{"id":78898,"date":"2025-08-16T23:14:29","date_gmt":"2025-08-16T23:14:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=78898"},"modified":"2025-08-16T23:14:29","modified_gmt":"2025-08-16T23:14:29","slug":"white-sox-legends-relive-glory-days-with-savannah-bananas-this-is-awesome-for-baseball","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=78898","title":{"rendered":"White Sox Legends Relive Glory Days With Savannah Bananas: ‘This Is Awesome For Baseball’"},"content":{"rendered":"

CHICAGO \u2014 They backflipped. They boogied. They walked on stilts. They got the crowd to do jumping-jacks.<\/p>\n

And then the Savannah Bananas let 2005 White Sox World Series champion Mark Buehrle pitch at Sox Park one more time.<\/p>\n

\u201cI won\u2019t be able to wipe my ass with my arm for a week and a half,\u201d said Buehrle, 46, recovering with a cold can of Coors Light in the dugout after the game.<\/p>\n

Buehrle \u2014 who said he only plays first base these days in a softball beer league \u2014 gave up a hit but got the Bananas a key out on the way to a 3-2 win in front of a sold-out crowd Friday night of 40,000-plus fans, many who joined the Sox legend in wearing bright yellow, shamelessly, from head-to-toe.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot my color,\u201d said Sox champion catcher A.J. Pierzynski, who caught for Buehrle in the World Series and now two decades later, in Banana Ball. \u201cBut this is awesome for baseball\u2026the kids love it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n
\"White
Former White Sox players A.J. Pierzynski, left, and Mark Buehrle celebrate after playing for the Savannah Bananas in the seventh inning. Credit: Zoe D Davis<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

It was the first time the Bananas have brought their zany take on the old game to Chicagoans, who embraced it like the late White Sox owner and showman Bill Veeck would have hoped.<\/p>\n

The former summer college team from Savannah, Georgia has gone from playing for peanuts to packing professional baseball and football stadiums in a barnstorming tour across the country.<\/p>\n

\u201cEach inning the team that scores the most runs wins the point. But the last inning, every run is a point,\u201d an older man explained to a much younger one in the bleachers. \u201cAnd if a fan catches a foul ball, it\u2019s an out.\u201d<\/p>\n

By the end of the second inning Chicagoans had made three outs themselves. An outfielder caught a fly ball barehanded. The home plate umpire did a split. A marching band was making laps around the stands. Walks were replaced by \u201csprints\u201d and the baseballs were also yellow.<\/p>\n

Players took breaks to dance \u2014 including choreographed backup to a surprise Chance The Rapper concert. An inevitable Mike Ditka impersonator took the field.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe music is very loud and there\u2019s a lot of twerking,\u201d said Bananas fan Katie Vasquez, who finds most Sox games she goes to somewhat boring. \u201cI\u2019m very entertained.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"White
Fans cheer for t-shirts during the game. Credit: Zoe D Davis<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"White
A view of Rate Field from the outfield during the game Credit: Zoe D Davis<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Fans looking for seats to the Friday and Saturday night Banana games in Chicago against their traveling foils, The Firefighters, had to enter a lottery last winter. Less than half of hopefuls scored even the chance to buy tickets. The South Side crowd Friday topped the turnout across town at Wrigley Field for the contending Cubs\u2019 matinee game.<\/p>\n

The party started hours before first pitch with thousands outside Sox Park for a \u201cPregame Party Plaza\u201d with live music, a small nation of bouncy castles, meet-and-greets with Bananas and long lines to purchase merch. Sox mascot Southpaw, who famously wore jorts and a crop top to the Chicago Pride Parade in June, showed up Friday in a \u201cI\u2019m With The Banana\u201d T-shirt.<\/p>\n

Sox fan Ryan Rektorski and many others brought their young children.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is how big the crowd should be all the time,\u201d Rektorski said. \u201cI got lucky that this is my daughter\u2019s first game.\u201d<\/p>\n

Amy Hermle came from home four blocks over in a banana costume she thought she\u2019d wear just once for a group Mario Kart Halloween costume.<\/p>\n

\u201cChicago really does it best, man,\u201d Hermle said. \u201cSucks our sports team aren\u2019t great.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"White
Chance the Rapper performs in the fifth inning of a game between the Savannah Bananas and Firefighters on Aug. 15, 2025, at Rate Field. Credit: Zoe D Davis<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

By the fourth inning, lemonade vendor Ron Raney said he made more than he would have during an entire Sox game. That team (44-78) lost Friday in Kansas City.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome say Banana Ball is bastardized baseball. No it\u2019s not. It\u2019s a roller derby. It\u2019s the Harlem Globetrotters of baseball,\u201d Raney said. \u201cThere\u2019s more energy, a lot of kids. And kids are the future of sports.\u201d<\/p>\n

But for now it was still Buehrle\u2019s night. And it was off to a rocky start after he surrendered a hit to the Firefighters\u2019 Dakota\u00a0McFadden, who said he was 12 or 13 years old when he watched Buehrle pitch a perfect game on television in his childhood room.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy kid heart was smiling,\u201d McFadden said. \u201cThe pitch he threw still moved like a wiffle ball.\u201d<\/p>\n

Buerhle received a standing ovation after he got the next batter to ground out to end the inning. Pierzynski said Buehrle, who shook him off most pitches, threw all fastballs \u201cand one changeup.\u201d The men wildly disagreed on the top speed.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe roar I got from the crowd was insane,\u201d said Buerhle, the subject of a new bronze statue in the outfield concourse. \u201cI don\u2019t know why everyone in Chicago loves me so much.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"White
Fans dressed as bananas stand during the game between the Savannah Bananas and Firefighters on Aug. 15, 2025, at Rate Field. Credit: Zoe D Davis<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

McFadden had last played for an independent league team called the Birmingham Bloomfield Beavers. He was coaching travel baseball and dressing up as Santa Claus in the winter. The success of the Banana Ball has helped make baseball a career. He now regularly practices catching a baseball behind his back.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been an honor for me to impact people through the game in a positive way,\u201d McFadden said. \u201cThirty one kids I coached signed this year to play college baseball and softball.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Firefighers\u2019 Zachary Bridges, who played college ball at University of North Carolina Wilmington with White Sox prospect Brooks Baldwin, hit his first home run in a major league ballpark Friday.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t wait to tell him,\u201d Bridges said. \u201cI\u2019m going to be in his wedding.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bananas fan Angela Abrand, from suburban Tinley Park, was not shy about her crushes on the players.<\/p>\n

\u201cWrite that I love KJ Jackson,\u201d Abrand said.<\/p>\n

Joey Harbert, from Rogers Park, and many others said they had gotten to know the Bananas through TikTok.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey did this amazing lip-sync of Lizzy McAlpine\u2019s song \u2018Ceilings,\u2019\u201d Harbert said. \u201cI really couldn\u2019t tell you the last time I went to a baseball game.\u201d<\/p>\n

The young Grady Gribac wore the Bananas jersey he got for his birthday.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m hoping to get something signed,\u201d Gribac said.<\/p>\n

\"White
Jared Donalson does a pushup competition with a young fan during the game. Credit: Zoe D Davis<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Street vendors outside the ballpark swapped out their usual White Sox merch for knockoff Bananas gear \u2014 except for one still slinging \u201cChicago Pope\u201d shirts.<\/p>\n

Babies \u201craced\u201d on the field between an inning and a Banana mascot got an adult fan to put on an oversized diaper. The crowd ate it up.<\/p>\n

The Bananas scored their runs largely on errors from \u201ctrick plays\u201d gone awry by The Firefighters, who have room to improve at behind-the-back and backflip catches. The game was over in under two hours \u2014 per Banana Ball rules.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wouldn\u2019t say this reminded me of the World Series,\u201d Pierzynski said. \u201cBut I mean, the crowd was into every pitch.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"White
Savannah Bananas players dance after a 3-2 win over the Firefighters Credit: Zoe D Davis<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"White
(Left to Right) Katie Vasquez, Madeleine Kuse, Julia Hindle and Dennis Kraus pose for a photo during the game Credit: Zoe D Davis<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"White
A concession stand is decorated in honor of the Bananas. Credit: Zoe D Davis<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"White
Robert Anthony Cruz flips after catching a fly ball in the first inning of the game. Credit: Zoe D Davis<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"White
A young fan leans on the security netting at the end of the game. Credit: Zoe D Davis<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"White
Robert Anthony Cruz high fives a young fan during the eighth inning of the game. Credit: Zoe D Davis<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\n

Listen to the Block Club Chicago podcast:<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Savannah Bananas’ wacky take on baseball brought Mark Buehrle and A.J. Pierzynski back to Sox Park. Special guest Chance The Rapper performed, babies raced and fans loved every second.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":78899,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-78898","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb"],"yoast_head":"\nWhite Sox Legends Relive Glory Days With Savannah Bananas: 'This Is Awesome For Baseball' - NEWS USA<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=78898\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"White Sox Legends Relive Glory Days With Savannah Bananas: 'This Is Awesome For Baseball' - NEWS USA\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Savannah Bananas' wacky take on baseball brought Mark Buehrle and A.J. Pierzynski back to Sox Park. Special guest Chance The Rapper performed, babies raced and fans loved every second.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=78898\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"NEWS USA\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-08-16T23:14:29+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/avtvip-2025-08-17T061402.852.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"900\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"900\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"MrThanh\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"MrThanh\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"1 minute\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=78898\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=78898\",\"name\":\"White Sox Legends Relive Glory Days With Savannah Bananas: 'This Is Awesome For Baseball' - NEWS USA\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=78898#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=78898#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/avtvip-2025-08-17T061402.852.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-08-16T23:14:29+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-08-16T23:14:29+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/850fd1b8bcb1d322b7f0a04b3d2f18ec\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=78898#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=78898\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=78898#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/avtvip-2025-08-17T061402.852.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/avtvip-2025-08-17T061402.852.jpg\",\"width\":900,\"height\":900},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=78898#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"White Sox Legends Relive Glory Days With Savannah Bananas: ‘This Is Awesome For Baseball’\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/\",\"name\":\"NEWS USA\",\"description\":\"Your Daily Dose of Sports News and Updates\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/850fd1b8bcb1d322b7f0a04b3d2f18ec\",\"name\":\"MrThanh\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8c8f2d90ff2a21a61a5e6bc0619622a5021fc65353885d9d7b3db1c8c7c1ca8d?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8c8f2d90ff2a21a61a5e6bc0619622a5021fc65353885d9d7b3db1c8c7c1ca8d?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"MrThanh\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?author=6\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"White Sox Legends Relive Glory Days With Savannah Bananas: 'This Is Awesome For Baseball' - NEWS USA","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=78898","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"White Sox Legends Relive Glory Days With Savannah Bananas: 'This Is Awesome For Baseball' - NEWS USA","og_description":"The Savannah Bananas' wacky take on baseball brought Mark Buehrle and A.J. Pierzynski back to Sox Park. Special guest Chance The Rapper performed, babies raced and fans loved every second.","og_url":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=78898","og_site_name":"NEWS USA","article_published_time":"2025-08-16T23:14:29+00:00","og_image":[{"width":900,"height":900,"url":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/avtvip-2025-08-17T061402.852.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"MrThanh","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"MrThanh","Est. reading time":"1 minute"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=78898","url":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=78898","name":"White Sox Legends Relive Glory Days With Savannah Bananas: 'This Is Awesome For Baseball' - NEWS USA","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=78898#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=78898#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/avtvip-2025-08-17T061402.852.jpg","datePublished":"2025-08-16T23:14:29+00:00","dateModified":"2025-08-16T23:14:29+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/850fd1b8bcb1d322b7f0a04b3d2f18ec"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=78898#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=78898"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=78898#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/avtvip-2025-08-17T061402.852.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/avtvip-2025-08-17T061402.852.jpg","width":900,"height":900},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=78898#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"White Sox Legends Relive Glory Days With Savannah Bananas: ‘This Is Awesome For Baseball’"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/","name":"NEWS USA","description":"Your Daily Dose of Sports News and Updates","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/850fd1b8bcb1d322b7f0a04b3d2f18ec","name":"MrThanh","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8c8f2d90ff2a21a61a5e6bc0619622a5021fc65353885d9d7b3db1c8c7c1ca8d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8c8f2d90ff2a21a61a5e6bc0619622a5021fc65353885d9d7b3db1c8c7c1ca8d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"MrThanh"},"url":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?author=6"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78898","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=78898"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78898\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":78900,"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78898\/revisions\/78900"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/78899"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=78898"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=78898"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=78898"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}