second

59:26 though.

59:27 >> Tempted? Tip drill?

59:30 Behind the back double trick play just

59:32 like that.

59:33 >> There it is.

59:34 What are you drawing up right there?

59:37 Oh, what a play.

59:39 >> Now how much are you guys practicing

59:40 things like that throughout the week,

59:42 babes?

59:43 >> Uh every every practice day, every day

59:45 we get cuz

59:47 we know how important that equalizer is

59:48 cuz it's come back to bite us a couple

59:50 times. So, we always know that a ball in

59:52 the air needs to be two, not one.

59:55 So, we can uh

59:56 maximize cuz if our pitchers are on

59:58 fire, there's going to be a lot of Ks up

1:00:00 there.

1:00:01 So, we know how to make sure every ball

1:00:02 in play we're taking we're making the

1:00:04 most out of it. Here's another one that

1:00:05 Chase gets out there.

1:00:06 >> That's a

1:00:07 >> Chase gets out there. He's not there

1:00:09 enough. Oh,

1:00:10 up, Jimmy.

1:00:13 Oh, sexy, dude.

1:00:15 >> Big league pop fly.

1:00:17 >> Hell yeah.

1:00:18 >> Mission the tip drill. That was great

1:00:19 play-by-play for you, babes.

1:00:21 >> You know what? I think I got a future.

1:00:24 I give us a new team, the leprechauns,

1:00:26 and uh it's mine. I promise.

1:00:31 >> You want to broadcast. You don't want to

1:00:32 be like the captain of the team. You

1:00:34 don't want to be there

1:00:35 >> next to you guys. That's where

1:00:36 >> You don't want to be their Jeter?

1:00:38 >> Dude, I have the gingerbread man is up

1:00:40 there.

1:00:42 I I love that idea. We got a lot of them

1:00:44 now. We Dude, redheads are taking over,

1:00:45 man. I don't know. Oh, make a play. Go

1:00:47 back. Go back. Go back.

1:00:48 Back it up. Back it up. Back it up.

1:00:50 >> Wow, what a scoop and stretch from Jason

1:00:53 Swan. Trick play from Blue Crew. Dustin

1:00:55 Pedroia, what an honor and a privilege,

1:00:57 my friend.

1:00:58 >> Absolutely, the honor's all mine, guys.

1:00:59 Talk to you soon.

1:01:00 >> See you, dog.

1:01:01 >> Thank you, babes. Have so much fun.

1:01:03 >> Absolutely.

1:01:14 >> We're going to play three songs. If the

1:01:15 song finishes, we're going to finish

1:01:17 that song, Lear. But let's make it a

1:01:18 competition. Young Professor, who are

1:01:20 representing?

1:01:21 >> I'll tell you what, Jesse. I'm going to

1:01:22 go ahead and represent all of our fans

1:01:24 here, behind third base, everybody out

1:01:26 in left field, THE BEST IN CLASS OF NEW

1:01:29 YORK CITY.

1:01:31 >> YEAH, YEAH. You may have all of left

1:01:34 field and the third base side, BUT I GOT

1:01:36 ALL OF RIGHT FIELD and the entire first

1:01:39 base side. WE CALL THIS THE WINNING

1:01:41 SECTION.

1:01:44 FIRST SONG, SHOW THEM.

1:01:47 I want to hear you.

1:01:51 Let's get loud. Here we go.

1:02:00 >> A great start, Yankee Stadium. First

1:02:02 points going to the third base and left

1:02:05 field side.

1:02:08 Next song.

1:02:14 >> Oh, all right.

1:02:16 Here we go.

1:02:18 Let's get loud.

1:02:31 >> Very nice little Michael Jackson. That

1:02:33 point goes to the first base and right

1:02:36 field side.

1:02:38 This is for the win.

1:02:41 >> Welcome back to Banana Ball live from

1:02:43 the Bronx. We have very special guests

1:02:47 with us in the BOOTH FOR A SECOND

1:02:49 STRAIGHT YEAR. It is the legendary Twin

1:02:52 Stripe reporters, Carter, Cooper. Thank

1:02:56 you guys so much for joining me in the

1:02:57 booth. Carter, we'll start with you.

1:02:59 Back in Banana Land, back in Yankee

1:03:01 Stadium, how has today been?

1:03:03 >> So much fun. It's been a blast.

1:03:05 >> Heck yeah, I love to hear it. Cooper, so

1:03:07 far good ballgame. It's a one-nothing

1:03:10 Party Animals lead. What have you seen

1:03:11 so far tonight?

1:03:12 >> It's been a lot of great pitching from

1:03:14 Delano and Drury. The only thing that

1:03:16 has allowed a run is a error from Ryan

1:03:20 Cox, which you don't see a lot.

1:03:22 >> That's a fact. It is very rare that the

1:03:24 glove magician has an error or a trick

1:03:28 play missed. And we get to the top of

1:03:30 the third inning. Top of the order here

1:03:33 for the Party Animals, Hampton, Acker,

1:03:37 and Mr. Jake Skole. It was Hampton who

1:03:39 reached on that aforementioned trick

1:03:41 play missed from Ryan Cox. He's quickly

1:03:44 behind no balls and two strikes.

1:03:46 >> Drury's got an ahead of him 0-2 in both

1:03:49 counts so far.

1:03:50 >> That's a fact. You guys are on the mark.

1:03:53 So,

1:03:53 >> Thank you.

1:03:54 >> it's only been about 6 months since we

1:03:56 last got to hang out in the booth, which

1:03:58 means by my math, you're both still 11

1:04:01 years old.

1:04:01 >> Yeah, that's right. Yes.

1:04:02 >> And I've seen, because I follow you guys

1:04:05 on social media, you've been hanging out

1:04:07 with the New York Yankees a little bit

1:04:08 as well. Carter, what has the start of

1:04:11 2026 been like for you guys?

1:04:12 >> It's been a lot of fun. I know you're a

1:04:14 Yankee fan, too.

1:04:15 >> Big time.

1:04:16 >> What do you think of the team?

1:04:18 >> Well, you know, you can't complain when

1:04:20 the fellas sweep in Fenway Park. That's

1:04:22 always a pretty fun time to be talking

1:04:24 about the Yankees. That's a bouncer off

1:04:26 the foot of Reese Hampton, who says he's

1:04:27 okay.

1:04:29 That is the second hit batter by Austin

1:04:33 Drury so far. Hampton was thinking,

1:04:34 "Hey, maybe I'll get two bases on this

1:04:36 one." Uh, that's that's not how it

1:04:38 works.

1:04:39 And Austin Drury, only two ball four

1:04:42 sprints this year compared to now 23

1:04:44 strikeouts with his three Ks tonight in

1:04:47 there. He does hit a lot of guys,

1:04:49 though. That is something.

1:04:50 >> leads the league in wins.

1:04:51 >> That's a fact, three of them.

1:04:53 Into the second deck, not caught.

1:04:57 So, you've got the outfits here. You got

1:04:59 the yellow pinstripe. You've got the

1:05:01 pink underneath. Kind of feels like

1:05:02 you're playing both sides pretty well

1:05:04 here, Cooper, huh?

1:05:05 >> Yeah, you have to stay neutral.

1:05:07 >> You are spot on.

1:05:09 That is sage advice for any big J

1:05:12 journalists out there.

1:05:14 2-2 count

1:05:16 on Chase Acuff now.

1:05:18 >> He's batting 350 this year. He's been

1:05:20 very good since the injury he had last

1:05:22 year.

1:05:23 Yeah, he had

1:05:24 >> Foul ball off of his shin, broke his

1:05:27 shin, missed the last couple months of

1:05:28 the year.

1:05:29 Rebounded very well.

1:05:34 We'll get another 2-2 here.

1:05:37 And the count goes full.

1:05:46 See if Hampton goes on the 3-2. He stays

1:05:49 put. Slow roller right side. OLSEN

1:05:52 FLIPPING TO SECOND JUST in time. Hampton

1:05:55 hustling in there.

1:05:56 >> Hampton is one of the fastest in the

1:05:58 game, but Olsen, who is the greatest

1:06:00 showman, got him by less than half a

1:06:02 step.

1:06:03 >> Oh, yeah. That's why they call him Reese

1:06:05 Lightning. Wow, that was

1:06:08 as close as they come.

1:06:09 >> Great play.

1:06:11 He

1:06:12 was safe.

1:06:13 >> You know, you don't want to lose your

1:06:14 challenge early if you're the Party

1:06:16 Animals. Hampton really thought he got

1:06:18 in there.

1:06:19 >> I'd have to agree with him there. That

1:06:21 looks safe.

1:06:22 >> I think you're right. Trey Hudson, the

1:06:24 crew chief with the call.

1:06:26 Party Animals will let the game play on.

1:06:30 And now Jake Skole, the reason well, at

1:06:33 least a big part of the reason why the

1:06:35 Party Animals lead 1 point to nothing.

1:06:37 >> He was a triple crown winner last year.

1:06:39 He's had very good year this year

1:06:41 batting over 340 with two home runs, but

1:06:45 not as much triple crown.

1:06:48 >> Yeah, you're letting batting average,

1:06:50 home runs, and RBIs. That's the triple

1:06:51 crown you mentioned.

1:06:53 >> Watch out. I think he's going yard right

1:06:55 now.

1:06:56 >> The yard card! I love it.

1:07:00 >> That's just my prediction.

1:07:05 >> Wow.

1:07:07 >> Let's see.

1:07:08 >> So, Carter's got the yard card. Cooper,

1:07:10 what do you think? You think a home

1:07:11 run's coming here?

1:07:12 >> It's hard to predict a home run, but if

1:07:13 anybody could do it, it's Skol.

1:07:15 >> YOU'RE A SPOT ON. SWING AND A MISS.

1:07:17 THROW IT OUT TO SECOND.

1:07:19 In time.

1:07:23 And Acuff was a dead duck.

1:07:25 >> Got him by a mile and a half.

1:07:28 Maybe more.

1:07:29 >> That was a much easier call for Trey

1:07:31 Hudson.

1:07:35 >> Coxson would miss that, too.

1:07:37 >> Yeah, that was a unique slide from

1:07:41 Acuff as Skol will take the ball for a

1:07:43 sprint.

1:07:45 And

1:07:47 still nursing that injury will

1:07:51 give way to Mark Smith for the second

1:07:53 time tonight.

1:07:55 >> Skol has decent speed, though.

1:07:58 >> Very good speed.

1:08:00 But, when you got a guy that can swing

1:08:01 it like that, you got to keep him as

1:08:03 healthy as possible.

1:08:04 >> Of course.

1:08:09 >> So, the designated runner used once

1:08:10 again

1:08:12 for the Party Animals. And now, Mikey

1:08:13 Ballard.

1:08:14 >> Both times it's been for Skol.

1:08:17 >> That's a fact.

1:08:22 Ballard hitting .333 here in his first

1:08:25 year in Banana Land.

1:08:32 And behind one and two here.

1:08:36 >> Good pitching magic today.

1:08:38 >> Just about as good as they come.

1:08:40 >> Salerno has started off slowly this

1:08:42 year, but he's dealing today so far.

1:08:44 >> Cox, oh my goodness. That's his second

1:08:47 trick play missed of the ball game.

1:08:49 And Mark Smith will go first to third.

1:08:51 >> The glove magician usually does not do

1:08:53 that. It's

1:08:54 weird to see that.

1:08:55 >> Yeah, that one clearly just slipped out

1:08:57 of his hand. That was

1:09:00 >> Yeah, not very close at all.

1:09:01 >> I mean, for Banana Ball's all-time

1:09:03 leader in trick plays, I think that's

1:09:04 the worst throw I've seen from Ryan Cox

1:09:07 in five World Tours for him.

1:09:08 >> Maybe probably the worst of his career

1:09:10 that I have seen.

1:09:11 >> I think so.

1:09:12 >> He'll bounce back, don't worry.

1:09:14 >> Well, Austin T Ferry is going to try and

1:09:16 pick him up. The inning

1:09:18 extends. Runners on the corners, and

1:09:20 Jason Swan, who struck out his first

1:09:22 time,

1:09:23 with a ball and a strike on him.

1:09:26 >> Swan's having a good year. He started

1:09:28 the day over 350.

1:09:31 >> 351 on the dot.

1:09:35 And that one through the six-hole, Swan

1:09:37 capitalizes on the trick play miss from

1:09:40 Cox.

1:09:41 And it's another unearned run against

1:09:43 Austin T Ferry.

1:09:46 Man, it is so much fun getting to watch

1:09:49 Jason Swan hit with runners in scoring

1:09:51 position. One of the most clutch players

1:09:53 in Banana Ball history.

1:09:55 Oh my goodness. Carter, what do you got

1:09:57 on that run celebration?

1:09:58 >> Interesting run celebration.

1:10:01 Very interesting.

1:10:02 >> To say the least.

1:10:03 >> To say the least.

1:10:06 >> Couldn't have described it any better

1:10:08 myself.

1:10:12 Tanner Thomas is our Dunkin' Donut

1:10:14 batter of the night. If he strikes out,

1:10:16 the full capacity crowd of

1:10:19 40,000 fans on hand here in the Bronx

1:10:22 will get some free donuts hurled in

1:10:24 their general direction.

1:10:26 >> I wonder if the Party Animal fans want

1:10:28 the strikeout.

1:10:31 Come on, give us the donuts.

1:10:32 >> That's an intriguing question.

1:10:37 We'll see what the folks say in the

1:10:39 YouTube chat.

1:10:45 A ball and two strikes

1:10:47 on the Party Animals DH.

1:10:51 Do you folks have a favorite to win the

1:10:53 Banana Ball Championship this week?

1:10:54 >> Well, the Tailgaters already have a spot

1:10:57 in it.

1:10:57 >> Right.

1:10:57 >> So, they they will probably have the

1:10:59 best chance, them and the Bananas. The

1:11:00 Bananas

1:11:02 have only one loss in the regular season

1:11:03 all year, so they're

1:11:05 pretty much a lock to make the open.

1:11:07 >> And Austin Drury, a big part of that. He

1:11:10 gets the strikeout, strands a pair, but

1:11:12 one run comes in. Carter and Cooper, the

1:11:15 legendary twin stripe reporters, thanks

1:11:17 so much for joining us in the booth.

1:11:18 >> much for having us.

1:11:19 >> Appreciate you guys.

1:11:21 >> We'll keep up with your shenanigans on

1:11:23 the social media.

1:11:25 And we will get it down

1:11:27 to the field

1:11:30 for our Bananas Foster

1:11:32 family of the night. Thank you, fellas.

1:11:57 >> Ladies and gentlemen, at this time,

1:11:58 please welcome to the field Keely Lamb.

1:12:03 >> Across the United States, there are over

1:12:05 400,000 children and teens in foster

1:12:08 care without a permanent home. Look

1:12:10 around. That's enough to fill Yankee

1:12:12 Stadium eight times with the number of

1:12:14 children currently experiencing care. To

1:12:17 raise awareness and support this

1:12:18 community, we created Bananas Foster,

1:12:21 the official nonprofit of Banana Ball.

1:12:23 Our organization is dedicated to

1:12:25 celebrating those in the foster care

1:12:27 community while educating and inspiring

1:12:29 others to get involved. Tonight, we are

1:12:32 celebrating the Chamberlain family. Five

1:12:35 years ago, John and Kim learned of the

1:12:38 need for foster parents in their

1:12:39 community, so they became a licensed

1:12:42 foster family alongside their two

1:12:44 biological sons. They welcome every

1:12:47 child into their home with love and care

1:12:49 and have inspired other parents to get

1:12:52 licensed. In New York, there are over

1:12:54 9,000 children experiencing care, and

1:12:57 this family does everything to support

1:12:59 as many as they can. Fans, please join

1:13:03 us in celebrating this amazing family

1:13:05 for making a difference right here in

1:13:07 your community.

1:13:23 >> Another massive shout-out

1:13:26 to John and Kim Chamberlain, superheroes

1:13:29 in the foster care community

1:13:32 here in the New York City area.

1:14:28 Hello, YouTube. It is just us. As the

1:14:31 Banana Band blasts away, we'll welcome

1:14:33 in the ESPN and Disney Plus folks in

1:14:36 about half a minute.

1:14:38 This is just us time.

1:14:41 Hi, YouTube.

1:14:43 You guys like those twin stripe

1:14:45 reporters? Cuz they remind me of a

1:14:47 little Biko Stella back in the day.

1:14:49 >> I see it.

1:14:50 I very much see it.

1:14:53 Uh,

1:14:54 they're awesome.

1:15:06 >> To the bottom of the third we go.

1:15:08 Garrett Delano has been perfect through

1:15:11 two innings. He struck out the side in

1:15:12 the first, and then induced a flurry of

1:15:15 four trick plays in the second inning.

1:15:17 Party Animals lead this game one point

1:15:19 to nothing.

1:15:21 And lead the inning one run to nil.

1:15:23 >> I mean, you can't hate anything that

1:15:25 he's done so far tonight considering a

1:15:27 strikeout of the side in the first, and

1:15:29 then his second inning results in four

1:15:31 trick plays for the Party Animals. So,

1:15:33 right now they're in line to earn that

1:15:35 equalizer point tonight. And Delano now

1:15:38 battles against Robert Anthony Cruz to

1:15:40 start the bottom half of the third, and

1:15:43 he will miss inside to Rack.

1:15:47 >> 7-8-9 in the order here for the Bananas.

1:15:51 Rack in his third world tour.

1:15:53 Coming off two home runs across his

1:15:55 three games in the Banana Ball Open, AND

1:15:57 THAT BALL LAUNCHED DEEP OUT TO RIGHT.

1:16:00 It's a Cruz missile into the seats.

1:16:04 And we're tied already here in the

1:16:06 third.

1:16:12 >> The trend continues for Robert Anthony

1:16:15 Cruz. Clutch home runs have been the

1:16:18 point of his season.

1:16:21 Started the open with a home run against

1:16:23 Nick Wilson. Has game-tying home runs

1:16:26 off of Reese Miller in Chapel Hill in

1:16:29 the Banana Ball Open, and now comes away

1:16:32 with an inning-tying blast for the

1:16:35 Savannah Bananas here in the third.

1:16:43 >> Of course, acrobatics. the finishing

1:16:46 touch for a guy who guy

1:16:49 who grew up a child gymnast.

1:16:52 Then took his talents to the Washington

1:16:54 Nationals. Just perfect for Banana Ball.

1:16:56 >> And that's the first swing he got to

1:16:58 take in Yankee Stadium. Considering last

1:17:01 year in late or in mid-September, I

1:17:03 should say, Cruzen not able to play in

1:17:06 that series due to fracturing his wrist

1:17:08 in Petco Park. Had to just watch the

1:17:10 rest of his teammates battle it out

1:17:12 against the Fire Fighters. And now

1:17:14 Cruzen impact player early tonight as

1:17:17 Hozley skies this in the infield. And

1:17:20 Swanny will catch that for the first

1:17:22 out.

1:17:23 >> And Faber apoplectic that there wasn't a

1:17:26 tip headed his his direction.

1:17:33 And how about Robert Anthony Cruzen?

1:17:37 He has come alive.

1:17:40 It was his second regular season home

1:17:41 run, his fourth home run across the last

1:17:44 six games when you include the open.

1:17:46 >> Took the words right out of my mouth.

1:17:48 It's beautiful when you do that.

1:17:50 >> Curveball misses low, count even at one

1:17:53 and one on Ty Jackson.

1:17:57 Here in his third tour with the Nanners,

1:17:59 fifth year as a Savannah Banana,

1:18:01 two-time Coastal Plain League champ back

1:18:03 in the college summer ball days, 2021

1:18:05 and 2022.

1:18:12 And doing what Ty does, hitting .292,

1:18:15 reaching base at a .393 clip. Tries to

1:18:18 hold up.

1:18:20 Hits it Chapman said Jackson went

1:18:21 around.

1:18:32 And goes down swinging. Cutter right

1:18:34 down the chute.

1:18:36 Delino's fourth K.

1:18:39 How nice to see Delano rebounding from

1:18:41 surrendering yet another home run.

1:18:44 This season just challenging Jackson

1:18:47 up in the zone coming away with his

1:18:49 fourth punch out.

1:18:51 And we mentioned this home run ball has

1:18:54 been a big issue for Garrett Delano in

1:18:56 2026.

1:18:58 Now six surrendered this season, the

1:19:00 most of any pitcher in Banana Ball.

1:19:04 Video game numbers for Ryan Cox hiding

1:19:06 in the 10 hole of this Bananas lineup.

1:19:08 And there's that one just misses a hair

1:19:10 low.

1:19:25 The one-two pitch coming.

1:19:28 And it's a squibber foul.

1:19:31 Cox hitting 400.

1:19:33 He's got a 515 on-base percentage. You

1:19:35 would think those

1:19:37 numbers would be leading the team, but

1:19:38 DR Meadows top on the tour in both

1:19:41 departments.

1:19:42 Cox one of three Savannah Bananas

1:19:45 batting 400 or better entering tonight's

1:19:47 play with Meadows and Kyle Jackson.

1:19:53 Always a grinder at the dish.

1:19:56 He's never had a tour with more

1:19:58 strikeouts than sprints.

1:20:00 It's been no different here in his fifth

1:20:03 world tour. So far, seven sprints to

1:20:05 five Ks.

1:20:08 Four of those strikeouts looking.

1:20:13 And that one just misses down and out.

1:20:16 Delano barking at Chapman. Cox pumps the

1:20:18 brakes

1:20:20 after rounding first. Good sprint

1:20:22 defense by the Party Animals. And there

1:20:23 was a lot of frustration in the body

1:20:25 language of Andy Cosgrove behind the

1:20:27 plate hanging his head rather low

1:20:29 expecting that call from Vincent

1:20:30 Chapman.

1:20:35 Take a look at the Bananas since 2023

1:20:38 with DR Meadows at the top of the lineup

1:20:40 compared to without, it is a vast

1:20:42 difference.

1:20:43 >> Yeah, you see a 636 winning percentage

1:20:45 with Meadows in the lead-off spot.

1:20:48 >> A 488 winning percentage without Meadows

1:20:51 and you see the Bananas already down in

1:20:53 tonight's contest, but trying to turn

1:20:56 things around with Dan Obers, the guy at

1:20:58 the top of the order back

1:21:00 >> up for a second time.

1:21:03 Bryce Grazaffi, the Bananas designated

1:21:05 runner, has taken over for Cox at first.

1:21:08 Delaney was really frustrated with the

1:21:10 ball called to start this battle against

1:21:12 Obers, who he struck out

1:21:14 first time around.

1:21:16 And

1:21:18 a cute ball to Baber quickly between the

1:21:20 legs.

1:21:21 Fifth trick play on the ball game for

1:21:23 the Party Animals. The solo home run

1:21:25 from Robert Anthony Cruz denies the

1:21:28 Animals their second point. But Delano

1:21:31 escapes still with that one nothing

1:21:32 lead.

1:21:43 >> Love here in Banana Land and we love to

1:21:45 see couples that work together. So, we

1:21:48 are going to have an example of that

1:21:50 right here tonight in Yankee Stadium.

1:21:52 I've got Eric, James, Will and Zach here

1:21:54 and here's what's going to happen. When

1:21:55 I say go, they are going to sprint out

1:21:57 of center field. Their wives are waiting

1:22:00 for them over behind second base. They

1:22:02 are going to have to scoop these ladies

1:22:04 up on their backs and make it all the

1:22:06 way home. This one is called Baby Got

1:22:10 Back.

1:22:11 >> All right, gentlemen, get ready. On your

1:22:13 marks, GET SET, GO!

1:22:17 THEY'RE OFF.

1:22:19 OH, and Will's got legs, man. He's got

1:22:21 wheels.

1:22:23 Here they go.

1:22:24 The ladies are waiting for it, rooting

1:22:26 them on.

1:22:29 Scoop those girls up.

1:22:32 There they go.

1:22:34 Will is in the lead. He's going right

1:22:36 over the mound.

1:22:38 Coasting all the way.

1:22:42 By a mile. Give it up for Will and his

1:22:44 wife, WINNERS OF BABY GOT BACK.

1:23:07 We bring you Banana Ball live from

1:23:09 Yankee Stadium. Savannah Bananas against

1:23:12 the Party Animals.

1:23:13 And

1:23:15 the cathedral in the Bronx

1:23:17 opened with the World Series

1:23:19 Championship in 2009.

1:23:22 Monument Park, those 22 retired numbers

1:23:24 representing 23 players, most

1:23:28 in the bigs.

1:23:30 Andy Cosgrove

1:23:32 coming out to a little Lana Del Rey.

1:23:34 What we got, Andy?

1:24:35 >> So, you know that that walk up Mount

1:24:37 Rushmore, we we might need to make an

1:24:39 addendum. It's just we just can't limit

1:24:41 it to four. We just need like an S tier

1:24:43 is the problem. We cannot pick four

1:24:45 people in Banana Ball history to be the

1:24:47 crème de la crème. I can't do a Mount

1:24:49 Rushmore.

1:24:50 I can't do it. Awooga.

1:24:54 That ball barreled UP DEEP OUT TO LEFT

1:24:57 CENTER AND A BACKFLIP CATCH! ROBERT

1:25:00 ANTHONY Cruz on a screamer OFF THE BAT

1:25:03 OF COSGROVE.

1:25:06 WELL, now each of the last two rack

1:25:07 flips we've seen from Cruz have been

1:25:10 awfully impressive. He was off balance a

1:25:13 weekend ago in that Tour Open and this

1:25:16 one is as as is coming as he's gliding

1:25:19 out to deep left center field. CRUZ

1:25:22 FIRED UP AND SO IS SPLIT who is

1:25:26 masquerading as Spider-Man {slash} Peter

1:25:29 Parker in the outfield.

1:25:31 You see that fist pump from Split? Made

1:25:34 his way over from Queens.

1:25:38 This is bonkers.

1:25:40 Oh, what a pan from our camera there,

1:25:42 too.

1:25:45 I love how Split is rocking the

1:25:46 Spider-Man mask.

1:25:48 Noah Fisher infield single his first

1:25:50 time a perfect swinging bunt down the

1:25:52 third base line.

1:25:56 After his specialty walk up

1:25:58 to open up his night of 3-1 count now

1:26:00 against Drury.

1:26:03 And a fastball right down Broadway to

1:26:05 run the count full.

1:26:13 Chopper to KJ between the legs.

1:26:15 Behind-the-back Alex Ziegler.

1:26:18 Double trick play from the Nanners

1:26:19 corner infielders. And the Nanners back

1:26:22 out in front in this trick play race.

1:26:25 That's the effect of the designated

1:26:27 fielder in full effect. Ziggy making

1:26:30 those look easy at first base.

1:26:35 The lights are going out.

1:26:38 The heck is happening here in Yankee

1:26:39 Stadium?

1:26:42 >> Still I music,

1:26:46 come

1:26:47 to

1:26:47 me,

1:26:48 angel of music.

1:27:03 Sing once I can with me.

1:27:08 A strange duet,

1:27:12 my power

1:27:14 over you

1:27:16 grows stronger yet.

1:27:20 And though you turn from me to glance

1:27:25 behind

1:27:29 the phantom

1:27:32 of the opera is there

1:27:36 inside your mind.

1:27:42 >> Now coming to pitch, the phantom of the

1:27:46 opera.

1:27:54 And who might that phantom of the opera

1:27:57 be?

1:27:57 >> Dugout.

1:27:58 >> I've got a pretty good idea. I'm sure

1:28:01 everybody watching at home does as well.

1:28:06 I think we can spoil it. Yeah, there it

1:28:07 is. The graphic did it for us. Derek

1:28:09 Jeter. We'll get him next time.

1:28:12 Guy who started

1:28:13 his college baseball career at UCLA

1:28:16 realized that musical theater was his

1:28:18 future, has spent the last 14 years on

1:28:20 Broadway, and has resumed his baseball

1:28:23 career here in Banana Land. And the

1:28:25 coolest thing is when we got to speak to

1:28:27 Derek Clena as he was coming into Banana

1:28:29 Ball, we asked him what the dream

1:28:31 scenario was for him in his rookie

1:28:34 Banana Ball campaign. What is that one

1:28:36 entrance that he wants to have in 2026?

1:28:39 He pointed directly to Phantom of the

1:28:41 Opera here in Yankee Stadium, and now it

1:28:44 comes to life for the Bananas Broadway

1:28:47 superstar.

1:28:48 >> He's got Bryson Bloomer.

1:28:50 A clean frame

1:28:52 taken over from Austin Drury, who goes

1:28:55 three and two-thirds, two unearned runs

1:28:57 against him, and four strikeouts.

1:29:02 And then a one-two count on the Bloomer,

1:29:04 who was plunked by Drury

1:29:06 back in the second inning.

1:29:08 >> What a battle!

1:29:09 Split and Farty going at it.

1:29:12 Spider-Man and Doc Ock Doc

1:29:16 Doc Ock? What is that guy?

1:29:18 Doc Ock? Doc Ock? There it

1:29:20 >> There you go.

1:29:21 >> Spider-Man 2, Brock, come on.

1:29:23 >> I've seen it. It was a long time ago.

1:29:28 >> SWING AND A MISS! DEREK CLENA AS THE

1:29:31 PHANTOM OF THE OPERA HAS HIS FIRST

1:29:33 CAREER BANANA BALL STRIKEOUT.

1:29:38 AND YOU GET THE BOW AS WELL FROM DEREK

1:29:41 CLENA!

1:29:42 A BIG OVATION FROM ALL OF HIS TEAMMATES

1:29:45 AS WELL, RALLYING BEHIND BIG D.

1:29:50 ANOTHER LOOK AT THE K FROM Clena

1:29:53 as we go to the bottom of the fourth

1:29:55 inning, tied at one.

1:30:05 >> Because it is now time to get the

1:30:07 biggest hey baby in the city right now.

1:30:10 So, I need everyone to get your hands UP

1:30:11 IN THE AIR. ALL THE WAY UP in the air.

1:30:14 GET THEM UP. HERE WE GO, SHARK.

1:30:17 PUMP THOSE HANDS.

1:30:23 YOU GUYS LOOK GOOD.

1:30:28 NOW, get those arms waving. Here we go.

1:30:43 Keep it going.

1:30:57 Keep it clapping.

1:30:58 Now, we shuffle.

1:31:04 You guys look good.

1:31:12 Now, let me hear you sing it.

1:31:25 Keep it going. ONE MORE TIME.

1:31:39 You guys are amazing. Give yourselves A

1:31:41 ROUND OF APPLAUSE.

1:32:00 >> To the home half of the fourth we go

1:32:02 here in Yankee Stadium.

1:32:06 The Party Animals lead this one point to

1:32:08 nothing.

1:32:10 And it's been quite a scene.

1:32:13 With over 40,000 fans hey baby in.

1:32:16 Costumes galore down there on the field.

1:32:19 >> Yeah, safe to say the stars have all

1:32:21 come out tonight. Peter Parker, Doc Oc,

1:32:24 and Derek Clena, and Robert Anthony Cruz

1:32:26 specifically for the Savannah Bananas

1:32:28 when you consider that first strike out

1:32:30 that Clena just earned and the home run

1:32:33 from Rack in the third inning.

1:32:35 >> Mighty part of the Nanners lineup here.

1:32:39 Trying to tie this game up. Alexi Otis,

1:32:40 Young Goldberg, and KJ two through four.

1:32:45 That is a big swing and a miss.

1:32:49 Both strikes here in this battle have

1:32:51 come with right on right changeups from

1:32:54 Delano.

1:32:56 And as this one lofted into the second

1:32:58 deck, not going to be

1:33:02 Alexi Otis struck out looking.

1:33:04 Fastball at the knees on a 3-2 pitch his

1:33:07 first time.

1:33:10 Tries to hold up. Did he go? Seth

1:33:12 Markham says he was able to hold up.

1:33:17 Party Animals cannot believe it.

1:33:21 I understand why.

1:33:23 We don't have the best angle up here in

1:33:25 the

1:33:26 visiting TV booth in Yankee Stadium.

1:33:29 I would have waved heard that Super

1:33:30 Reese went around. Instead, he spins

1:33:32 this one to short. Akuff.

1:33:36 Wow, he's able to survive

1:33:39 a bobble on the between the legs

1:33:41 transfer. We'll see if the Bananas

1:33:42 challenge. That's another one from the

1:33:44 naked eye. Looked like Alexi Otis beat

1:33:45 it.

1:33:51 Bang bang at first. Get another couple

1:33:53 looks here.

1:33:57 Seth Markham, the leaping out call.

1:34:02 Super East, one of the faster guys in

1:34:04 the sport.

1:34:05 A Cuff this year, a perfect

1:34:08 21 for 21 on his trick plays. That

1:34:10 includes his trick play so far tonight.

1:34:14 Oh boy.

1:34:18 You need clear evidence that the call on

1:34:20 the field was incorrect.

1:34:26 As soon as the ball is in the glove of

1:34:28 Jason Swan, that's what matters. It

1:34:30 doesn't have to touch the back of the

1:34:32 webbing. It just has to be nestled in

1:34:34 that glove.

1:34:36 And you need clear evidence to overturn

1:34:37 the call on the field. I'm not seeing

1:34:39 that yet. Neither am I.

1:34:45 >> I I have a very hard time believing that

1:34:48 there's any kind of evidence conclusive

1:34:50 enough to lead you to overturn this

1:34:53 call.

1:34:53 >> I agree. No matter what the call was on

1:34:55 the field here, I would have it stand.

1:34:58 >> So now assuming assuming that this call

1:35:01 is going to stand on the field of play,

1:35:04 the out is recorded but no trick play

1:35:06 credited there to Chase A Cuff as he

1:35:08 struggled with that between the legs

1:35:10 transition. Did not fully do that

1:35:13 transition.

1:35:14 So it is still six to five in terms of

1:35:17 trick plays as we await the call on the

1:35:19 field.

1:35:20 >> Yeah, umpires agree with us in the

1:35:22 booth.

1:35:23 Call on the field stands.

1:35:32 No harm, no foul.

1:35:35 For A Cuff.

1:35:37 Max Young Goldberg, what do you have for

1:35:39 us?

1:35:57 >> Little boogie action with Macio and Noah

1:35:59 Isnip.

1:36:07 MJG down swinging his first time.

1:36:11 Takes the cutter in there for strike

1:36:13 one. It's part of a five-pitch mix from

1:36:15 Delano. High 80s, low 90s with the

1:36:17 fastball.

1:36:18 Four-seam, two-seam, cutter you just saw

1:36:20 again.

1:36:22 And then the curveball and changeup.

1:36:29 Beautiful changeup right there. Perfect

1:36:31 timing.

1:36:35 Swing and a miss. Yes, Cosgrove between

1:36:39 the legs down to first.

1:36:42 Trick play for Andy.

1:36:44 And strikeout number five tonight for

1:36:46 Delano.

1:36:49 >> And see that's very smart play from Andy

1:36:52 Cosgrove. Any pitch in the dirt that

1:36:55 results in a strikeout is fair game for

1:36:57 the catchers, especially once those base

1:37:00 runners are trying to move and reach

1:37:02 base safely. Cosgrove can then feel free

1:37:05 to transition between the legs. You saw

1:37:07 Tash Porter do that twice in the open.

1:37:10 Now Cosgrove does it to pull the Party

1:37:12 Animals even in this trick play battle.

1:37:17 >> Kyle Jackson a foul home run his first

1:37:19 time ended up flying into the double

1:37:22 trick play Hampton and Ake.

1:37:24 Center fielder to shortstop.

1:37:26 And ropes this one into right.

1:37:29 A two-out single for KJ.

1:37:37 The Nanners leader

1:37:40 with his eight extra base hits. Same go

1:37:43 for his 12 runs scored and driven in.

1:37:47 It's been an MVP caliber

1:37:49 start to his second full tour for Kyle

1:37:51 Jackson.

1:37:52 Now Bill LeRoy swings it with KJ the

1:37:54 inning winning run aboard.

1:37:56 >> This is the guy who's currently on an

1:37:58 MVP-like streak for the Savannah

1:38:00 Bananas.

1:38:01 Bill with a .474 batting average

1:38:06 since playing in San Diego, since the

1:38:09 Bananas have left in San Diego. .474

1:38:12 average for Bill, a double, a home run,

1:38:14 and nine runs batted in for the Savannah

1:38:16 Bananas. That is across the last four

1:38:19 games.

1:38:20 >> For anybody keeping track at home, nine

1:38:22 runs seven in.

1:38:24 >> Oh, since leaving for San Diego. For San

1:38:27 Diego.

1:38:28 >> Sorry. Okay, okay. That changes things.

1:38:31 KJ is in a pickle. UH-OH, BAMER KICKED

1:38:34 THE BALL THOUGH.

1:38:35 And Kyle Jackson will survive.

1:38:39 Okay, so since leaving New Orleans for

1:38:41 San Diego.

1:38:42 >> There you go.

1:38:42 >> That's that's where we are.

1:38:44 Nine runs driven in across six games,

1:38:46 that's that's pretty darn sturdy as

1:38:48 well.

1:38:55 Bill flew out to Fisher in left his

1:38:57 first time. Drives this one deep out to

1:38:59 left center. Hampton in pursuit. Makes

1:39:03 the inning saving catch.

1:39:05 THAT'S WHY THEY CALL him Reese

1:39:07 Lightning. Party Animals still lead one

1:39:09 nothing through four.

1:39:11 >> 80-GRADE DEFENDER, THAT'S WHAT REESE

1:39:13 HAMPTON WAS KNOWN for coming INTO HIS

1:39:15 BANANA BALL CAREER, and we are still

1:39:19 still

1:39:21 nodded here tonight.

1:39:24 >> Let's learn a little bit more about why

1:39:26 this is so special tonight for Frankie

1:39:28 Muscattello.

1:39:32 >> On the north shore of Long Island, 75

1:39:34 miles east of the Bronx, is Rocky Point.

1:39:37 And this house is where Bananas rookie

1:39:39 Frankie Muscattello grew up.

1:39:45 >> My mom and her friend made these

1:39:48 when I got drafted.

1:39:49 >> It's also where Frankie was when he got

1:39:51 a call from Savannah in November.

1:39:53 >> I saw FaceTime from Bryce Stober. I

1:39:56 picked up and they were like, "Let's

1:39:57 go!"

1:39:58 When it all changed.

1:39:59 >> It's been a nice start to his rookie

1:40:02 campaign.

1:40:02 >> And now, the chance to achieve a

1:40:04 lifelong dream to pitch at Yankee

1:40:07 Stadium.

1:40:08 >> I can't even put it into words. I think

1:40:10 I'm more excited for my family.

1:40:11 >> A dream come true. Very emotional. I

1:40:13 don't know how I'm going to act when I

1:40:14 see him. I just can't imagine his

1:40:16 feelings as far as being in Yankee

1:40:18 Stadium where he always wanted to be.

1:40:20 The whole family's coming. I have 100

1:40:22 people going. I rented a bus.

1:40:24 >> Pinstripe pride runs deep for this

1:40:26 family.

1:40:26 >> Mariano Rivera, I modeled a lot of my

1:40:29 pitching after him.

1:40:30 >> His pitching journey began as a starter

1:40:33 on this mound at Rocky Point High

1:40:35 School.

1:40:36 >> He was always one of the shortest.

1:40:37 >> You know, I got told after games, "Hey,

1:40:39 if you were 6'1", we'd sign you right

1:40:41 now." And it made me work as hard as I

1:40:43 could in the gym, on the field,

1:40:45 everything.

1:40:45 >> Then he started throwing 95. He hit 98,

1:40:48 99. Proof is in the pudding, you know.

1:40:50 >> Proof in the pudding. Banana pudding

1:40:52 these days.

1:40:53 >> Now he's here. He's a banana guy.

1:41:03 >> And now Gazoo gets to pitch in the

1:41:06 middle

1:41:07 of Yankee Stadium. You take a look at

1:41:10 his numbers here in his first Banana

1:41:12 Ball World Tour. 1.93 ERA across four

1:41:16 and two-third innings. Nothing to scoff

1:41:17 at.

1:41:18 >> Well, this is the first guy I saw

1:41:19 getting off the bus this morning at

1:41:21 Yankee Stadium. And Muscato was wearing

1:41:24 his Yankees jacket as he was set to

1:41:26 enter the ballpark. This is sixth time

1:41:29 on the mound this year, but certainly

1:41:30 the most special in his playing career

1:41:33 as he was playing eight years of

1:41:36 independent ball before joining the

1:41:38 Savannah Bananas and now it has all led

1:41:41 him to pitch here in Yankee Stadium as a

1:41:43 native of Rocky Point, New York.

1:41:47 >> And went to school about 20 minutes up

1:41:49 the road. Saint Thomas Aquinas College

1:41:52 in Sparkill.

1:41:54 A D2 warrior.

1:41:58 2023 Frontier League pitcher of the

1:42:00 year.

1:42:02 And he was up in Quebec.

1:42:04 And he's got Weber in the 10 hole and

1:42:07 Hampton in eight cup at the top. And

1:42:11 Weber his second trip to the dish.

1:42:13 Tonight, normally it's his

1:42:15 third plate appearance you get the beer

1:42:16 check.

1:42:18 Nice to have it a little early here.

1:42:21 In the Bronx.

1:42:27 Weber the pride of Babson Park, Florida.

1:42:29 And as we've talked about tonight, grew

1:42:31 up a die-hard New York Yankees fan.

1:42:36 And he skies this one right side. Alex

1:42:39 Ziegler

1:42:41 BEHIND THE BACK. COOL AS A CUCUMBER.

1:42:45 Ziggy with the trick play to open up the

1:42:47 fifth.

1:42:48 >> And that's the mindset that every Banana

1:42:50 Baller should take as far as foul pops

1:42:53 in foul territory. You just got to try

1:42:56 and see if you can come away with the

1:42:58 trick play. And Alex Ziegler, one of the

1:43:00 best. Hence why he's the Bananas

1:43:02 designated fielder tonight playing at

1:43:04 first base. He's willing to risk it. If

1:43:06 he doesn't come away with the catch,

1:43:08 Weber just stays in the box. Franky

1:43:10 continues to attack him. Instead, things

1:43:13 work out for the Naners and Moscatello

1:43:15 off to a quick start.

1:43:18 >> To the top of the order we go. Reese

1:43:19 Hampton turns around to hit

1:43:22 from the left side for the first time

1:43:23 tonight.

1:43:25 Reached on a trick play, scored the

1:43:26 inning-winning run back in the first.

1:43:28 That is the difference in this ball

1:43:30 game.

1:43:31 To this point.

1:43:33 And he was plunked back in the third

1:43:34 inning.

1:43:37 That ball blasted

1:43:39 deep out to right center AND LOOK OUT.

1:43:42 OH MY GOODNESS. Miscommunication between

1:43:44 Alexiades and Hawsley throw to second,

1:43:47 not in time. Good hustle by Hampton to

1:43:50 get two bases on the trick play missed

1:43:52 from Super Reese.

1:43:55 >> Yeah, it's Hawsley and Alexiades coming

1:43:57 together. No clear call made as Super

1:43:59 Reese had his eyes on another trick play

1:44:02 in this ballgame.

1:44:03 Instead, it's the third missed trick

1:44:05 play of the night for the Savannah

1:44:07 Bananas. And the previous two tonight

1:44:09 have led to run scoring for the Animals

1:44:11 as Hampton takes off. The throw from

1:44:14 LeRoy will get away from KJ and Hampton

1:44:18 will score for the Party Animals.

1:44:21 >> Well, uncharacteristic

1:44:23 sloppy defense by the Bananas. That's

1:44:26 Bill LeRoy, the captain, nine-year

1:44:27 Nanner, his first error of the season.

1:44:31 As you get another look, throw off line,

1:44:33 KJ

1:44:34 couldn't snag it. It's the Bananas team

1:44:36 only five errors coming into the game

1:44:40 across their 11 contests so far. That

1:44:44 is the lowest mark

1:44:46 in the Banana Ball Championship League.

1:44:50 As this one yanked to KJ. He will grab

1:44:53 the trick play, whipping it between the

1:44:55 legs, taking care of Chase Eaker.

1:44:58 And getting a second out for Frankie

1:45:00 Moscatello. But back to your point,

1:45:02 Josh. Three runs for the Party Animals

1:45:04 tonight, all of them unearned. And all

1:45:06 three guys who have reached on a trick

1:45:08 play missed have scored.

1:45:10 >> And you saw again a miscommunication

1:45:12 between Alexiades and Hawsley, but the

1:45:14 two on Ryan Cox, errant throws from the

1:45:17 glove magician. You just wonder if the

1:45:20 cold conditions here in Yankee Stadium

1:45:22 not exactly giving him the best feel of

1:45:25 that banana ball as he's throwing it

1:45:26 from short. The Bananas have not played

1:45:29 in weather this cool since spring

1:45:31 training. Everywhere they've been

1:45:33 otherwise, they've had pristine weather.

1:45:35 >> Yeah, it's down to 53° tonight. You can

1:45:38 see a lot of the guys bundled up.

1:45:45 Feels tropical to a New Yorker

1:45:47 like myself, but I get why so many of

1:45:50 our southern cats here are frigid

1:45:52 tonight.

1:45:56 Big swing and a miss on the tight

1:45:58 curveball from Moscatello.

1:46:00 2-2 here on Jake Skull.

1:46:07 These guys old foes go back to their

1:46:09 battles

1:46:10 in the Atlantic League when Moscatello

1:46:12 was on the Long Island Ducks.

1:46:15 Skull on the Gastonia Honey Hunters.

1:46:19 Summers of 2021 and 2022. And as this

1:46:22 one

1:46:25 a cloud scraper behind the dish, Leroy

1:46:27 will put it away

1:46:29 and give the fans an extra treat.

1:46:31 Frankie Moscatello tips his cap

1:46:34 to section 224

1:46:36 and all of his family he's got from

1:46:38 Rocky Point up in the second deck. He

1:46:41 only allows an unearned run

1:46:44 here in the fifth.

1:46:55 >> Well, New York City, love is in the air

1:46:58 and we've got two young, well, not so

1:47:00 young bachelors because they were born

1:47:02 in the '80s, but so is the woman they're

1:47:04 looking to impress. I'm standing by with

1:47:07 Mary and we've got Justin and Graham and

1:47:13 Justin and Graham are going to strut

1:47:14 their stuff, their best '80s dance moves

1:47:18 to impress Mary with a game we like to

1:47:20 call '80s for the ladies and New York

1:47:24 City you are going to help Mary make her

1:47:26 decision. Justin, the floor is yours.

1:47:38 Okay, little thriller dance.

1:47:42 Little moonwalk.

1:47:52 Okay, all right.

1:47:55 Well done, Justin. Graham, let's see

1:47:59 what you got.

1:48:04 Oh, there goes the sunglasses.

1:48:07 The rescue dance.

1:48:11 Little MJ kick.

1:48:18 >> Welcome back to Banana Ball live from

1:48:20 the Bronx.

1:48:22 Party animals at the Savannah Bananas

1:48:25 here in Yankee Stadium live on the ESPN

1:48:28 app and Disney Plus.

1:48:30 And Garrett Delano, fantastic

1:48:33 across four frames tonight. Scatters two

1:48:35 hits, the solo home run that evened up

1:48:37 the third inning. Five strike outs,

1:48:39 exactly what Delano needed as he hands

1:48:41 the ball off to Shawn Fluke.

1:48:42 >> Delano in line for a win and now Shawn

1:48:44 Fluke takes the mound working awfully

1:48:46 quick this season, averaging three outs

1:48:48 in 3 minutes and 33 seconds. He's got a

1:48:51 131 MPI plus, meaning he is 31% faster

1:48:56 than the tour average arm here in 2026.

1:49:00 And not only that, 55 and a half percent

1:49:03 of the outs that Shawn Fluke has

1:49:04 collected have induced a trick play,

1:49:07 which is the best mark among qualified

1:49:09 Party Animals pitchers. So, a lot of

1:49:12 things to like about Fluke taking the

1:49:14 mound in relief of Triple 7.

1:49:16 >> Jackson Olson can't the strike call to

1:49:19 open up his second plate appearance.

1:49:22 Don't need to be a professional lip

1:49:24 reader to

1:49:25 see his reaction there.

1:49:27 It's Olson, Cruz, and Hasley

1:49:30 here in the last of the fifth.

1:49:32 Quick 0-2 count.

1:49:38 And Fluke here in his fifth Banana Ball

1:49:41 World Tour just misses that outside

1:49:42 corner with the fastball.

1:49:45 He can only really rev it up to mid-80s

1:49:47 with the heat.

1:49:49 But, he lives

1:49:51 on change of speed,

1:49:54 movement.

1:49:56 When he's really at his best, he will

1:49:57 pound lefties with cutters in.

1:50:01 And as he gets soft contact, sliding

1:50:03 stop, Jason Swan between the legs just

1:50:05 in time over to Fluke.

1:50:07 Trick play for Swanny.

1:50:09 A baker's dozen on the year for him and

1:50:11 the Party Animals. Just one behind the

1:50:13 Nanners now in trick plays.

1:50:15 >> There's a couple different options for

1:50:16 Jason Swan after the sliding stop. He

1:50:19 opts for between the legs rather than a

1:50:21 bounce pass to Sean Fluke, which

1:50:23 arguably could have been quicker.

1:50:25 Nonetheless, that's a trick play for the

1:50:27 Animals now just one behind the Savannah

1:50:30 Bananas.

1:50:31 And good to see for the Animals first

1:50:34 baseman who might get another

1:50:35 opportunity. No, this one ruled foul by

1:50:38 first base ump Seth Markham.

1:50:45 >> Flukey telling Markham, "I'm pretty sure

1:50:46 that was fair."

1:50:48 We get another look. Tough to tell from

1:50:50 that angle.

1:50:51 >> a guy in Sean Fluke. He's always hunting

1:50:53 trick plays. Of course, he's going to

1:50:55 say something like that.

1:50:58 >> And it looked like he had a groundout on

1:50:59 that one as well if it was a fair ball.

1:51:01 Changeup misses wide, two balls and a

1:51:03 strike.

1:51:05 Rack.

1:51:07 A moon ball in the infield. Fluke, a big

1:51:09 call and called off by Jason Swan.

1:51:12 Flukey saying, I COULD HAVE HAD IT

1:51:13 BEHIND THE BACK SWAN.

1:51:15 HE'S BEEN begging for one of those.

1:51:18 >> He just tossed IT UP TO HIMSELF TO TRY

1:51:21 AND PROVE IT TO HIS TEAMMATES.

1:51:25 Let Fluke cook.

1:51:29 WELL, I'LL TELL YOU WHAT, despite the

1:51:31 struggles we've seen from the Party

1:51:33 Animals in 2026,

1:51:35 Fluke told me he's not all that

1:51:36 concerned about it. He said, "Really, I

1:51:39 don't think much has to change with our

1:51:41 gameplay and the only thing we have to

1:51:42 do is get a lot sturdier when it comes

1:51:44 to our performances in the final inning

1:51:47 of play."

1:51:49 >> Good back and forth between Fluke and

1:51:51 Danny Hasley after that

1:51:54 slider. It was a boomerang in for a

1:51:55 strike.

1:51:57 And then the fastball, it sneaks up on

1:51:59 you. It's one of the slowest fastballs

1:52:01 in the sport, if not the slowest.

1:52:04 But, you follow

1:52:06 breaking balls with the 12-6 curve and

1:52:07 the slider that Hasley has seen in the

1:52:10 60s is Cosgrove had his bell rung. Take

1:52:13 another look. Yeah, that's not

1:52:14 comfortable.

1:52:17 Good stuff. Chapman will give him a

1:52:18 little time to recover and we're back to

1:52:20 the action. A 2-2 pitch.

1:52:23 Tomahawk to third. Between the legs,

1:52:25 Bryson Bloomer, in time.

1:52:28 Sean Fluke, heck of a frame. Retires the

1:52:30 Nanners 1-2-3 and picks up a couple

1:52:33 trick plays, tying us at eight each in

1:52:35 that department.

1:52:36 >> And coming in 3 minutes and 14 seconds,

1:52:40 more quick work for Mr. Undeniable.

1:52:43 >> Let's go back to draft night for Connor

1:52:44 Harris.

1:52:46 >> Each charted course,

1:52:49 each careful step,

1:52:53 along the byway,

1:52:56 and more,

1:52:59 much more than this,

1:53:01 I did it

1:53:03 my

1:53:06 way.

1:53:14 >> Big round of applause for the big man on

1:53:17 the bump. All 6 ft 8 in

1:53:20 of Connor Harris.

1:53:23 Out there in the middle of Yankee

1:53:24 Stadium.

1:53:26 Follows up Frankie Muscattello and that

1:53:28 is back-to-back lifelong die-hard Yankee

1:53:30 fans

1:53:31 with dreams coming true tonight here in

1:53:34 Yankee Stadium.

1:53:37 >> Yeah, and this is a guy who came home

1:53:39 from the hospital when he was born

1:53:41 wearing a Yankee jersey with his dad

1:53:44 calling him "Jeets" after Derek Jeter.

1:53:47 Harris always loved the New York Yankees

1:53:50 and when he got that call that he was

1:53:52 joining the Savannah Bananas, the first

1:53:54 thing that his mother told him was

1:53:56 "You're going to play at Yankee

1:53:57 Stadium." Nothing more special for

1:54:00 Connor Harris. And I know that he is

1:54:03 definitely thrilled about this

1:54:05 opportunity and feeling very confident

1:54:07 at the moment. He's gone back to his

1:54:09 windup and we saw him in the Banana Ball

1:54:11 Open toss three scoreless innings of

1:54:14 relief in game one against the Texas

1:54:16 Tailgaters with three punchouts. And he

1:54:19 averaged three outs in 3 minutes and 33

1:54:21 seconds.

1:54:24 >> Yeah, he had never gone to the windup in

1:54:27 his Banana Ball career going back to his

1:54:29 tenure as a visitor a year ago.

1:54:33 He went back to his dancing injury

1:54:35 before he ever threw a pitch in Banana

1:54:36 Ball.

1:54:38 Just trying to dominate

1:54:40 an intersquad dance competition against

1:54:42 his fellow visitors.

1:54:46 Ended up yanking his hamstring.

1:54:49 That one to the backstop. Bill hustles

1:54:51 after it and Michael Ballard

1:54:53 will not attempt to steal first base.

1:54:57 Couple ground balls to the left side.

1:55:02 First was a fielder's choice and trick

1:55:04 play for KJ. The second

1:55:08 was a trick play miss from Ryan Cox as

1:55:10 this one a mile high

1:55:13 out to right center.

1:55:15 And a tip drill

1:55:17 you bet. Alexiades to Ty Jackson.

1:55:21 And his first defensive opportunity

1:55:24 comes his first batter in the field.

1:55:27 And those two were coming together very

1:55:29 quickly, but you could see that Ty

1:55:31 Jackson was going to give Reese

1:55:32 Alexiades the lead on that banana ball.

1:55:36 As Jackson, as he was ranging over,

1:55:38 immediately took off the cap. Alexiades

1:55:41 can spot that and he knows all he has to

1:55:44 do is initiate that tip and Jackson will

1:55:47 finish it off for a very pivotal double

1:55:49 trick play. And that puts the Bananas

1:55:52 back ahead 10-8 in trick plays.

1:55:55 Reminder on the equalizer point, if the

1:55:57 Party Animals as the away team have more

1:55:59 trick plays than the Bananas going into

1:56:00 our final inning, they claim the point.

1:56:03 Home team cannot get the equalizer.

1:56:05 They're just here to deny it.

1:56:08 How about the dance

1:56:10 from Connor Harris

1:56:12 as the heaters fired wide.

1:56:15 Ball and a strike on Chase Utley

1:56:17 Swanson. Struck out his first time and

1:56:18 then his RBI single in the third inning.

1:56:21 He was able

1:56:24 to cancel out the Robert Anthony Cruz

1:56:27 solo home run in the bottom half as this

1:56:28 one is bounced to Cox between the legs

1:56:31 over to first. SIDNEY, BETWEEN THE LEGS

1:56:33 SCOOP.

1:56:35 AND IT'S BACK-TO-BACK DOUBLE TRICK PLAYS

1:56:37 to open up the sixth. And this is where

1:56:39 the Bananas are certainly trying to put

1:56:42 the pressure on the Party Animals as

1:56:45 they are just spamming the double trick

1:56:48 play button right now. Alexiades and

1:56:51 Jackson for the first out. Now Cox and

1:56:54 Alec Zeigler. Bananas, this is what they

1:56:57 do so well and you don't just see the

1:57:00 same types of double trick plays either.

1:57:03 You get a lot of variety with the

1:57:05 Savannah Bananas as well.

1:57:06 >> They've had three double trick plays

1:57:08 tonight. They have all been different.

1:57:10 Ziggy's been a part of two of them. The

1:57:12 first he went behind the back after a KJ

1:57:14 between the leg transfer. This time he

1:57:16 goes between the legs on a scoop

1:57:19 after the Cox between the leg transfer.

1:57:25 Tanner Thomas

1:57:27 pop out and strike out

1:57:30 so far tonight.

1:57:34 And does not bite on that kick change

1:57:38 from Connor Harris part of a three-pitch

1:57:40 mix fastball low 90s 12-6 curve high

1:57:43 70s.

1:57:45 As this one gets past the dive of

1:57:48 Ziegler

1:57:50 and Tanner joins the party. Big

1:57:52 turnaround first.

1:57:54 Stays right there.

1:58:04 Another look at the single

1:58:06 from the pride of Fleming Island,

1:58:08 Florida.

1:58:11 And the kid out of Kirkland, Washington

1:58:13 digs in.

1:58:15 Cosgrove with a strikeout and flyout so

1:58:17 far tonight.

1:58:19 Giving the fans a chance.

1:58:23 And caught! Yes! CAUGHT ON THE SECOND

1:58:27 DECK! WHAT A SNAG BY THAT YOUNGSTER to

1:58:30 take care of Andy Cosgrove.

1:58:32 >> Last season in two games in Yankee

1:58:35 Stadium WE SAW SIX FOUL BALLS CAUGHT for

1:58:38 outs and now we've got our first of the

1:58:41 night courtesy of the fans in the second

1:58:43 deck behind that first base dugout.

1:58:46 >> And it's the first foul out of the ball

1:58:48 game so it's a DQ shake snag.

1:58:51 That kid who caught the foul ball won

1:58:54 free DQ for his entire row and you guys

1:58:58 can win at home by scanning this QR code

1:59:00 to download the DQ app and earn your own

1:59:03 rewards.

1:59:06 Let's whip it down to the field and

1:59:09 check in with our dear friend Mr. Sam

1:59:11 Bauman.

1:59:12 >> Hey, we got Connor Harris here. Connor,

1:59:14 I know we saw the video your mom talking

1:59:16 about you get to play here, but you told

1:59:18 me earlier today you and your dad would

1:59:20 stand behind home and he'd say, "Connor,

1:59:22 you're going to pitch on that mound one

1:59:23 day." Today

1:59:24 you did, Connor.

1:59:26 >> It's crazy It's crazy to believe and I

1:59:27 hope that me doing that today and

1:59:29 showing that video shows everyone out

1:59:31 there that your dreams coming true is

1:59:34 possible and if you have the right

1:59:36 people around you, family, friends,

1:59:37 coaches who believe in you,

1:59:39 you can make it happen.

1:59:40 >> Connor, a big Yankees fan. What do you

1:59:42 got to say to the fan who helped you get

1:59:43 out of the inning there, too, huh?

1:59:45 >> I mean, Yankees best fans in the world,

1:59:47 baby. Best fans in the world. Thank you

1:59:48 very much.

1:59:49 >> Connor Harris,

1:59:51 expectedly jubilant tonight, guys. Vico,

1:59:53 Josh.

1:59:55 >> Thank you, SB. Awesome to get to hear

1:59:58 from Connor Harris after

2:00:00 the dream come true.

2:00:03 Scoreless, top of the sixth inning with

2:00:06 a dance to boot.

2:00:08 And

2:00:09 how about his own fans picking him up

2:00:11 with a runner aboard and two outs?

2:00:14 Bare-handed snag by that youngster.

2:00:19 What a grab.

2:00:21 And

2:00:23 we got a kid from the other side of the

2:00:25 country, Dalton Ponce out of Fontana,

2:00:27 California. Same hometown of Mr. Robert

2:00:30 Anthony Cruz, Poncey, here in his third

2:00:32 world tour trying to find that All-Star

2:00:35 form again.

2:00:35 >> Yeah, climbing the hill for the seventh

2:00:37 time this season. Ponce has given up a

2:00:40 run in every relief appearance this

2:00:42 season. Not all of them have been earned

2:00:44 for Poncey, nonetheless, run scoring

2:00:47 when he takes the mound. However, he's

2:00:49 leading the Animals with 14 strikeouts

2:00:52 this season, and he's just been hurt by

2:00:54 the long ball a little more than usual

2:00:57 in HIS CAREER.

2:00:58 >> BATTER,

2:01:00 DAKOTA STILTS,

2:01:04 All Bryton.

2:01:05 >> Tyler Gillum seeing Ponts

2:01:08 take over on the bump, goes

2:01:11 to one of his all-time rivals, Dakota

2:01:15 All Bryton, as you can see, 10 ft 9 in

2:01:19 tall, the tallest athlete in the known

2:01:21 universe.

2:01:23 And swings through the fastball. Boy,

2:01:25 the battles that these two guys have

2:01:26 had.

2:01:28 Victories going both ways. And Stilts

2:01:31 WITH A LINE DRIVE OUT TO LEFT CENTER

2:01:33 FIELD, AND HE GETS A KNOCK OFF DALTON

2:01:36 PONTS AGAIN.

2:01:38 ALL BRYTON, HIS FIRST HIT HERE IN HIS

2:01:41 SIXTH BANANA BALL WORLD TOUR.

2:01:45 WELL, one of the more infamous Dakota

2:01:47 Stilts All Bryton knocks came against

2:01:49 Dalton Ponts in Miami, Florida last

2:01:52 season.

2:01:53 Now he's able TO GET ANOTHER KNOCK and

2:01:56 Sam's hopefully going to grab the

2:01:59 tallest man in Banana Ball.

2:02:02 If he can reach him.

2:02:05 >> WAY TO GO,

2:02:06 OH, MAN, THAT'S BEEN LONG OVERDUE. We

2:02:09 ain't had one of those in a while. We've

2:02:10 been needing that.

2:02:12 >> I got him.

2:02:14 >> Attaboy, Sam.

2:02:25 >> All right, TY JACKSON. SWANNY OH, HEY,

2:02:28 SWANNY DEEPED ME.

2:02:33 I thought he wanted nothing to do with

2:02:34 it. Then he started going crazy knees

2:02:37 with Ty.

2:02:41 Love to see that right there.

2:02:43 >> Couple Jacksonville, Florida boys

2:02:45 boogieing in the Bronx.

2:02:46 >> I would have liked to see Stilts do it.

2:02:48 All right.

2:02:51 >> Would have been entertaining.

2:02:54 Oh my goodness, the dancing continues.

2:02:58 >> Nonstop barrage of boogies here in the

2:03:01 sixth inning.

2:03:04 >> Ponts responds to

2:03:08 the Harris

2:03:09 and Ty let dances with little Dan

2:03:12 Steigauf.

2:03:14 Baber and Hampton getting in on the

2:03:16 action behind him and Dalton Ponts, one

2:03:19 of the best strike throwers in

2:03:21 3-2-2 history, does it again.

2:03:31 Two balls and a strike on Ryan Cox. He

2:03:33 worked the ball for a sprint his first

2:03:34 time.

2:03:39 Talk about Ponts still trying to have an

2:03:42 outing this year without allowing a run.

2:03:44 He's had terrible defense behind him. 17

2:03:47 runs allowed this year, only 10 of them

2:03:49 earned.

2:03:50 As he gives up

2:03:52 the second sprint of the night for Cox

2:03:55 and Ty will go first to third.

2:03:57 Party Animals get it to all seven

2:03:59 fielders behind the pitcher and catcher

2:04:00 in short order.

2:04:03 But this is

2:04:05 a bad situation for Dalton Ponts and

2:04:07 company. Bryce Brzezinski takes over for

2:04:09 Cox at first, but he's not the guy who

2:04:11 matters.

2:04:13 Ty Jackson leading off third

2:04:16 represents the inning winning run.

2:04:24 Dan Oberst trying to cut the Party

2:04:26 Animals lead in half. Brzezinski takes

2:04:28 off for second and the Bender fouled

2:04:30 away.

2:04:36 It's It's good time to get Danny Barrels

2:04:38 up to the plate if you're the Bananas, a

2:04:39 guy with .375 batting average with men

2:04:42 in scoring position and six runs batted

2:04:45 in in his last three regular season

2:04:48 contests.

2:04:50 Fastball yanked wide.

2:04:58 And that one dots the outside corner as

2:05:00 Ponce jumps back ahead. Infield in for

2:05:03 the Party Animals.

2:05:05 >> Runners on the corners with nobody out.

2:05:09 >> The one-two.

2:05:10 Fouled away.

2:05:12 It's a firm fastball.

2:05:14 Sits high 80s, low 90s, and then he'll

2:05:16 go sidearm. He's got the two-seam,

2:05:18 changeup, slider, and a 12-6 curveball.

2:05:23 Everything moves.

2:05:29 And Ponce, when he's at his best,

2:05:31 pinpoint control

2:05:33 of everything in his arsenal. That one

2:05:35 just misses to even up the count.

2:05:44 Should win the inning. Hampton's got a

2:05:45 cannon THOUGH OUT IN CENTER. TY CAN

2:05:47 really fly. Throw home offline, and it

2:05:50 is a walk-off sac fly for Dan Oberst.

2:05:55 Bananas cut the Party Animals lead in

2:05:57 half through six innings. It is 2-1.

2:06:01 And Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have

2:06:04 invaded the Key Stadium.

2:06:24 Good to see those

2:06:25 silly guys making their way out of the

2:06:28 sewer

2:06:29 as they celebrate the Bananas' first

2:06:31 inning win of the night. It's 2-1 Party

2:06:34 Animals through six innings.

2:06:42 >> Flashlights,

2:06:43 and everyone we're going TO LIGHT UP THE

2:06:45 SKY HERE AT YANKEE STADIUM, and we're

2:06:48 going TO SING AS LOUD AS WE can a little

2:06:51 yellow. Here we go.

2:07:12 Let me hear you.

2:07:51 Keep it going.

2:08:13 We love you so much Banana Nation. NOW,

2:08:16 LET'S GO BANANAS.

2:08:23 And we love you so.

2:08:25 Friends on YouTube, we're going to have

2:08:27 the rest of the world join us in about

2:08:28 10 seconds, but wanted to make sure I

2:08:30 said that.

2:08:39 Over 40,000 fans here in Yankee Stadium

2:08:42 lighting up this beautiful Friday night

2:08:45 in the Bronx.

2:08:47 And after six innings of action,

2:08:51 it is two to one Party Animals.

2:08:54 Animals trying to snap a five-game

2:08:56 losing streak. The Bananas trying to

2:08:58 keep a six-game winning streak alive.

2:09:03 Impressive dance moves on that

2:09:04 youngster.

2:09:06 And it's Big Al Sattel.

2:09:09 New man out of the Bananas pen.

2:09:12 Banana Ball rookie and a guy who had an

2:09:15 offer to sign with the New York Yankees

2:09:17 out of college, decided to go with the

2:09:19 Mariners.

2:09:21 And

2:09:22 from Mariners farmhand to Banana Ball

2:09:25 rookie.

2:09:25 And he gets to face off against Ashton

2:09:28 Lansdell of the Party Animals to start

2:09:30 this relief outing. Sattel, one of six

2:09:34 Bananas arms with a strikeout to ball

2:09:36 for strikeout ratio at four to one or

2:09:39 better. One of six.

2:09:42 No other Banana Ball team has more than

2:09:44 one guy with a four to one ratio. This

2:09:47 pitching staff

2:09:49 bolstered by Sattel and the rookie class

2:09:53 unbelievably impressive.

2:09:58 Bananas drafted eight pitchers in the

2:10:00 player draft back in November.

2:10:03 Seven of them rookies. Ashton Lansdell

2:10:06 here in her third world tour.

2:10:08 Waiting for a three-out and will take

2:10:10 the

2:10:11 three at least 90 ft. Gets the ball for

2:10:14 sprint.

2:10:15 And content

2:10:18 with just the 90 ft. Good sprint defense

2:10:20 by the Bananas.

2:10:28 So, Lansdell started her career as a

2:10:30 Banana back in 2024. This is her second

2:10:33 season as a Party Animal.

2:10:36 Sets the table for Bryson Bloomer.

2:10:38 Bloomer this first time.

2:10:41 And struck out swinging against Derek

2:10:43 Klena to end the fourth inning.

2:10:51 Bloomer here in tour number four.

2:10:57 And as smart a ball player as you will

2:10:59 find. It's six straight balls here from

2:11:01 Sadoff, who takes a big deep breath on

2:11:02 the bump. How about Bloomer makes him

2:11:04 come at him?

2:11:07 And that is now seven straight bad ones

2:11:10 to start the

2:11:12 outing for the kid out of Ridgely,

2:11:13 Maryland.

2:11:20 That is back-to-back ball four sprints.

2:11:23 Eight straight balls fired by Sadoff.

2:11:25 Lansdell

2:11:27 will hustle into third. Bloomer

2:11:31 stays put at first base.

2:11:35 And this is nothing new for the Party

2:11:37 Animals. Coming into tonight, pacing

2:11:40 this World Tour in ball four sprints.

2:11:42 >> Yeah, this is a very patient group of

2:11:44 hitters and a lot of professionals at

2:11:46 that. It really starts with Jake Scholl

2:11:49 and Reese Haire up in the top of this

2:11:51 order since they joined the Party

2:11:53 Animals in 2023. They have preached to

2:11:55 the guys, be able to battle up there at

2:11:57 the plate and get on base. From there,

2:11:59 you'll be able to set the table for the

2:12:01 rest of your teammates. And speaking of

2:12:04 that, it's Bryson Bloomer who takes off

2:12:07 and swipes second base, the tour leader

2:12:09 in stolen bases from a season ago with

2:12:12 his first in 2026.

2:12:18 >> An excuse me swing. at that

2:12:22 for Dustin Baber.

2:12:25 Who's behind 0-2. Infield in for the

2:12:27 Bananas.

2:12:31 And a good fight there from Babes as he

2:12:33 shoots that into the third deck.

2:12:37 I'll tell you what, that was a heck of a

2:12:38 play by Jackson Olson on the throw down

2:12:40 from LeRoy. That saved a run.

2:12:43 See if Sadoff

2:12:45 can strand the runners in scoring

2:12:46 position. THAT BALL CRANKED INTO LEFT.

2:12:49 OH NO!

2:12:50 ROBERT ANTHONY CRUZ TRIED TO NAIL THE

2:12:52 BACKFLIP CATCH.

2:12:54 The ball escaped his mitt lands, Dell

2:12:56 scores, Bloomer stays put at second.

2:13:00 That was smoked off the bat of Baber.

2:13:03 Rack trying for a second backflip catch

2:13:05 of the night. And that thing had to be

2:13:08 triple digit exit velo. Well, we saw

2:13:10 Rack land a backflip catch like that in

2:13:13 New Orleans in the Super Regional

2:13:15 against these Party Animals. So, that's

2:13:17 not unfamiliar territory for him.

2:13:20 Just a great barrel off the bat of

2:13:22 Dustin Baber that leads to another run

2:13:25 coming across for the Party Animals

2:13:27 tonight. The Bananas up to four trick

2:13:29 plays missed in tonight's ballgame and

2:13:32 they have an additional error as well.

2:13:36 Liner and a base knock for Reese

2:13:38 Hampton. Alexiades has a howitzer for a

2:13:41 right arm. His throw cut off by Ziegler

2:13:43 as everybody goes station to station.

2:13:47 Hampton his first knock of the night.

2:13:50 Aboard for the fourth time now.

2:13:53 Reached on one of those trick plays

2:13:55 missed as well as one of

2:13:57 Well, check that. Two trick plays

2:13:58 missed.

2:14:00 As well as a hit by pitch.

2:14:03 And then he scored on that one Bananas

2:14:06 error so far tonight.

2:14:08 Bases loaded for Chase Acker.

2:14:11 Foul ball.

2:14:13 Not caught.

2:14:17 0-2 count on the Party Animal shortstop.

2:14:24 And the bender just misses the top of

2:14:27 the zone.

2:14:30 That's the sweeper from Sadoff.

2:14:35 Goes right back to it.

2:14:36 KJ to the plate for one. That is all the

2:14:39 Bananas will get.

2:14:41 That is a very productive first out

2:14:44 for Sadoff and the Nanners.

2:14:47 >> Yeah, and the reaction from Bill Leroy

2:14:49 at home plate says it all.

2:14:51 Points the mitt straight at KJ saying,

2:14:53 "That's the right play. Great work."

2:14:56 Doesn't get a trick play out of it, but

2:14:58 you are just trying to limit the Party

2:15:00 Animals from scoring multiple runs in

2:15:02 this inning. Makes it that much easier

2:15:05 to earn a point in this inning if you

2:15:06 are up multiple runs if you're the boys

2:15:08 in black and pink or white pinstripes

2:15:11 and pink.

2:15:14 >> Jake Scholl

2:15:16 Swing and a miss. That is good

2:15:18 old-fashioned country hardball.

2:15:21 The Bananas' all-time leader in home

2:15:23 runs.

2:15:26 39 of them coming into tonight

2:15:29 against

2:15:30 the power arm in Sadoff who has very

2:15:33 easy velocity.

2:15:35 Can sit 90 to 92 with pretty low effort.

2:15:39 And you got to look out for the cutter

2:15:40 changeup and that aforementioned sweeper

2:15:43 as well.

2:15:47 Scholl hit the RBI single that drove in

2:15:50 the inning-winning run back in the

2:15:51 first.

2:15:52 Since then a ball four sprint and a pop

2:15:54 out in foul territory.

2:15:57 This one shot in the air.

2:15:59 Rack a long run.

2:16:02 There's the second out.

2:16:04 Faber coming home. The throw not in

2:16:06 time.

2:16:07 And everybody tags. Great base running

2:16:10 by Hinton and Akuff behind Baber as two

2:16:13 runs are across here in the seventh.

2:16:18 >> And just another professional at-bat

2:16:20 from Jake Skull, poking that one out to

2:16:23 the opposite field,

2:16:25 and leading to that sac fly for the

2:16:27 animals.

2:16:29 Now, Skull off to a hot start playing

2:16:31 here in Yankee Stadium after he

2:16:33 performed tremendously in Steinbrenner

2:16:36 Field in 2024, a replica of Yankee

2:16:39 Stadium. Went five for 13 with a double

2:16:42 homer and four runs batted in in that

2:16:44 series.

2:16:48 >> Mike Ballard with a ball and a strike on

2:16:50 him.

2:16:52 Oh for three.

2:16:53 Has hit into a combined three trick

2:16:55 plays.

2:16:57 As well as reached on a trick play

2:16:59 missed.

2:17:02 In that

2:17:04 one run third for the Party Animals.

2:17:09 >> Swing and a miss.

2:17:12 A big one. Takes Ballard all the way out

2:17:14 of the box, but you can leave the

2:17:15 batter's box if a swing takes you there.

2:17:18 Or after a foul ball.

2:17:22 And deuces wild now.

2:17:25 Another swing and a miss. The sweeper

2:17:27 disgusting from Sadoff.

2:17:30 But the animals have their first

2:17:32 multi-run inning of the night. And a

2:17:35 great chance to get that point right

2:17:38 back that they seated in the sixth.

2:17:41 Take a look

2:17:42 at our smooth plays of the game

2:17:45 presented by DQ.

2:17:47 Jackson Olson.

2:17:49 Oh, that'd be Tropical Smoothie Cafe,

2:17:51 everybody.

2:17:53 Naturally.

2:17:56 Getting it going.

2:17:59 The classic patented tip drill into the

2:18:02 shimmy from Fisher and a remarkable

2:18:05 rack flip

2:18:07 out in left center. Bananas with a four

2:18:10 trick play lead going to the bottom of

2:18:12 the seventh.

2:18:12 >> And it's not surprising to see the two

2:18:15 oldest franchises in Banana Ball having

2:18:17 already combined for 20 overall trick

2:18:20 plays in this contest. And right now,

2:18:23 those double trick plays that we've seen

2:18:25 from the Bananas have been the real

2:18:27 difference makers.

2:18:29 >> Nate Tellier

2:18:31 The Attleboro, Massachusetts native grew

2:18:33 up a die-hard Red Sox fan.

2:18:37 Spent five years in the Red Sox farm

2:18:40 system, now in the belly of the beast

2:18:42 pitching in Yankee Stadium.

2:18:44 >> And the former Red Sox farm hand had an

2:18:47 opportunity to sign with the Yankees in

2:18:50 2020.

2:18:52 Scorned the Yankees to sign with his

2:18:55 childhood favorite team, the Boston Red

2:18:57 Sox. And now he's here in the Bronx and

2:19:01 not the way that he probably expected,

2:19:03 but this is certainly a very fun

2:19:06 challenge for Nate Tellier and the Party

2:19:09 Animals trying to earn a third point.

2:19:14 >> Cat down there in the Yankees jersey.

2:19:17 Babe Ruth at that.

2:19:19 The Great Bambino, Sultan of Swat.

2:19:23 Comes away victorious

2:19:25 in big balls.

2:19:31 And as it's two, three, and four

2:19:33 due to swing it

2:19:35 for the Nanners. Reese Lott, Zeotis, Max

2:19:37 Young Goldberg, Kyle Jackson.

2:19:40 And that is

2:19:42 a cutter for strike one.

2:19:45 Slow tapper foul. Quick 0-2 count on

2:19:48 Super Reese. A strikeout and groundout

2:19:50 on his ledger tonight.

2:19:56 Tellier riding a four-appearance streak

2:19:59 without allowing an earned run.

2:20:05 >> The only odd thing about that scratch in

2:20:07 the last three games, he has still

2:20:09 allowed walk-offs to his opponent. So,

2:20:11 similar to Ponce, we've seen a lot of

2:20:13 sloppy defense come behind Tillery. As

2:20:16 Alexiades blasts this out to deep center

2:20:18 field, Hampton trying to TURN HIMSELF

2:20:21 AROUND, CANNOT CATCH THE BANANA BALL.

2:20:24 Thought he had the behind-the-back snap,

2:20:26 INSTEAD IT DROPS ON THE warning track,

2:20:29 and that results in three bases for

2:20:32 Super Reese.

2:20:39 >> Yeah, he thought he had it.

2:20:41 He was almost trying to sell it, it

2:20:43 looked like.

2:20:43 >> Yeah.

2:20:46 And Alexiades hustling the whole time.

2:20:49 Gets three bases on the trick play

2:20:50 missed from his counterpart.

2:20:53 So, it took over six innings

2:20:55 defensively, but the Party Animals

2:20:57 finally have their first trick play

2:20:58 missed.

2:21:00 While the Bananas have had five on the

2:21:02 other side of the coin.

2:21:03 And Max Young Goldberg

2:21:05 represents the inning-tying run.

2:21:17 Pair of strikeouts on the night so far

2:21:19 for MJG, both swinging, both against

2:21:21 Garrett Delano.

2:21:24 THAT'S A HIGH FLY BALL DEEP DOWN THE

2:21:26 RIGHT FIELD LINE. IF IT'S FAIR, IT'S

2:21:28 GONE. IT IS OFF THE FOUL POLE!

2:21:32 A FLIGHT OF PASSAGE, TWO-RUN TATER TO

2:21:35 TIE THE SEVENTH FOR MJG.

2:21:40 AND IT COULD NOT HAVE COME AT A BETTER

2:21:42 TIME FOR THE BANANA BALL ROOKIE, their

2:21:46 second-round pick who they drafted for

2:21:48 moments LIKE THIS. YOUNG GOLDBERG,

2:21:51 PROLIFIC power in THE PIONEER LEAGUE

2:21:54 LAST SEASON and now delivers it another

2:21:59 opportunity where the Bananas negate a

2:22:01 point to the Animals tonight.

2:22:04 >> Sam Bowman is on the hunt for Young

2:22:06 Goldberg. He has got him.

2:22:10 MAXY, MAXY.

2:22:12 RIGHT TIME FOR THE FIRST BANANA BALL

2:22:13 HOME run of your career?

2:22:15 >> I'd say so.

2:22:17 In a situation like that,

2:22:20 some things aren't going your ways all

2:22:21 the time.

2:22:23 And it takes

2:22:24 a whole team to do it.

2:22:26 So, kudos to Reese Alexiades for getting

2:22:29 on base for me to do something like

2:22:30 that. It's not about me, it's about us,

2:22:32 baby.

2:22:33 >> The most composed post home run

2:22:34 interview ever. He could have kept

2:22:36 going, guys. We got a game.

2:22:38 >> Thank you, Sam.

2:22:40 Very cool to hear from Young Goldberg

2:22:42 after his first career Banana Ball long

2:22:44 ball.

2:22:50 And now, Kyle Jackson

2:22:54 with a pop

2:22:55 left side. Emphatic call from Reese

2:22:58 Hampton.

2:22:59 He will tip it

2:23:01 and Fisher

2:23:03 will secure the trick play for his

2:23:04 center fielder.

2:23:07 >> Yeah, and you see less risk involved for

2:23:09 Reese Hampton still coming away with the

2:23:11 trick play,

2:23:12 but not going to try anything too crazy

2:23:15 there trying to keep Kyle Jackson off

2:23:17 the base path and finally get that first

2:23:19 out

2:23:20 >> for Tellez.

2:23:23 >> Another look at the two-run shot from

2:23:25 Max Young Goldberg. It was a rainmaker.

2:23:31 Clanging off the top half of the foul

2:23:35 pole.

2:23:38 >> That ball was crushed.

2:23:39 >> That ends a 14-game homerless drought

2:23:43 for Max Young Goldberg to start his

2:23:45 Banana Ball career.

2:23:47 It's the longest drought without a home

2:23:48 run last season in the Pioneer League

2:23:50 was just 11 games.

2:23:53 So, that is great to see from the rookie

2:23:55 who has

2:23:56 been a little slow as of late and may

2:23:59 finally be coming back around with the

2:24:01 bat.

2:24:02 There's a learning curve to banana ball,

2:24:04 especially offensively. You got to get

2:24:06 used to not being able to leave the box.

2:24:08 Pitchers

2:24:10 thrown at a pace that you have never

2:24:11 seen before.

2:24:13 I mean, we've heard it from a lot of

2:24:15 guys who've come into this sport. Your

2:24:17 entire routine and rhythm at the plate

2:24:19 completely changes.

2:24:22 Bounding ball to Acker, between the

2:24:24 legs, over to first.

2:24:28 And 10th trick play on the ballgame for

2:24:30 the Party Animals pulls them within two.

2:24:33 With a maximum of four defensive outs to

2:24:36 go for them.

2:24:44 As Jackson Olson digs in.

2:24:47 Another lifelong die-hard New York

2:24:49 Yankees fan will

2:24:52 have to settle with still being hitless

2:24:54 here tonight. Noah Fisher does not go

2:24:56 for the trick play.

2:24:57 So, it's still

2:24:59 12 to 10 bananas and trick plays as the

2:25:02 seventh inning ends tied and it's still

2:25:04 2-1 Party Animals.

2:26:19 >> Oh, YouTube, what a ball game we have on

2:26:22 our hands here. Son of a gun. 2 1 for 7,

2:26:26 classic Bananas versus Party Animals.

2:26:38 Welcome back to Banana Ball live from

2:26:40 Yankee Stadium. Party Animals lead 2 to

2:26:43 1

2:26:44 going to the top of the eighth inning.

2:26:48 It's been a wild one

2:26:50 for the Bananas and Party Animals fans

2:26:52 alike here in the Bronx.

2:26:56 Animals have won the first and fifth

2:26:58 innings.

2:27:01 Bananas took the sixth.

2:27:03 And we are fresh off two runs apiece

2:27:07 for each squad in the seventh. No point

2:27:09 earned for either side. Brent Bessert,

2:27:12 the new man on the mound for the

2:27:14 Nanners. He's got Jason Swan, Tanner

2:27:15 Thomas, and Andy Cosgrove, five, six,

2:27:18 and seven in this Party Animals lineup.

2:27:20 As Swan he into foul territory,

2:27:23 Alex Ziegler cannot secure the

2:27:25 behind-the-back catch.

2:27:27 And another life for Jason Swan.

2:27:34 The Bananas only up two trick plays

2:27:36 right now. That one from Alex Ziegler

2:27:37 would have been awfully beneficial with

2:27:40 them trying to negate this equalizer

2:27:42 point, but now going to look at Jason

2:27:44 Swan

2:27:46 entering tonight the lowest strikeout

2:27:48 rate among qualified batters in Banana

2:27:50 Ball, just 2.2% for Swan despite the

2:27:53 tour average being around 16 and 1/2. As

2:27:56 Swan skies another one in the air, COX

2:27:59 WILL TIP. KYLE JACKSON WILL CATCH BEHIND

2:28:02 his back. And the Bananas just continue

2:28:05 to collect the double trick plays in

2:28:08 tonight's contest and earning that

2:28:11 equalizer point becomes even more tricky

2:28:14 now for the Party Animals.

2:28:18 >> Yeah, Swaney has hit into back-to-back

2:28:20 double trick plays. Both of them

2:28:21 starting with Cox.

2:28:25 And there's Tanner Thomas

2:28:27 takes the fastball to even up the count.

2:28:31 This one looped towards right. Ty

2:28:34 Jackson catching it the old-fashioned

2:28:36 way. Two down.

2:28:44 And Grant Besser

2:28:45 the Nanners fourth-round pick settling

2:28:48 in here. He's not a power pitcher

2:28:50 in any sense. Sits about 88 to 90 with

2:28:52 the fastball. The circle change is one

2:28:54 of the best pitches in the sport.

2:28:56 And he's got a slurve in his back pocket

2:28:58 to keep hitters honest as well.

2:29:00 >> Yeah, opponents batting just 273 against

2:29:02 him this year. That is the fifth lowest

2:29:03 mark amongst all left-handed pitchers in

2:29:06 Banana Ball.

2:29:09 Snagged by KJ on the run over to Ziggy

2:29:12 in plenty of time and a quick 1-2-3

2:29:14 frame

2:29:16 from Grant Besser

2:29:18 to give his offense a golden opportunity

2:29:20 to tie this thing in the bottom of the

2:29:22 eighth. Only 11 pitches needed for G

2:29:25 Baby and 2 minutes and 16 seconds for

2:29:29 the lefty. That is the fastest inning of

2:29:31 the night for any Savannah Banana.

2:29:35 >> And one authored by the pride of Berne,

2:29:38 Indiana.

2:29:40 Your 2025 visitor, Grant Bessire.

2:29:48 And we get to see

2:29:50 one of the greatest pitchers in the

2:29:52 history of the sport, Drew Gillespie, in

2:29:55 the eighth inning.

2:29:56 And we get to see him an

2:29:59 inning earlier than normal because of

2:30:00 the numbers you see on the bottom left

2:30:02 corner of your screen. He's yet to find

2:30:04 it here in his fourth world tour.

2:30:06 >> Yeah, the big story for Drew Gillespie

2:30:07 in 2026 has been four blown saves on his

2:30:11 campaign. He had just six in his entire

2:30:14 career entering this 2026 season.

2:30:19 And you see for Gillespie a 5-minute and

2:30:21 57-second average minutes per inning

2:30:24 mark this year. That is the highest

2:30:26 among all qualified Banana Ball

2:30:28 pitchers. It's been a real struggle for

2:30:31 Gillespie, who's also sitting at a

2:30:33 career-low 10% strikeout rate this

2:30:35 season.

2:30:37 >> Robert Anthony Cruz, the home run that

2:30:39 tied the third inning.

2:30:41 I had one and oh, but I'll tell you

2:30:42 what, on a night we've seen Garrett

2:30:44 Delano find it, another veteran party

2:30:47 animal who has struggled out the gate.

2:30:49 But you look at the career,

2:30:51 270 innings coming into this year for

2:30:53 Delano,

2:30:55 a 4.07 ERA.

2:30:58 And a guy with over 200 Ks, less than

2:31:00 100 sprints in his career, he was

2:31:02 fantastic.

2:31:04 Five Ks across four innings of one-run

2:31:06 ball.

2:31:08 And then Gillespie, you got a guy 156

2:31:10 innings in his career, a 2.25 ERA.

2:31:14 This is just the caliber of pitcher that

2:31:17 you expect to figure it out sooner than

2:31:19 later.

2:31:27 This one shot out to left with a little

2:31:29 hood spa Fisher nice running catch as he

2:31:33 slides on the track taking extra bases

2:31:36 away from rack.

2:31:38 >> Didn't exactly get the best jump on that

2:31:40 banana ball nonetheless Noah Fisher an

2:31:43 athlete who play all over the diamond

2:31:45 has really settled in nicely in left

2:31:48 field though over the years and robs

2:31:50 cruise of an extra base hit to start the

2:31:53 inning as the bananas have gone to their

2:31:55 bench and it's DR Meadows batting for

2:31:58 the Savannah bananas in place of Danny

2:32:00 Hasley.

2:32:02 >> How about that? We get to see the tour

2:32:04 leader in batting average and on-base

2:32:07 percentage.

2:32:08 Swing it here with an out in the bottom

2:32:11 of the eighth inning.

2:32:12 You take a look at that 459 batting

2:32:14 average absolutely absurd from the

2:32:16 doctor.

2:32:24 And lifetime always a tough out for Drew

2:32:27 Galeski.

2:32:29 For batting average north of 350 against

2:32:32 the party animals long time closer is

2:32:34 that one is looped into the seats and

2:32:36 not caught.

2:32:42 Meadows a 545 on-base percentage here in

2:32:45 his fourth world tour.

2:32:48 The 2024 banana ball MVP coming off the

2:32:51 bench and rolling one over the third and

2:32:53 now you see why he did not start.

2:32:57 Just no acceleration.

2:32:59 Available for the doctor.

2:33:02 And as he bounces out to Bryson Bloomer.

2:33:05 And two outs for Galeski and you saw no

2:33:07 between the legs transition from Bryson

2:33:09 Bloomer despite that being as routine as

2:33:12 they could have come so the party

2:33:13 animals.

2:33:15 Giving up hope on earning that equalizer

2:33:17 point tonight.

2:33:19 And now just trying to make sure that

2:33:21 they can get a scoreless inning for Drew

2:33:23 Gillespie.

2:33:26 >> Ty Jackson stands in his way. A ball and

2:33:28 a strike.

2:33:30 Um the man who started as the extra

2:33:32 hitter

2:33:34 has taken over right field from Danny

2:33:36 Hasley.

2:33:42 >> And this one in on the hands, LIFTED OUT

2:33:44 TO LEFT CENTER. LOOK OUT! NOAH FISHER,

2:33:47 DIVING CATCH IN FRONT OF HIS CENTER

2:33:50 FIELDER. A 1-2-3 frame for Gillespie,

2:33:53 and it's 2-1 going to THE NINTH.

2:33:55 >> IT'S A SECOND SENSATIONAL GRAB FROM NOAH

2:33:58 FISHER IN THE EIGHTH INNING, ROBBING

2:34:01 CRUZ AND THEN TY TWO FLY TO HELP

2:34:04 GILLESPIE POST A ZERO.

2:34:13 >> This is what it means

2:34:16 to get to the final inning of a Banana

2:34:17 Ball game. Every run scored counts as a

2:34:20 point.

2:34:21 And if we are tied at the conclusion of

2:34:24 our final inning,

2:34:26 then we will go to showdown tiebreakers.

2:34:30 >> This is where things get a lot more real

2:34:32 if you're the Bananas and the Party

2:34:34 Animals. Both of these teams both have a

2:34:35 golden batter at their disposal still in

2:34:38 this contest.

2:34:39 >> And we touched on it earlier in the

2:34:42 pregame show, but you see these final

2:34:45 innings for both of these teams have

2:34:46 gone in completely opposite directions.

2:34:49 The Animals five-run saves as a team

2:34:51 this season. They were on nine runs,

2:34:54 which have all translated to points in

2:34:56 the final inning. And as far as the

2:34:58 Bananas are concerned, the ninth inning,

2:35:01 that's when they bear down and turn it

2:35:03 up a notch. 12 runs scored in the final

2:35:07 inning, which leads all Banana Ball

2:35:09 Championship League teams.

2:35:11 >> And the

2:35:12 last time that

2:35:14 these two teams faced off, it was New

2:35:16 Orleans, game one in the Superdome.

2:35:19 Frugal S B came in with just a one-point

2:35:22 lead.

2:35:24 And it unraveled pretty quickly. Started

2:35:27 with the five-pitch ball for Sprint.

2:35:29 And that's all we get to see because

2:35:31 we've got some entertainment to show on

2:35:32 the field.

2:35:35 >> Where the crowds will cheer when they

2:35:38 see my face.

2:35:41 And a voice keeps saying, "This is where

2:35:44 I'm meant to be."

2:37:12 >> I'd like to bring the house a little

2:37:13 bit.

2:37:14 Hey Darren,

2:37:15 how about we sing some of our favorite

2:37:17 songs?

2:37:17 >> I would love that.

2:37:18 >> Yeah, a little Disney medley for you.

2:37:19 Listen.

2:37:22 Tale as old as time,

2:37:24 Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much.

2:37:25 Thank you.

2:37:26 true as it can be.

2:37:29 Barely even friends,

2:37:32 Beauty and the Beast.

2:37:34 Come on.

2:37:37 >> Now is the time to seize the day.

2:37:41 Answer the call and don't delay.

2:37:45 Wrongs will be righted if we're united.

2:37:49 Let us seize the day.

2:37:54 House into Harlem.

2:37:58 Look what's become.

2:38:03 One for

2:38:05 all and all

2:38:07 for one.

2:38:11 I am on

2:38:13 my way.

2:38:15 I can go the distance. I don't care

2:38:18 how far.

2:38:20 Somehow I'll be strong. I know every

2:38:23 mile will be worth my while.

2:38:28 I would go almost anywhere to find where

2:38:34 I belong.

2:38:41 I am

2:38:42 a banana.

2:38:46 TONIGHT, WE'RE ALL ALADDIN BANANAS.

2:38:51 COME ON.

2:38:52 LET'S DO A

2:38:54 banana song.

2:38:56 I have a reason or two.

2:39:01 I'm on the job. You think they bought

2:39:03 you. Ain't never had a friend. Never had

2:39:05 a friend.

2:39:09 God damn.

2:39:10 Had a friend like

2:39:20 Never HAD A FRIEND LIKE ME.

2:39:22 GOD.

2:39:28 >> MICHAEL JAMES

2:39:30 SCOTT

2:39:30 AND THE CAST OF Disney's Aladdin

2:39:34 on Broadway.

2:39:40 >> Are you literally kidding me?

2:39:45 What in tarnation?

2:39:46 >> Wow.

2:39:49 >> Michael James Scott, thank you so much

2:39:51 for blessing us with your presence and

2:39:53 your unbelievable

2:39:55 singing, dancing, acting ability. That

2:39:58 was stupendous.

2:40:00 Full cast of Aladdin.

2:40:02 And that's how we go to the ninth

2:40:04 inning.

2:40:05 >> That's already the second time, by the

2:40:07 way, in these ninth innings that we have

2:40:09 seen performances like this in Savannah

2:40:11 Bananas games. It's incredible the kind

2:40:14 of entertainment that is accompanied

2:40:16 the final inning. I mean, the most

2:40:18 intense inning that you get in Banana

2:40:20 Ball, but before that you truly get a

2:40:22 show and then you get to see these guys

2:40:25 dog it out trying to win the ball game.

2:40:28 >> And uh shout out to the New York

2:40:29 Yankees, too, for letting us shoot off

2:40:30 all kinds of pyrotechnics.

2:40:33 Their pristine field. Danny Hasley, the

2:40:36 numbers speak for themselves. Eight

2:40:38 innings, no runs scored, 13 strikeouts

2:40:42 to just five hits and two sprints

2:40:44 allowed. Everybody in Major League

2:40:45 Baseball circles has been

2:40:47 >> talking about the streak of dominance

2:40:49 that Mason Miller's been on for the San

2:40:51 Diego Padres. Danny Hasley is Banana

2:40:54 Ball's equivalent of Mason Miller. He's

2:40:56 five five saves in five opportunities,

2:40:59 still yet to allow an earned run this

2:41:01 year.

2:41:02 And his skill interactive earned run

2:41:04 average is actually negative 0.14,

2:41:08 which means he's broken the formula.

2:41:10 He's pitched so good, his ERA should be

2:41:13 below zero, which is impossible.

2:41:16 >> Correct.

2:41:17 >> For everybody out there

2:41:18 >> Yeah, but that just goes to show you

2:41:20 truly how dominant one can be on the

2:41:22 pitcher's mound.

2:41:23 >> Right, he is breaking advanced

2:41:24 statistics. That's how gosh darn good

2:41:26 he's been. Bottom three in the order for

2:41:28 the Party Animals in a now smoke-filled

2:41:31 Yankee Stadium.

2:41:33 Noah Fisher, Braden Bloomer, Dustin

2:41:35 Baber as the Animals look for some

2:41:37 insurance. And a swing and a miss. The

2:41:39 Vulcan changeup with absurd movement on

2:41:42 it. Make it 14 punchouts on the year for

2:41:45 Hasley now in just eight and a third

2:41:48 innings.

2:41:53 >> And this guy last season pitching in

2:41:55 Major League Baseball stadiums had an

2:41:57 earned run average at 0.78.

2:42:00 That's how good he was with the light

2:42:02 shining bright. You see Danny Do-It-All

2:42:05 just back to that 2025 form when it

2:42:07 comes to big league parks, setting down

2:42:10 Fisher. Fastball scrapes the top of the

2:42:12 zone, evens up the count on Bloomer.

2:42:16 As he's fooled on the changeup, not

2:42:19 happy with himself for hacking at it.

2:42:22 A board two out of three times tonight

2:42:24 hit by a pitch, a ball for Sprint.

2:42:27 Strikeout sandwich in between.

2:42:34 And then the count even at two and two.

2:42:36 Two guys here in their fourth world

2:42:39 tours.

2:42:40 As this one off the end of the bat

2:42:43 out to Ty Jackson.

2:42:45 Two away.

2:43:01 >> Fans, the Party Animals are invoking the

2:43:05 golden batter rule.

2:43:07 Batting in place of Dustin Beaver,

2:43:13 HE WEARS

2:43:16 JAKE

2:43:18 SKULL!

2:43:30 THE 2025 MVP

2:43:35 against

2:43:36 probably his greatest rival in the

2:43:38 sport.

2:43:39 Danny Do It All.

2:43:42 Skull two runs driven in tonight.

2:43:45 One for two, a ball for Sprint.

2:43:48 And he knifes this one out to left. That

2:43:52 should be down for extra bases, and it's

2:43:53 going to be guaranteed as it hops into

2:43:55 the seats.

2:43:57 Ground rule double on an inside-out

2:43:58 swing from Skull.

2:44:00 And he'll be taken off the base paths

2:44:02 immediately in place of designated

2:44:04 runner Mark Smith. Skull doing his job

2:44:07 as the golden batter, and he's the only

2:44:09 man who's served as that golden batter

2:44:11 this season for the Animals.

2:44:13 Fifth time there for Jake Skull in 2026,

2:44:17 and coming away with that opposite field

2:44:19 extra base knock.

2:44:22 Popped left side. Kyle Jackson in the

2:44:25 call.

2:44:26 Kyle Jackson with the catch

2:44:29 to sit down Reese Hampton as Danny

2:44:31 Hasley remains unscored upon

2:44:34 in nine innings on the bump here in his

2:44:38 fourth tour.

2:44:39 It is just a one-point deficit for the

2:44:41 Bananas

2:44:42 going to the last of the ninth.

2:44:55 >> And it's going to be the 6'5 southpaw,

2:44:58 Peter Holden, here in his third World

2:45:01 Tour. As you can see, 1-0 across 7 and

2:45:04 2/3 innings this year, 8 Ks to just two

2:45:08 sprints,

2:45:10 and that 3.52

2:45:12 ERA. This year, he's rocking a 23 and

2:45:15 1/2 strikeout percentage, only a 5.9

2:45:18 ball four sprint percentage.

2:45:20 >> Both of those are the best marks for

2:45:22 this Party Animals pitching staff.

2:45:24 >> And he's leading all Party Animals

2:45:25 pitchers as he's been 8.2 runs above

2:45:28 replacement level.

2:45:31 Best mark on that team, 13th best in

2:45:34 Banana Ball. But Peter Holden still

2:45:36 without a save and even save opportunity

2:45:39 in his Banana Ball career. He had only

2:45:42 three in his college career, and all of

2:45:45 them came in his first two years at

2:45:47 Baton Rouge Community College. So, we

2:45:50 have not necessarily seen Holden in this

2:45:52 role for quite a while in his baseball

2:45:56 career.

2:45:57 And just one more interesting mark that

2:45:59 I dug up on Pistol Pete. He's another

2:46:02 Party Animal with very interesting

2:46:04 Yankees-S connections as he modeled his

2:46:07 entire mechanics after current Yankee

2:46:10 Ryan Yarbrough.

2:46:18 >> Ladies and gentlemen, the Savannah

2:46:20 Bananas are invoking the golden batter

2:46:24 rule. Hitting in the place of Ryan Cox

2:46:28 is the Savannah Bananas golden batter.

2:46:31 PLEASE WELCOME DAN

2:46:34 OBERST!

2:46:42 >> DAN OBERST WILL HIT back-to-back to open

2:46:46 up the bottom of the ninth inning. We

2:46:47 start in the 10 hole. He swings it here

2:46:50 for Ryan Cox back at the top of the

2:46:52 order. Dan Oberst is currently on deck

2:46:55 while he is also in the box.

2:46:58 And he loves hitting southpaws.

2:47:04 Oh for two, a groundout, strikeout, and

2:47:08 the walk-off sacrifice fly that won the

2:47:10 sixth inning.

2:47:11 As that one gets the inside corner, Dan

2:47:14 with a

2:47:15 questionable look back at Vincent

2:47:16 Chapman. Faced Pistol Pete five times

2:47:19 last season, one for four against the

2:47:21 lefty, also reaching on a ball four

2:47:24 sprint.

2:47:26 Fastball changeup slider from Holden.

2:47:29 The changeup is disgusting.

2:47:36 That ball GOLFED DEEP OUT TO LEFT.

2:47:39 Fisher to the track, MAKES THE CATCH

2:47:42 with his keister up against the wall.

2:47:54 It's about as close as you can come to

2:47:55 tying this game.

2:47:57 And you can see Fisher shrugging his

2:47:59 shoulders at the fans beyond that left

2:48:02 field wall. Starting to jaw with Fish,

2:48:04 hoping the bananas can try and even this

2:48:07 ball game.

2:48:08 And here's the benefit of back-to-back

2:48:11 plate appearances as the golden batter

2:48:14 Oberst has seen four pitches from Peter

2:48:16 Holden, struck that last one well. Now

2:48:19 trying to get a hold of one even better

2:48:21 as that is a laser beam into the seats,

2:48:24 but bobbled by the fans and not caught.

2:48:28 Yeah, it was caught on a bobble, but you

2:48:30 have to catch it cleanly for it to be an

2:48:32 out in banana ball.

2:48:35 And the party animals, the entire team

2:48:37 has joined Holden on the mound.

2:48:59 >> And we're going to get right back to the

2:49:00 action. The 0-1.

2:49:04 A ball and a strike now on Oberst.

2:49:07 I was really curious as to how many of

2:49:09 them would be considered legal fielders.

2:49:15 Goes back to how we opened up the 2025

2:49:18 tour with the Reese Hampton inside the

2:49:20 Parker. The entire Bananas team out on

2:49:22 the field.

2:49:25 The 2-1.

2:49:29 Fastball just misses.

2:49:32 Dangerous pitch

2:49:33 coming to Danny O.

2:49:37 Coming off two home runs last weekend in

2:49:39 the Banana Ball open.

2:49:42 And he launches this deep OUT TO RIGHT

2:49:44 FIELD. DAN OBERST HAS TIED this game UP

2:49:48 TWO.

2:49:51 OBERSTRATED.

2:49:58 AND THE trend it's continuing for the

2:50:00 Party Animals as well. Another blown

2:50:04 save this season from the Animals. Their

2:50:06 sixth in 2026.

2:50:09 And for Dan Oberst, the hottest GUY IN

2:50:13 THIS BANANAS LINEUP, continues to rake

2:50:16 AND FLASH THE OPPOSITE FIELD POP.

2:50:20 Second deck smash the other way.

2:50:25 Prolific power from the eight-year

2:50:27 Banana. It's a brand new ballgame with

2:50:29 one out in the bottom of the ninth.

2:50:32 And look, that golden batter played

2:50:34 appearance did everything for Dan

2:50:36 Oberst. Again, allowed him to see Pistol

2:50:38 Pete enough to get very comfortable and

2:50:41 also 3-1 hitters count. Holden did not

2:50:44 want to allow the ball for a sprint.

2:50:46 Tried a get me over fastball and Obers

2:50:49 made him pay.

2:50:55 >> One ball and one strike.

2:50:58 Reese Alexiades whiffs on the changeup.

2:51:00 Behind one and two.

2:51:02 0 for 3.

2:51:04 Reached on a trick play missed and

2:51:06 scored in that two-run seventh.

2:51:10 And the two-run shot

2:51:12 from MJG who lurks

2:51:15 in the on-deck circle.

2:51:22 2-2.

2:51:24 Swing and a miss.

2:51:26 Holden goes to the slurve

2:51:28 for a big strikeout and out number two.

2:51:34 >> Well, Alexiades not able to come through

2:51:36 there against Holden. But you go from

2:51:39 Dan Obers who's got the home run here in

2:51:41 the ninth to Max Young Goldberg with a

2:51:43 big two-run shot in the seventh that

2:51:46 kept the Animals from earning a point.

2:51:48 Now with an opportunity to launch his

2:51:50 second blast of the game and one that

2:51:53 would win it for the boys in yellow.

2:51:55 Peter Holden trying to send us to

2:51:57 showdowns.

2:51:59 Bender in there to even up the count.

2:52:10 >> Big swing and a miss. White Castle

2:52:13 special.

2:52:14 Three straight sliders to Max Young

2:52:17 Goldberg.

2:52:19 Does Cosgrove dare call another? Holden

2:52:21 shook off whatever Andy did call. The

2:52:23 1-2.

2:52:26 Went right back to it. Yanked it wide.

2:52:32 So it's four straight left-on-left

2:52:34 sliders to start this battle between

2:52:37 Holden and Young Goldberg.

2:52:42 Opportunity to get to show downs, and

2:52:45 Noah Fisher can't squeeze it

2:52:47 as he collides with the wall. Now, we

2:52:49 hope Noah Fisher's okay.

2:52:55 A scary play. Fish has been all over

2:52:58 left field so far tonight. Gosh, he slid

2:53:01 awkwardly

2:53:03 into that short wall in foul territory.

2:53:09 That's such a tough play to make.

2:53:15 >> Yeah, you see a knee or a foot kind of

2:53:16 getting jammed as he

2:53:18 slid into that corner, but Fish

2:53:21 gets up, hops just a little gingerly. He

2:53:25 is not going to come out of this game

2:53:27 for the Party Animals.

2:53:29 Trying to tough things out in left

2:53:31 field.

2:53:32 >> Evidently, passed the test from his

2:53:35 athletic trainer Casey Carlson.

2:53:38 And we'll get another 2-2 from Holden to

2:53:41 MJG.

2:53:44 Called strike three. Finally, a

2:53:45 fastball. It's right down the chute.

2:53:48 Holden back-to-back punch outs to close

2:53:51 out the ninth, but the solo home run

2:53:53 from Dan Oberst has us going to show

2:53:55 downs.

2:53:58 >> Frozen pizza for Peter Holden. Just goes

2:54:02 right back to the gas after the injury

2:54:05 time out, and it pays dividends for the

2:54:07 Animals.

2:54:09 Show downs for the first time between

2:54:11 these feared foes.

2:54:20 >> A banana ball show down works like this.

2:54:23 One hitter versus one pitcher with one

2:54:26 fielder. Each team will have an

2:54:28 opportunity to send a batter to the

2:54:30 plate. The first team to score,

2:54:32 unanswered by the other team, will be

2:54:34 declared the winner. A home run over the

2:54:37 wall automatically ends the game for

2:54:40 that team.

2:54:44 On the mound with the Savannah Bananas,

2:54:47 give it up for Danny Hasley.

2:54:51 Reece Alexiades is the fielder.

2:55:12 >> Reece Hampton

2:55:14 will open Showdowns for the Party

2:55:16 Animals.

2:55:17 Danny Hasley back out on the bump

2:55:20 after he stranded

2:55:22 the designated runner Mark Smith on

2:55:24 second base

2:55:26 in a scoreless top of the ninth.

2:55:29 And Reece Alexiades, his fielder.

2:55:37 Hampton one for five tonight.

2:55:40 An out of the park home run

2:55:42 wins this game for the Party Animals.

2:55:44 Reece has the first in Showdowns

2:55:46 history.

2:55:48 It was off of Danny Hasley in Brockton,

2:55:50 Massachusetts on the 2023 World Tour.

2:55:54 Dangerous 2-0 pitch coming.

2:55:57 Swing and a miss on the fastball.

2:56:00 Hampton trying to end it in one fell

2:56:02 swoop.

2:56:06 And right back to the gas, we're even at

2:56:08 two and two.

2:56:16 That is a big league take on the Vulcan

2:56:18 changeup.

2:56:22 Full count offering.

2:56:26 Fastball fouled away. Chance for the

2:56:28 fans, not caught in the second deck.

2:56:37 Another chapter in a storied rivalry

2:56:39 here in Showdowns between Hosley and

2:56:41 Hampton.

2:56:46 Another payoff.

2:56:49 That's ball four.

2:56:50 And Hampton

2:56:53 will get second base.

2:56:56 Mike Vavasis has the right to keep

2:56:58 Hampton in the box and send somebody

2:56:59 else there to run though.

2:57:05 Correct. Within the new rules of Banana

2:57:07 Ball, if the ball four sprint is issued

2:57:09 in Showdowns, a runner is placed at

2:57:12 second base. It can be the guy in the

2:57:14 batter's box or somebody you designate

2:57:16 in his place and from there, the guy who

2:57:18 is batting in that specific round is

2:57:21 free to hit for a second time. So

2:57:24 Hampton will stay and bat against Danny

2:57:26 Hosley

2:57:27 and he has an even easier opportunity to

2:57:31 drive in designated runner Mark Smith

2:57:33 who is now at second base.

2:57:35 So there is still an advantage to

2:57:37 earning that ball four sprint.

2:57:40 Pitcher's pitch.

2:57:43 And then a flail and a miss on the

2:57:44 broken changeup. Quick O2 count.

2:57:52 Right back to it. Hampton spits on it.

2:58:03 Four straight changeups. That one misses

2:58:06 just a bit wide.

2:58:09 The 2-2.

2:58:11 Fastball misses and from O2 to 3-2.

2:58:20 And it's another sprint.

2:58:26 Which is

2:58:29 Should have Mark Smith on third base.

2:58:31 Yes, it does.

2:58:32 >> Correct.

2:58:33 >> And they figured it out.

2:58:36 One more ball for Sprint. Mark Smith

2:58:38 automatically scores.

2:58:43 And now Hampton will give way to Jake

2:58:46 Skole. Fascinating chess match going on

2:58:49 here.

2:58:50 Really wouldn't have expected them to

2:58:51 just

2:58:53 let Hampton battle again after earning

2:58:54 back-to-back sprints with somebody else

2:58:56 on second.

2:59:02 But they send Skole.

2:59:04 Seven years of minor league baseball

2:59:06 experience after being a first round

2:59:08 draft pick in 2010.

2:59:10 First five in the Rangers organization,

2:59:12 the last two

2:59:14 as a New York Yankee. He's farm hand.

2:59:18 How full circle is this as that's into

2:59:20 the second deck.

2:59:23 Nice catch on a ricochet.

2:59:31 Fella wanted the out, but it was caught

2:59:32 on a bounce. Not happy that I told him

2:59:34 it's not an out.

2:59:39 And a one-two count now on Jake Skole

2:59:42 with Smith 90 ft away.

2:59:45 Fouled at the ditch.

2:59:48 Even though two guys on base right now

2:59:50 for the Party Animals, maximum amount of

2:59:53 runs {slash} points they can score in

2:59:55 this inning is just one. All you're

2:59:57 focused on is driving in Mark Smith from

2:59:59 third.

3:00:01 SWING AND A MISS! DANNY HASLEY BENDS,

3:00:04 BUT HE DOES NOT BREAK. VULCAN CHANGEUP

3:00:08 TO STRIKE out Jake Skole.

3:00:11 With the control hippie from Danny

3:00:14 Hasley and despite the battles Hampton

3:00:16 was putting up against Has, the Animals

3:00:19 turned to their reigning MVP and Has

3:00:22 able to set him down. His third Showdown

3:00:26 shut down that has come via the K this

3:00:29 season.

3:00:35 So, the Animals will go back to Drew

3:00:38 Gillespie.

3:00:41 Who set the Nanners down in order in the

3:00:43 eighth inning.

3:00:44 Inducing a fly out to Rack, ground out

3:00:47 to DR, and fly out to Ty Jackson.

3:00:53 Traditionally, you like to stay with the

3:00:55 hot arm, Party Animals, you're

3:00:57 anticipating that Dan Oberst is going to

3:00:59 be the first guy coming up in round one.

3:01:01 You don't want to face in Peter Holden

3:01:03 for a third time considering he's seen

3:01:05 the ball exceptionally well. So, you're

3:01:07 trying to give him a change of pace and

3:01:10 give him a right on right match up as it

3:01:13 is indeed Danny Barrels coming up to the

3:01:16 dish.

3:01:19 Dan is responsible for driving in both

3:01:21 points for the Bananas tonight.

3:01:23 The walk-off sacrifice in the sixth, the

3:01:25 game-tying homer in the ninth.

3:01:28 But, this is weak contact. Gillespie and

3:01:30 Bobo both in pursuit. Drew Gillespie

3:01:33 caught off by Bobo who cannot make the

3:01:35 sliding catch.

3:01:38 Tremendous effort

3:01:40 from

3:01:41 both Party Animals.

3:01:43 But, it will be a ball and a strike on

3:01:45 Dan Oberst as you get another look at

3:01:47 the sliding attempt from John Howard

3:01:49 Bobo.

3:01:50 I mean, that's all out effort.

3:01:52 And from here, both Gillespie and Bobo

3:01:54 going to take their time to compose

3:01:57 themselves following trying to make that

3:01:59 play. You wanted especially for for Bobo

3:02:02 considering Oberst pokes this out into

3:02:04 the outfield. He might be a little

3:02:06 gassed trying to chase after that ball

3:02:08 all the way in foul territory by first

3:02:10 base.

3:02:14 The 1-1.

3:02:18 Obers doesn't offer up on the bender.

3:02:27 Liner! Deep out to right, THIS IS

3:02:29 BIG-TIME TROUBLE. OBERS IS ALREADY

3:02:32 AROUND FIRST.

3:02:34 IT SETTLES JUST SHORT OF THE TRACK. BOBO

3:02:36 TO IT. Fires to Gillespie. OBERS IS

3:02:39 AROUND THIRD. THE RELAY!

3:02:41 THAT'S IN PLENTY OF TIME. Great defense

3:02:45 by Bobo, Gillespie, and Cosgrove, and

3:02:48 we're headed to round two.

3:02:52 And all the credit GOES TO JOHN HOWARD

3:02:54 BOBO.

3:02:55 Guy showing off both the speed and the

3:02:58 arm to get all the way out to deep right

3:03:01 field off of a perfect throw to

3:03:04 Gillespie standing near the infield, and

3:03:07 then he's got the relay to Andy Cosgrove

3:03:09 in plenty of time to gun down Obers and

3:03:12 send us to round two.

3:03:22 There is no fielder in the second round

3:03:24 of showdowns.

3:03:26 So, Danny Hasley

3:03:28 >> Cindy

3:03:28 >> will be on an island.

3:03:31 Out in the middle of the diamond.

3:03:34 He allowed the two sprints to Hampton in

3:03:36 round one.

3:03:38 Four more balls fired, and the Party

3:03:41 Animals would have claimed a point.

3:03:43 But, he bared down and got the strikeout

3:03:46 of Jake Skull.

3:03:48 Which means Skull is burned until

3:03:51 the Party Animals potentially get all

3:03:52 the way through all of their hitters.

3:03:54 So, now Jason Swan

3:03:56 will swing it here in round two.

3:03:59 They're going to the the most

3:04:00 contact-oriented guys in this lineup who

3:04:03 is batting in showdowns for the very

3:04:06 first time in his banana ball career.

3:04:11 Never a better time for it.

3:04:13 His dad is from Harlem. His mom is from

3:04:15 Queens. They met in New York.

3:04:18 And now Jason Swan in the Bronx.

3:04:23 Trying to play hero for the Party

3:04:24 Animals. The one-two.

3:04:29 Does not chase the Vulcan change.

3:04:34 Two-two pitch.

3:04:36 Fouled away.

3:04:38 Changeup spoiled by Swan.

3:04:49 Another two-two.

3:04:52 Look out.

3:04:53 Fastball high and tight. The count is

3:04:55 full.

3:05:01 Swan, a slow chopper. Hasley fell off

3:05:04 the mound.

3:05:05 Looks like he is no worse for wear. He

3:05:08 will track this ball down just in front

3:05:10 of third base and meet Jason Swan, who

3:05:14 gives him a spin move and is tagged out.

3:05:19 As Hasley executes on the payoff pitch

3:05:22 and has another showdown shutdown.

3:05:25 Still yet to allow a walk-off in

3:05:28 showdowns here in the regular season.

3:05:30 Hasley now starting five for five in the

3:05:34 regular season for the Bananas. Not just

3:05:37 great with the strikeouts, but the soft

3:05:39 contact as well, which you saw there

3:05:41 against Swaney.

3:05:45 Fun to see Swan try and put a football

3:05:47 deke on Hasley as well. Those were the

3:05:48 two guys who were matched up in the

3:05:50 halftime show in the Superdome.

3:05:53 Swan, great defense on Danny Doodall.

3:05:56 You try and do whatever you can, as long

3:05:57 as you don't start backpedaling as

3:05:59 you're running the bases, you're not

3:06:01 going to be automatically ruled out by

3:06:04 any of the umpires. But, once you start

3:06:06 to give yourself up, backpedal, or get

3:06:08 too out of the baseline, that's when

3:06:10 you're going to get called by an umpire

3:06:12 in Showdowns.

3:06:14 >> So, now Mike Vavasis

3:06:17 goes back to Peter Holden.

3:06:21 Who got a fly out to start the ninth

3:06:24 inning, then gave up the game-tying

3:06:25 homer to Dan Obers, followed it with

3:06:27 back-to-back strikeouts. He faces Kyle

3:06:29 Jackson

3:06:31 with the game on the line here in the

3:06:33 bottom half of round two in Showdowns.

3:06:37 And then, KJ does not chase the slider.

3:06:40 >> And Holden has fresher legs than Drew

3:06:42 Gillespie as well, considering you saw

3:06:44 him trying to go out and make that play

3:06:46 in foul territory in the last round.

3:06:49 Holden, you feel confident in trying to

3:06:52 field his position wherever he may need

3:06:54 to go to track down this banana ball,

3:06:56 should it be put in play.

3:06:58 >> Front door bender evens up the count.

3:07:03 The 1-1

3:07:05 flipped out to left field. Holden will

3:07:09 watch it land foul.

3:07:12 A ball and two strikes

3:07:14 now on Kyle Jackson, the Bananas cleanup

3:07:17 hitter tonight.

3:07:19 A single sandwiched in between two fly

3:07:21 outs.

3:07:34 KJ trying to end it for the Bananas.

3:07:42 THE 1-2

3:07:44 FASTBALL CALLED STRIKE THREE! Peter

3:07:47 Holden, SHOWDOWN SHUT DOWN WITH THE K.

3:07:50 WE'RE GOING TO A ROUND THREE.

3:07:53 PARTY ANIMALS CONTINUE TO HOLD THE LINE.

3:07:56 SECOND SHOWDOWN SHUT DOWN OF THE season

3:07:58 for Pistol Pete. And a beautiful PITCH

3:08:02 DOTTED ON THAT OUTSIDE CORNER.

3:08:04 And a great frame by Andy Cosgrove.

3:08:10 Maybe a hair off the plate.

3:08:13 Too close to take for KJ.

3:08:16 Vincent Chapman rings him up.

3:08:21 And we go to round three.

3:08:26 Hosley

3:08:28 back out there after the scoreless ninth

3:08:30 inning.

3:08:32 And he has now faced four batters in

3:08:34 Showdowns as well.

3:08:41 Chase Eacuf.

3:08:44 He's the fourth different Party Animal

3:08:45 to face Hosley in Showdowns.

3:08:49 So far two sprints from Hampton, the

3:08:52 strikeout from Skole, and the soft

3:08:54 tapper from Swan.

3:08:56 He's gotten one appearance in Showdowns

3:08:58 this season. Was shut down that lone

3:09:00 time at the dish.

3:09:02 And now hopefully trying to come through

3:09:04 for the Party Animals as he takes strike

3:09:06 one.

3:09:09 Every Party Animal that scores counts as

3:09:11 a point with the bases loaded here in

3:09:13 round three. Alexiades back out

3:09:15 defensively.

3:09:17 Well, THAT ONE. AND WOW, JUST BARELY

3:09:19 foul down the third baseline.

3:09:22 Eric Goldstein, the third base umpire,

3:09:24 right on top of it.

3:09:30 And good evasive maneuvers from Tanner

3:09:32 Thomas.

3:09:33 Mark Smith on second, Reese Hampton on

3:09:35 first.

3:09:38 And this one into the seats.

3:09:42 Not caught.

3:09:46 Well, here comes another one of those

3:09:47 great batters for the Animals who is

3:09:49 very averse to the strikeout. Only three

3:09:51 this season. All of them came in the

3:09:53 same game.

3:09:59 Fastball misses up. So, other than that,

3:10:02 you see oftentimes a lot of ball put in

3:10:04 play when A Cups at the dish.

3:10:08 Fastball just misses wide.

3:10:11 And the count is full.

3:10:13 Ball four drives in two here.

3:10:18 SWING AND A MISS! HASLEY GETS A K!

3:10:22 ANOTHER SHOWDOWN SHUT DOWN! ANOTHER K

3:10:24 for Danny Do-It-All! IT'S STILL 2-2! And

3:10:28 that's six for Danny Hasley, WHICH MEANS

3:10:30 HE'S GOTTEN THESE SHOWDOWNS with the

3:10:32 bases loaded twice in 2026!

3:10:37 The first ONE TO POP OUT AGAINST THE

3:10:39 TAILGATERS, AND yet another strikeout!

3:10:43 This one coming against Faygo!

3:10:47 The high stinky cheese.

3:10:50 Not at all what you would expect Hasley

3:10:52 and Bill LeRoy to go to on the 3-2 with

3:10:54 the bases juiced.

3:10:59 I I genuinely don't know when we will

3:11:02 ever see another pitcher show this kind

3:11:04 of dominance in Showdown tiebreakers in

3:11:06 Banana Ball. There's nobody like him.

3:11:10 Well, all-time Hasley is undeniably the

3:11:13 best at Showdowns.

3:11:16 And now a perfect six for six

3:11:19 in this regular season.

3:11:23 Peter Holden

3:11:25 has to match Danny Do-It-All.

3:11:27 The bags are full of bananas, DR

3:11:29 Meadows,

3:11:31 who pinch hit for Hasley in the eighth

3:11:33 and grounded out. Swings it here in

3:11:35 round three. And the thought's the exact

3:11:36 same for the Bananas. Just bring up a

3:11:39 guy who puts the ball in play. Know that

3:11:41 he's going to shorten up his swing and

3:11:44 hopefully deliver you the game-winning

3:11:46 knock. Meadows doesn't have to come

3:11:48 around and score. All he's got to do is

3:11:50 drive in Bryce Harper at third base.

3:11:59 The 0-1.

3:12:02 Doesn't bite on the changeup.

3:12:05 Natty Jackson off second, Dan Oberst off

3:12:08 first. Really out there for show. Bryce

3:12:10 Harper

3:12:12 the game-winning run on third. The 1-1.

3:12:16 And another great take from Meadows.

3:12:18 Back-to-back changeups from Pistol Pete,

3:12:21 his best pitch.

3:12:25 As DR pulls ahead in the count.

3:12:30 CHOPPER, THAT WILL DO IT.

3:12:33 DAVID RAY MEADOWS, YOUR HERO FOR THE

3:12:35 BANANAS WHO COME BACK TO WIN it 3-2

3:12:38 after three rounds of showdowns.

3:12:44 Even without THEIR 2024

3:12:46 MVP in THE STARTING LINEUP TONIGHT,

3:12:50 SOMEHOW, SOME WAY, DR MEADOWS, ONE OF

3:12:53 THE greatest to ever do it, is able to

3:12:56 deliver the Bananas a 3-2

3:12:59 WALK-OFF VICTORY IN SHOWDOWNS against

3:13:01 the boys IN BLACK AND PINK.

3:13:04 WHAT A COME-FROM-BEHIND performance from

3:13:07 the Bananas. Far and away the best team

3:13:10 in the ninth inning this season and

3:13:12 becoming one of the best in showdowns as

3:13:15 well. A prime reason they are now 11 and

3:13:19 one to start the 2026 regular season.

3:13:23 Derek Lena, we'll sing. We've got a lot

3:13:26 to talk about after this.

3:13:36 >> Yeah.

3:13:37 Celebrate with me tonight.

3:13:42 >> Celebrate like we got time.

3:13:46 So lucky to have you in my life.

3:13:50 Hey!

3:13:51 You You better You better Hit the right

3:13:53 and Hit the left now. Turn around and

3:13:56 slide.

3:14:15 Hey!

3:14:16 Celebrate with me tonight.

3:14:20 Celebrate like we got time.

3:14:24 So lucky to have you in my life.

3:14:28 Hey!

3:14:30 You better You better Hit the right and

3:14:32 Hit the left now. Turn around and

3:14:35 slide.

3:14:37 Here we go. We made it through. Let's

3:14:39 go!

3:14:43 Celebrate with me tonight.

3:14:48 Celebrate like we got time.

3:14:52 So lucky to have you in my life.

3:14:57 You better You better Hit the right and

3:14:59 Hit the left now. Turn around and One

3:15:02 more time.

3:15:03 Hit the right and

3:15:04 Hit the left now. Turn around and

3:15:06 slide.

3:15:08 ONE MORE TIME FOR YOUR SAVANNAH BANANAS!

3:15:16 NEW YORK,

3:15:17 THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING with us

3:15:19 tonight.

3:15:21 You guys showed up. You brought

3:15:23 unbelievable energy a show down night.

3:15:26 We appreciate you more than you know.

3:15:29 And what a show. First, let's hear it.

3:15:32 How about the Party Animals over here

3:15:34 and the show they put on tonight?

3:15:38 They were the first team to join us over

3:15:40 5 years ago, and they were selling out

3:15:43 major league stadiums on their own this

3:15:45 year as well. But overall, we really

3:15:47 believe we have some of the best fans in

3:15:48 the world. To see what's happened,

3:15:50 rescheduled, move the game up today, you

3:15:52 show up, bring the energy, bring the

3:15:54 fun. We love you so much. We're going to

3:15:57 finish with one final tradition here

3:15:59 with Captain Bill Le Roy.

3:16:03 >> WHAT'S UP, NEW YORK?

3:16:08 TONIGHT WAS A WHOLE LOT of fun, and I

3:16:11 hope you guys had as much fun as we did.

3:16:12 But on a serious note,

3:16:14 outside of the ball game, this is a very

3:16:16 competitive battle back and forth

3:16:18 between us and the Party Animals. We

3:16:19 have a ton of respect for those guys.

3:16:21 Those are my brothers. These are my

3:16:22 brothers and sisters over here as well.

3:16:24 But something really important that's

3:16:25 going on tonight is bigger than a game,

3:16:28 and there's a lot of people on the same

3:16:29 place, LOVING ON EACH OTHER,

3:16:31 experiencing joy, and that's what this

3:16:33 event is all about. So, thank you for

3:16:35 showing up tonight and welcoming us way

3:16:38 away from our home in Savannah, Georgia.

3:16:40 We love you, New York.

3:16:46 Now, around the ballpark tonight, I want

3:16:48 you to put your hands up high.

3:16:52 We're going to break it down as one big

3:16:53 Banana Ball family tonight. We're going

3:16:55 to say fans first on three.

3:16:58 But I NEED TO KNOW,

3:17:00 ARE YOU READY?

3:17:03 >> YES, BILL.

3:17:16 >> HEADS UP.

3:17:19 FANS FIRST ON THREE. 1 2 3

3:17:23 WE LOVE YOU, NEW YORK.

3:17:25 >> We love you, too, Bill.

3:17:28 Oh, always super special

3:17:31 getting to hear the words of wisdom from

3:17:33 the nine-year banana and Captain Bill Le

3:17:35 Roy.

3:17:37 And as we take a look at the numbers

3:17:38 behind the bananas 3-2 victory, showman

3:17:41 of the game Derek Klena gets his first

3:17:44 career banana ball strikeout after his

3:17:47 Phantom of the Opera

3:17:49 walkout to the bump and then fantastic

3:17:54 showman chip in the Aladdin piece as

3:17:56 well going into the ninth.

3:18:00 I mean, I don't know what else you can

3:18:02 say about Derek Klena considering he

3:18:04 stole the show coming out as the

3:18:06 Phantom, striking out Bryson Bloomer,

3:18:09 and then doing a big number in the final

3:18:11 inning. That might have been the

3:18:12 momentum the bananas needed. And now to

3:18:15 hear more from Big D and his amazing

3:18:18 night, we're going to send it down to

3:18:19 Sam Balman.

3:18:21 >> Yeah, thanks Big O Josh. Showman in full

3:18:24 definition, Derek Klena our showman of

3:18:26 the game. Derek, you know a thing or two

3:18:27 about putting on a show here in the Big

3:18:29 Apple. Can you put in perspective the

3:18:31 performance you put on not only on the

3:18:34 dancing and singing but on the mound

3:18:35 tonight?

3:18:36 >> Oh man, you know what? I was just trying

3:18:37 to go out there and keep my composure.

3:18:38 You know, I was incognito so I don't I

3:18:40 no one knew it was me, you know. So I

3:18:41 had to I had to really show to prove it

3:18:43 was me. Uh

3:18:44 let one sail early but got myself

3:18:46 composed and was able to get the out.

3:18:47 And that's what I can do for my team,

3:18:48 baby. And then I was able to unveil with

3:18:50 confidence and pizzazz. It's exactly the

3:18:52 way I wanted to finish.

3:18:54 >> Derek, coming in to prepare for a night

3:18:56 like this. So many performances,

3:18:57 literally start to finish.

3:18:59 Does it help you clear your mind when

3:19:01 you get to the mound? Do you just think

3:19:03 throw the dang ball?

3:19:05 >> Kind of. I think that's that's kind of

3:19:06 the beauty of the sport is you don't get

3:19:07 time to think. It moves so fast. The

3:19:09 game flies by. You're in one one skin

3:19:11 onto the next, one dance onto the next,

3:19:13 one pitch, and you just got to keep

3:19:14 throwing. So I once I got my composure,

3:19:16 you know, I had my in-ears in so I

3:19:18 couldn't hear anything. So it's almost

3:19:19 it's almost It's I just could clear the

3:19:21 and and throw. And so, uh you know, it

3:19:24 it felt great to have my family and

3:19:26 friends here, to be in my hometown, or

3:19:27 not my hometown, but the place I've

3:19:28 lived for the past 14 years, and and be

3:19:30 here with some of my musical theater

3:19:31 colleagues as well. So, it was really

3:19:33 special. It was awesome. And to get the

3:19:34 And to get the win on I love you, too,

3:19:36 Jackie.

3:19:37 SORRY, MAGGIE.

3:19:39 >> AND EVERY HEY, DEREK, I'M GOING TO BRING

3:19:40 in this guy, D.R. Meadows.

3:19:42 >> baby. What a

3:19:43 >> D.R., come on in here, D.R.

3:19:45 >> You're my friend.

3:19:46 >> Good job today, bud.

3:19:48 >> D.R., you've been doing my job for the

3:19:49 past few days, but it it appears you

3:19:51 still know how to do this job pretty

3:19:53 well. Were you nervous coming in a

3:19:54 little bit cold, uh big spot?

3:19:56 >> I had a great like run with your job,

3:19:58 but you know, I miss you guys a lot. Uh

3:20:00 I'm super thankful to just come out here

3:20:02 and get the you know, serve them and

3:20:04 play with them today and get the

3:20:05 opportunity to do what we did tonight in

3:20:07 the showdowns.

3:20:08 >> Hey, tell me about this team, Derek, and

3:20:09 the guys rallying in a game that looked

3:20:11 like kind of out of your hands for a

3:20:13 while.

3:20:13 >> Dan the Man Obers

3:20:15 with the power, man. I mean, that dude

3:20:17 has a lot of power. You know, this

3:20:19 team's never out of it. We're never We

3:20:20 show that all year, and uh we're gritty

3:20:22 from top to bottom. Our pitching staff's

3:20:24 awesome. Um I mean, we're here.

3:20:27 >> Final question for both of you here, and

3:20:29 that's going to be a tough one.

3:20:29 9-year-old Olivia from our Banana Ball

3:20:32 backstage, she wants to know each of

3:20:34 your favorite fruits. I'll start with

3:20:36 you, Derek.

3:20:36 >> Favorite fruits. Oh, man. I would have

3:20:39 to say

3:20:42 a good a really good crisp apple.

3:20:45 >> Okay, yep. D.R.?

3:20:46 >> All right, I'm a big fruit guy. So, I'm

3:20:47 going to go blackberry, strawberries,

3:20:49 raspberries, green grapes, uh the white

3:20:51 seedless ones.

3:20:52 >> You named them all.

3:20:53 >> I like peaches.

3:20:54 >> I love berries. I'm sorry. SORRY.

3:20:56 AVOCADOS. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S A

3:20:58 FRUIT.

3:20:59 >> Uh no bananas for these two bananas

3:21:00 guys.

3:21:02 But they put on for yellow all all night

3:21:04 long. Beat go, Josh. Let's get back to

3:21:06 you.

3:21:06 >> Yeah, what gives, Sam? Thank you very

3:21:07 much, my friend. Derek and D.R., thank

3:21:11 you for the insight and uh the fruit

3:21:14 ranking there from Mr. Meadows as well.

3:21:17 Not just a favorite for you get that's

3:21:19 fans first of him. He He really plus the

3:21:21 experience in that regard. As we welcome

3:21:23 you back inside with Josh Tolewski, Biko

3:21:26 Skalla. Thank you again so much for

3:21:28 spending your big tiger Friday with us

3:21:30 here in virtual Banana Land. That was a

3:21:32 heart-thumping 3-2 come-from-behind

3:21:35 victory for the Savannah Bananas. They

3:21:37 have won seven straight. They are now a

3:21:39 league best 11 and 1 and the Party

3:21:42 Animals, gosh, they had that thing up

3:21:44 until one out in the bottom of the ninth

3:21:46 inning. They have now lost six in a row.

3:21:48 I mean, I don't want to say that you and

3:21:50 I are prophetic by any means, but it was

3:21:52 almost like at the top of the show, we

3:21:54 kind of knew what could potentially

3:21:55 happen in this game tonight. Again, all

3:21:58 of the trends were suggesting the

3:21:59 Bananas far and away that best team in

3:22:02 the final inning and the Party Animals

3:22:03 have not been able to get their act

3:22:05 together in the ninth. And it was a

3:22:07 sixth blown save from the Party Animals,

3:22:09 a game-tying home run from Dan Oberst

3:22:11 that led us to showdowns and from there

3:22:13 we have seen the Bananas dominance.

3:22:16 Although it's just two regular season

3:22:17 games and a small sample size, this team

3:22:20 has found a way in showdown tiebreakers

3:22:22 so far and they were able to deliver

3:22:25 themselves the win. And again, you look

3:22:27 at this game and there are a lot of

3:22:29 what-ifs I think on both sides of the

3:22:31 coin. The Bananas, a lot of trick plays

3:22:33 missed tonight that led to runs for the

3:22:35 Party Animals, but you look at the third

3:22:37 inning, the seventh inning in which the

3:22:39 Party Animals entered those innings with

3:22:42 runs or with leads in the runs

3:22:44 department were unable to hold them. So,

3:22:47 you see kind of where things could have

3:22:48 gone differently from both of these

3:22:50 teams. I think it all evened out in the

3:22:52 end and the most interesting part of

3:22:54 this whole ordeal, it reminds me of

3:22:57 Trenton in 2023,

3:23:00 the Bananas do a big elaborate friend

3:23:02 like me walk-up with Bill Leroy and it

3:23:05 parlayed into a walk-off double that

3:23:07 delivered them a win over the Trenton

3:23:09 Thunder. Yet again, you get this big

3:23:12 grand show from Derek action and the

3:23:14 rest of his bananas teammates and

3:23:16 includes friend like me by the way and

3:23:18 the bananas somehow someway are able to

3:23:22 tie the game and then win it in showdown

3:23:24 tiebreakers. It's funny just to see in

3:23:27 weird ways how history can repeat itself

3:23:30 in banana ball and again this Savannah

3:23:32 Bananas team not only incredibly

3:23:34 entertaining but this team that has just

3:23:37 figured it out in all of the right

3:23:39 banana ball aspects such as showdowns

3:23:41 and scoring in the ninth when it matters

3:23:43 the most. And you may not believe that

3:23:45 history repeats itself it at least

3:23:47 rhymes. I mean that's pretty uncanny

3:23:49 going back to Trenton in I believe

3:23:52 August 7th, 2023 you'll have to fact

3:23:54 check me on that. August 14th, 2023.

3:23:57 What am I doing? I'm slipping folks.

3:23:59 Okay, let's take Sorry 12. Here it is.

3:24:02 Attaboy. Attaboy. Okay, let's talk about

3:24:04 tomorrow instead of talking about the

3:24:06 past. We have three more Well, that's

3:24:08 actually no, we're going to be on

3:24:10 tomorrow. We're supposed to have three

3:24:11 but the banana ball games tomorrow. The

3:24:14 the weather is why we will not be

3:24:16 playing until Sunday. Tomorrow clowns

3:24:18 and firefighters 7:00 p.m. Eastern on

3:24:21 the firefighters YouTube channel as well

3:24:23 as Bally Sports and Stadium and then

3:24:25 coconuts and tailgaters an hour later at

3:24:27 8:00 p.m. will get going and will not

3:24:30 give anybody spoilers just yet. I know

3:24:32 folks don't like to get these things

3:24:34 spoiled but two really good ball games

3:24:37 already tonight between these four

3:24:39 teams.

3:24:40 >> Well, if tonight's coconuts tailgaters

3:24:42 game was any indication of how this

3:24:43 series is going to go, you are

3:24:45 definitely wanting to see the rest of

3:24:47 the action in Amarillo this weekend and

3:24:50 the firefighters and clowns another very

3:24:52 intriguing match-up.

3:24:54 >> No doubt at all. And now we'll take a

3:24:55 look at Sunday which is when we are

3:24:58 lucky enough to get to broadcast another

3:25:00 banana ball game. That will be party

3:25:02 animals and bananas the conclusion of

3:25:04 this two game set here in Yankee

3:25:06 Stadium. 3:00 p.m. first pitch. We will

3:25:09 kick our pregame show festivities off at

3:25:12 2:30 p.m. Eastern and we cannot wait to

3:25:14 see you right back here for the two

3:25:17 original teams in the sport battling in

3:25:20 front of another full capacity crowd in

3:25:22 the Bronx. Another huge thank you to our

3:25:24 entire cast and crew. It starts with our

3:25:26 folks in the control room all the way

3:25:28 down in the hostess city of the south.

3:25:30 Our director tonight, Mr. Chris Haynes,

3:25:32 the best in the biz. And for everybody

3:25:34 here in Yankee Stadium, our producer Mr.

3:25:37 Chad Reese, our executive producer Josh

3:25:40 Richardson, down on the field Sam Bowman

3:25:42 and Drake Toll, and up here the

3:25:44 statistical savant of Banana Ball Josh

3:25:47 Tolewski. I am Biko Skala saying so long

3:25:50 for now. 3-2 victory tonight for the

3:25:52 Bananas. Enjoy those other two Banana

3:25:54 Ball games tomorrow. I know we cannot

3:25:56 wait to watch and we will see you again

3:25:58 right here on the Bananas YouTube

3:25:59 channel on Sunday afternoon. And until

3:26:02 then, we will see you later.

3:26:18 >> Good luck to the Savannah Bananas and

3:26:20 the Macon Bacon.

3:29:05 >> Mhm.