Viral sensation Savannah Bananas take over Angel Stadium this weekend with two sold out games
ANAHEIM, Calif. (KABC) -- America's favorite pastime got a new look in Anaheim Friday night!
The viral sensation Savannah Bananas took over Angel Stadium to introduce Southern California to their showstopping brand of baseball.
The best way to describe them is the Harlem Globetrotters for baseball.
The world-famous "banana ball" features dance routines and performances in between the baseball game.
They sold out two games at Angel Stadium this weekend. There were 45,000 fans in attendance on Friday night.
Eyewitness News caught up with some of the players during their practice.
"It's something I know all of us have dreamed about playing in sold-out stadiums, and it's just incredible," player Reese Alexiades from Manhattan Beach said.
"I always wanted to play in this stadium specifically. I grew up coming to games here. My neighbor has season tickets, so I've been to a lot of Angels games. To be able to be here with the Savannah Bananas is surreal," RobertAnthony 'RAC' Cruz from Fontana said.
The Bananas have peeled back the way you think baseball should be played.
The team has gained a bunch of followers on social media through videos of the players' extravagant walk-ups, choreographed dance routines and lots of lip-sync performances.
"To be able to play a game, focus on the fun, and not stress so much about the results is a great time, and we're also out here competing. You'll see. It's very high-level baseball, and we're trying to win," Cruz added.
"It's just breaking the fourth wall. We are encouraged to not only fail on the field trying trick plays, but also get in the stands and make fan-first moments and do things that you would never do on a baseball field," Alexiades added.
And their fans are going bananas over the chance to see them play in person.
"It really elevates the game of baseball. Most kids, I feel like, can't sit through a normal game for two or three hours, but with these guys and the things they do, it just really gets the kids locked in," Joshua Isleib, a fan from Whittier, said.
"We saw some stuff on TV. We know some people who went to see them. It looked like a pretty good venue to go see, and we got excited. We got in the lottery last November. We got notice of the tickets a couple of months ago, so super excited about coming down here," Mark Damey, another fan from San Jose, said.
The ceremonial first pitch on Friday night set the tone, tossed by former USC quarterback Matt Leinart, who, of course, threw a football instead. That counted as a strike against the first batter.
One of the most fun rules added to "banana ball" is that if a fan catches a foul ball, it counts as an out.
Elijah Khazin is now maybe the only 14-year-old to record an out at a big league park.
"I couldn't believe my eyes. My legs were shaking and everything," Khazin said. "I heard the crowd, and they went crazy."
The game doesn't just go into the crowd, players even brought young fans onto the diamond.
"I gave a high five to probably every banana player, even the one up on the stilts," young fan Jacob Pullman said.
There was even a rousing, albeit slow, baby race on the field.
The Savannah Bananas got the VIP treatment Wednesday at Disneyland as thousands of fans welcomed them to the Happiest Place on Earth.
The team, especially those with ties to SoCal, say this is an extra special pit stop on the Banana Ball World Tour.
"I'm just extremely blessed and grateful that baseball has brought me here. This is exactly where I need to be," said Alexiades.
The Bananas are playing at Angel Stadium in Anaheim again Saturday night.
You can stream the matchups exclusively on Disney+ and ESPN+.
Disney is the parent company of ESPN, Disney+ and this station.
