Savannah Bananas
| Savannah Bananas | |
|---|---|
 | |
| League | Coastal Plain League (West) |
| Location | Savannah, Georgia |
| Ballpark | Grayson Stadium |
| Year founded | 2016 |
| League championships | (1) 2016 |
| Colors | Blue, Green, Yellow |
| Mascot | Split |
| Ownership | Fans First Entertainment (Jesse & Emily Cole) |
| Coach | Sean West |
| Website |
www |
The Savannah Bananas are an amateur baseball team in the Coastal Plain League, collegiate summer baseball league that began play in 2016. Based in Savannah, Georgia, the Bananas play their home games at Grayson Stadium.
History
After 90 years of professional minor-league baseball, Grayson Stadium saw its last pro team say farewell as the South Atlantic League's Savannah Sand Gnats moved to Columbia, South Carolina and became the Columbia Fireflies.
On September 22, 2015, the Coastal Plain League announced Savannah as its newest team to begin play for 2016.[1] On February 25, following a name-the-team contest, the Bananas name, logo and colors were officially revealed by the team.[2][3]
The Bananas play in the CPL West Division with the Asheboro Copperheads, Florence Red Wolves, Forest City Owls, Gastonia Grizzlies, High Point-Thomasville HiToms, Lexington County Blowfish, and Martinsville Mustangs.
The Bananas have gained local and national recognition for ticket sales and marketing. The team sold out 17 of 22 games played at Grayson Stadium in their first season. Their innovative marketing includes the use of videos including "Can't Stop the Peeling," "Field of Dreams," and "This is Bananas."[4]
Championship
The 2016 Bananas ended their inaugural season as the 1st seed in the CPL West Division, earning home-field advantage for the first two games of the playoffs. In game one, the Bananas beat the Asheboro Copperheads 3-2 with the first walk-off in franchise history. The Bananas then defeated the Forest City Owls 2-0 to win the CPL West Division championship and advance to the Petitt Cup Championship.
Game one of the championship was played at Grayson Stadium, where the Bananas defeated the Peninsula Pilots 8-4. The team traveled to Hampton, VA where the Pilots' 4-3 win in game two forced an all-or-nothing game three. The Bananas took home the Petitt Cup after a 9-7 win in game three.[5]
Attendance
The Bananas recorded over 91,000 total fans at 25 home games in 2016. They broke the CPL's single season attendance record, previously held by the Peninsula Pilots, after only 22 regular season games.
Out of 24 regular season home games, there were 17 sellouts and 2 rain outs. One of three playoff games also sold out.
The team also ranked second in average attendance (3,659 fans per game) among 160 collegiate summer teams across the country.[6]
References
- ↑ "The Coastal Plain League Announces Expansion into Savannah, Georgia". Coastal Plain League. September 22, 2015. Retrieved February 25, 2016.
- ↑ "Savannah Baseball Announces Team Name and Unveils Logo". Coastal Plain League. February 25, 2016. Retrieved February 25, 2016.
- ↑ "Savannah's new baseball team: The Bananas". SavannahNow.com. Savannah Morning News. February 25, 2016. Retrieved February 25, 2016.
- ↑ "Bananas Videos – The Savannah Bananas". thesavannahbananas.com. Retrieved 2016-08-23.
- ↑ "Bananas Win CPL Championship – The Savannah Bananas". thesavannahbananas.com. Retrieved 2016-08-23.
- ↑ Reichard, Kevin (2016-08-15). "2016 Summer Collegiate Attendance by Average". Ballpark Digest. Retrieved 2016-08-23.
External links
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