Banana Ball: The Unbelievably True Story of the Savannah Bananas

by Jesse Cole, Don Yaeger (With)

The Savannah Bananas have peeled back the game of baseball and made it fun again.

This is their story.

For his entire childhood, Jesse Cole dreamed of pitching in the Majors. Now, he has a life in baseball that only he could have imagined: he met the love of his life in the industry; they shaped Savannah, Georgia's professional team into the league champion Savannah Bananas; and now the Bananas have restyled baseball itself into something all their own: Banana Ball.

Fast, fun, and outrageously entertaining, Banana Ball brings fans right into the game. The Bananas throw out a first banana rather than a ball. Their first-base coach dances to Thriller or Britney between innings. Players run into the crowd to hand out roses. The ticket is food all-inclusive! And the rules themselves are bananas: if a fan catches a foul ball it's an out, and players might go to bat on stilts, or wearing a banana costume. And their fans absolutely love it.

But the reason this team is on the forefront of a movement is less about the play on the field and more about the atmosphere that the team culture creates. For the first time in this book, Jesse reveals the ideas and experiences that allowed him to reimagine America's oldest sport by creating a phenomenon that is helping fans fall in love with the game all over again.

This is a story that's bigger than baseball, and bigger than the yellow tuxedo Jesse wears as the "ringmaster" of every game. And to understand the movement, you have to understand the story at its core. In Jesse's telling, it takes heart, creativity, joy (and a bit of tropical fruit) to make something wholly original out of one of America's great traditions. His story is part Moneyball, part Field of Dreams, part The Greatest Showman. It is a personal story, a creativity story, and the story of a business scrapping for every success. And it has several distinct love stories--love stories like Jesse and his father, Jesse and his wife, the team and the sport of baseball, the team and the fans.

This is Jesse calling his dad from the outfield after each Bananas game, and putting unending creativity into a team with the ultimate goal of bringing the Bananas to the professional ballparks he himself never got to play in. This is his story, of baseball, love, leadership, and going just a bit bananas for all.

Genres: Sports, Baseball, Nonfiction, Memoir, Audiobook, Business, Biography

272 pages, Hardcover

Published May 16, 2023

Reviews

[Julie Brough · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was so excited about the subject of this book. I am a huge baseball fan and have loved following the Bananas' journey. I gasped out of excitement when I saw the cover on NetGalley. But the writing killed me. It felt disorganized and repetitive. As a writing tutor with over ten years of experience, I can say this book NEEDED reverse outlining. I wish a sportswriter would have taken it on, interviewed everyone, and followed the team. This just felt like I was reading someone's personal journal rather than an engaging account of the Savannah Bananas. I wanted it to be so good, but the writing was not good at all.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Lance · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the biggest criticisms of baseball today is that it is no longer fun, either for the players or the fans. Enter the Savanna Bananas, a touring team that tours various ballparks with its opponents, the Party Animals. The Bananas are the result of much creativity and hard work by Jesse Cole and his wife Emily. How they got to this point, where the Bananas are a big hit both in person and on TikTok, is captured in this terrific book written by Jesse.

When Jesse realized that his dream career of playing baseball was not going to happen, he also saw how the fun was being sucked out of the game for both players and fans. Wanting to still have a career in the game, he took an unpaid internship for an independent team in North Carolina. Taking the lessons from that team’s owner and adding in his creativity, he and a woman with a similar job (who would marry Jesse) and drive came together to create the Bananas.

It should be noted that as soon as Jesse and Emily obtained the team and the historic stadium in which it would play, the Bananas were not touring but were in a summer league for teams of collegiate players. Jesse’s writing about his time in North Carolina, his relationship with Emily, and their shared vision of creating a team that would put the fun back in baseball is terrific. This is especially clear when describing some of crazy ideas and stunts of the team. Jesse also makes it clear that not everything must come from him or Emily - the player’s input is important as well. A great story about this is a player who suggested setting his bat on fire for a plate appearance. It became one of the most popular Bananas video on social media.

The book does not have much on-field action but it doesn’t need it - the stories about the struggles and then the huge victories for the Coles are riveting on their own. One more note about the games the Bananas currently play on their tour with the Party Animals - they are very competitive. The Party Animals are not the perpetual losers to the Bananas like the Washington Generals are for the Harlem Globetrotters- like the Bananas they are good baseball players as well as entertainers.

This review cannot properly describe the Coles, the teams or the entertainment they provide. Just pick up the book and the reader will see for themselves how good the story of the Savanna Bananas is.

I wish to thank Penguin Group Dutton for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

https://sportsbookguy.blogspot.com/20...

[Zack Jackson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Full disclosure: I have a REALLY hard time listening to perpetual optimists, especially when they tell their own story. They tend to brush over the human elements and focus entirely on their own success. It comes across as self-aggrandizing. This is especially true for the many quotes he includes from other people praising him for being such a creative and successful visionary.

THAT BEING SAID, by chapter 13 or so, this book does hit its stride and he focuses more on the organization than himself. There are some really brilliant chapters about vision, impact, and creativity. I really appreciated the second half of the book for that reason. I'm fascinated by how an organization can continue to grow and be innovative without falling into a rut when they find success, and I appreciated the times that he let us see under the hood. I love the Bananas and I think Jesse Cole is a uniquely gifted person. I just have a hard time with optimists who tell their own success stories.

[Gary Anderson]

Banana Ball isn’t baseball. As Jesse Cole, creator of Banana Ball and owner of the Savannah Bananas, says of its origin, “It was equal parts chaos, sideshow, and baseball.” His goal in creating Banana Ball was to take the aspects of a baseball game that some find boring and flip them into something fun by changing baseball rules, adding dance moves, and incorporating visual stunts. Cole’s Bananas experiment has been wildly successful, and he freely admits, “We are not for most baseball purists. We are for people who want to have fun.” (Of course, this begs the question of whether “baseball purists” and “people who want to have fun” are mutually exclusive groups.) Cole’s book Banana Ball: The Unbelievably True Story of the Savannah Bananas tells his personal story, his motivation, and his business philosophy inspired by Walt Disney, P. T. Barnum, and Bill Veeck.

I picked this up because I was intrigued by the Savannah Bananas phenomenon, but to be honest, I’m less interested in it after reading Cole’s book. I love baseball; this isn’t baseball. In general, if something has to be sweetened to a point where the masses can relate to it, I tend to lose interest. Also, I’m sorry to say that Jesse Cole comes across as the kind of person that I actively try to avoid, those who are so sure of the superiority of their own opinion that they can’t stop preaching it. Even the title is hyperbolic. Why is this an “Unbelievably True Story”? A “True Story,” yes. “Unbelievably True”? No.

Even though this book turned me off, I can see why others might find it entertaining or worthwhile. No judgement from me if you read Banana Ball and come away with a completely different viewpoint.

[Jordan Eichenblattt · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s a tough read because it just doesn’t flow but in it are pockets of stories and lessons you want to hear about the coolest thing in sports.

[bear.hare · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audio. I really enjoyed learning how Banana Ball came about. What a fun thing! Definitely a good book for lovers of America’s favorite past time.

[Dan Telgenhof · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now I want to see a Banana’s game in person. Went to Grayson Stadium just to check out the home stadium of this unique team.

[Haley Rawlins · Rating 4 out of 5]

“We know we are not for everyone. It you try to be everything to everyone, you won't be anything to anyone. We are not for most baseball purists. We are for people who want to have fun.”

[Joey De La Torre · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just watch the documentary. 🍌⚾️

This would've been much better if half the book wasn't just Jesse Cole writing his biography. This is probably to be expected though, part of me feels this is due to the fact that Banana Ball is still very new and doesn't have a lot of history. So that would-be history of the game gets filled with the history of the creator.

Interestingly, in a sort of reverse book adaptation scenario, the ESPN documentary series actually provides more insight into Banana Ball than this book does. 🎥👍 Unusual because it's typically the book that has more content that the show/movie. Now I know the two are completely unrelated, but there's next to nothing in this book that the documentary didn't already dive further into. I think the only piece of new info that's mentioned is the team's decision to leave the Coastal Plain League and focus on Banana Ball full-time. Which is great because Banana Ball is awesome, but I think the book's mention of this is mostly just a side effect of it being newer, and coming out after this decision was made.

To me the best part was at the very beginning in the author's forward, before even getting to the meat of the book. As part of the writing process, the co-author attended every Banana Ball game of 2022. 🗓️ He talks about how social media simply doesn’t do the real thing justice. How being at a live game is even zanier, wilder, more unpredictable, and more pure fun than anything he's ever seen on any field. 😵‍💫 And when he took his son to one of the games, his son looked at him and said, “Dad, please don’t take me to a regular baseball game ever again.” 🚫⚾️

[Tyler Ragghianti · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the history of Jessie and the origin of the Bananas. But as you get towards the end, he’s sipping a little too much of his own kool-aid. For a creator and innovator for a product like the author, it totally makes sense. It just comes off a little pretentious in a book form.

[Joshua Bishop · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jesse Cole is a phenomenal storyteller - that shouldn't be a surprise if you know even 5% about the Savannah Bananas. To listen to this audiobook, narrated by Jesse himself and annotated with notes and quotes from loved ones, you get a really good sense of the man behind the yellow tuxedo. While the Bananas are an undeniably success today, the didn't start out that way. You get to hear all of the ups, downs, influences, struggles, and successes of this team and the Cole Family at large. This was honestly a lot of fun to listen to and would recommend it to anyone.

[Maggie Hayon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot say enough good about this book. Some of the writing does feel repetitive, but it was such a good read from multiple angles. This might be one I end up reading every so often because of content that struck me both personally and professionally. Jesse knows what he’s doing and a lot of owners, execs, etc could learn a thing or two.

[Kristen Lammons · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don’t mind me looking up how much tickets are to see them live 😅

[Sierra Hoeger · Rating 3 out of 5]

such a fun lil story on how one of the most famous, viral, and whimsical baseball teams came to fruition.

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have never seen the Bananas play but I can only imagine the atmosphere. Reading this book makes me reminisce about a game I loved as a child; the grass-stained pants, the bugs hovering near the huge lights on a humid Kansas summer night, the paper lineup stuck in the chain link fence at the dugout entrance, the chatter from the infield … hey batter batter swing! Fun - it is that simple.

Jesse & Emily Cole had a dream to break the business-like decorum of baseball & put fans first. They did just that. A lesson in leadership resonates in the philosophy of putting people and their experiences first. This idea can be applied to just about anything and any industry. Look at what you have to do then ask, “what can we do?” The sky is the limit!

[Natalie - FerryGoodBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anyone who knows me, knows that I am not at a baseball game to watch. I know almost nothing about the sport and know very little about the players. My knowledge doesn’t go beyond knowing Gabe Kapler is hot in his uniform and he’s a pitcher(?), first base(?)… JK. So going into this book, knowing that I go to baseball games solely for the food and hot men in uniforms, I was pretty excited to learn more especially from the goofiest, silliest, talented Savannah Bananas.

Knowing nothing about Jesse and going into this book with an open mind, I was entertained and learned a lot. I’m sure at one point, there has been a video of the Savannah Bananas doing sexy dances, dressed in outrageous costumes, or just being goofy while playing baseball. I never knew how this team came about and Jesse did a wonderful job telling how this all came about, the ideas beside his vision, and the inspiration and challenges that he faced. This book is made for the hardcore, die hard fans and for those newbies who don’t know the difference between shortstop and outfield. You will find yourself more in love with the Savannah Banans after this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton for this ARC

[Janine · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a baseball fan, I've been aware of Banana Ball as well as the Savannah Bananas for a number of years and seen some of their videos online. They are more or less, baseball's version of the Harlem Globetrotters (don't tell that to Jesse Cole though), presenting baseball in fun new ways, like bats on fire and the ten foot tall batter, and that's not even the surface of it. I enjoyed reading about his road to where he is today.

The creator, Jesse Cole, writes in the book about how he's changing America's Pastime to be compelling and entertaining for the 21st century fan. I was intrigued to how it came about, going back to the early days of his life, his dreams in the major leagues shattered by a career ending injury in college, and experiences throughout his life brought him to this point. Fresh off his injury and wanting to stay in the sport, he saw baseball as slow and boring and needing some shaking up, and if it was boring to a lifelong player, imagine it for the casual fan! So he decided to change it up, put back the fun back in the sport, and it was a long road to get there, from college ball to the minor leagues, to establishing the Savannah Bananas, while going into his relationship with his wife, Emily, a major contributor to the Bananas. Some of the lessons he learned and shares can apply to any field and profession, especially if you're in the entertainment business (like fiction authors), changing something that's been so buttoned up into an engaging event once again. There’s a bunch of baseball references and a tiny bit of baseball action, but even if you don’t know the sport, you won’t be lost, as it's more about the characters and personality than the in-game action. I really love that Eric Byrnes and Jake Peavy, two of my favorite MLB players, were really putting their effort behind this new twist on baseball, among other big baseball names and brands.

This has also made me want to go to one of their games in person as soon as I can, but for now, I'll check out more of their videos online and have their ESPN+ documentary series on my must watch list. If you're a baseball fan, or even just wanting to mix things up in your own career or life, pick this book up.

*I received an ARC from Dutton and Netgalley. All opinions are my own.*

[Brandon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the second half of this book, the first 100 or so pages I could have done without. If this book started on the chapter where he met and married his wife, it would have been a nicer ride.

Once we got into what the book was supposed to be about, it got interesting. I was not so interested in where Jesse Cole went to school, or that he played baseball and never made it due to injury. I was more interested in how and why the team was made, and I get we needed to know some of this info to understand who Jesse is and why he got where he is today, but we did not need 100+ pages to get there.

That being said, once we got into the brainstorming and planning of what the Bananas were to be, the book got more interesting. My only major complaint was that I was interested in learning how he keeps the players. Yes I understood they have a love for the game, and that's one driving factor, but what is keeping them from going to a different league where they can possibly be paid more and have a professional baseball career. I understood some of them are too old to maybe play professional ball, but it would have been interesting to know, "we payed x amount to keep Stilts on the team originally", just to understand what salaries these players make and/or drive them to stick around.

The book did however make me even more want to see a Bananas game, I'd also be interested to see the MLB jump on their bandwagon and do games in off seasons, or before training camps and etc.

I give it a 4.5 but rounded down, because the beginning being so dragged out, I can't give it a perfect score.

[Kyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a huge baseball fan, I picked up Banana Ball to understand what makes the Savannah Bananas tick before catching them live this August. What I found was an entertaining, fast-paced read that captures the joyful chaos and bold vision behind one of baseball’s most unconventional teams.

Jesse Cole’s storytelling mirrors the game he helped reimagine—energetic, quirky, and driven by an unshakable belief in doing things differently. His passion for creating a “fans first” experience radiates off every page, and his commitment to shaking up tradition with intention is nothing short of inspiring.

That said, I do wish the book had spent more time on the team’s roots in the Coastal Plain League. There's a fascinating story there—the grind, the league dynamics, the players before the spotlight—that gets a bit glossed over. As someone deeply curious about the evolution of the game, I would’ve loved to sit with that chapter of the Bananas’ story a bit longer.

Still, Cole’s vision is contagious, and Banana Ball offers a refreshing perspective on how community, joy, and innovation can revive even the most sacred American pastimes. I’m glad I read this before seeing the Bananas in action—it’s given me a deeper appreciation for what they represent: not just entertainment, but a challenge to the status quo. I'm excited to catch a game this August.

[Anne - ReadingfortheWeekend · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great look into the makings of the baseball team that has captivated the nation - the Savanah Bananas!

I have been obsessed with this team for some time and have been trying like mad to see them play! So of course, reading about them was the next best thing!

This is as much as a business book as it is a memoir/book about the team. It was captivating how Jesse and Emily got their start and all they’ve been through to get this unique team off the ground.

Jesse cites Walt Disney as an inspiration, and I can appreciate how Jesse has the same spirit for innovation and creativity.

My only complaint is how my favorite player Jackson Olson was never mentioned! 🙂

[Preston Burt · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love a good book about baseball, but this was more about marketing the idea of the Savannah Bananas as a concept and touting the author's achievements in doing so than it was a compelling sports narrative or autobiography. It wanted to be an inspirational business motivator book (Who moved my cheese?!). Ultimately, it was all over the place and felt repetitive (If I read "fan-first" one more time...grrr). Glad to have read it to quench my curiosity, but I would not recommend to anyone unless you're a diehard Bananas fan.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed reading about Jesse and Emily, and having more context for all the fun (and major improvements) at Grayson Stadium.
As ticket holders since 2016 - love my Bananas!! (Party Animals and Firemen, too!) 💛

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved listening to this book from a baseball and marketing loving lens! I feel like this was a great way to gain ideas, lead a business, and show how hard work pays off! It’s a great read for a number of different fans out there.

[Corey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This memoir had some interesting information on the founding of an incredible sports and entertainment franchise. At about halfway through the book, however, it felt like the author had covered most everything he had to say and it got repetitive.

[Janie Van Der Walt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think I’m a Memoir Slut. This book was fun, inspiring and, at times, very sweet. If nothing else, Jesse’s idealism and passion are admirable. I think it’s a quarter longer than it needs to be; perhaps I’m just not understanding the relevance of some parts of the program’s evolution.

[James L · Rating 5 out of 5]

The great entertainer himself on how he started it all. The level of confidence and drive this man and his wife have had to make this happen.

On a personal note. I scored tickets to a game last year with my life on a lucky chance meeting with someone. Absolutely on another level with how they put on a show.

Fantastic. Only word necessary.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun look inside the workings of a new take on America’s favorite pastime. The energy and passion are infectious. I’m a life-long baseball fan and Cole’s sold me on his innovative approach to the game.

[Steve Ewing · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is fun reading about the Savannah Bananas, but this book needs some good editing. However, once the writer got past all of the family background and the leading up to the Bananas, it was fun reading about the team, putting together all of the antics and the support the team has gained.

[Jenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

So fun, I’m amazed at the creative drive of everyone involved!

[Danielle H · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book could have used some more editing for clarity and flow but was a topic I was interested in learning more about.