Regular baseball is boring,” said a fan who arrived early at Rate Field to get players' autographs. The wildly popular Banana Ball exhibition league made its Chicago debut this weekend.

A sold-out stadium, packed streets, and an unexpected wave of excitement across the city made Denver’s weekend with the Savannah Bananas one fans and local businesses won’t forget.

For two nights this weekend, the Savannah Bananas brought their unique brand of baseball to Chicago for the first time. And fans at Rate Field got their money’s worth.

The Savannah Bananas have taken baseball by storm, selling out ballparks across the country with their high-energy “Banana Ball” twist on America’s pastime. But for team owner Jesse Cole, the journey hasn’t been without its critics — and some of that skepticism gets personal.

Lugis and fellow Bananas pitcher Kyle Perry spoke about their tour on the WGN Weekend Morning News Saturday, talking about the work that goes into being the hottest team outside of Major League Baseball and how that work is so appealing to a wide audience that comes to see the game and the show.

This article was originally published on www.si.com/onsi/savannah-bananas as Savannah Bananas Owner Jesse Cole Appears on 60 Minutes.

Two familiar faces brought the South Side crowd to its feet during the Savannah Bananas’ chaotic stop in Chicago

Banana Ball has a different set of rules compared to traditional baseball. And millions of fans are scooping up tickets or waiting in a lottery system to buy seats.

Jackson Olson found his way on to the Savannah Bananas and is enjoying the ride. He's got a lot in store in a Bananas uniform and beyond.

The Seventh Annual Roofing Process Conference, the hottest ticket around, just got even hotter with the addition of Savannah Bananas CEO Jesse Cole as the keynote speaker Savannah Bananas CEO will ...

Jul 23, 2025, 6:05 PM ET The Seventh Annual Roofing Process Conference, the hottest ticket around, just got even hotter with the addition of Savannah Bananas CEO Jesse Cole as the keynote speaker

If an apple a day keeps the doctor away, maybe bananas can cure our societal ill of loneliness. In a time when the U.S. surgeon general has declared loneliness a public health epidemic, comparable to smoking 15 cigarettes a day,