The Savanah Bananas brand of baseball grows as they form a competitive league. The Indianapolis Clowns made Jackie Bradley Jr. the first choice of the league’s draft.

Bradley’s full-time participation also could mark the beginning of a new era of Banana Ball. Former MLB players have previously played in Banana Ball games, most notably pitcher Roger Clemens appeared in March 2024 and Johnny Damon in July.

“If there’s players at the end of their career that want to just go and maybe play 60 games instead of 160 and play at sold-out stadiums and really just have a lot of fun while doing it, I think this could be something that would be a viable option,” Cole told ESPN. “Jackie’s a trendsetter, and I think he’s going to set the tone for maybe giving some other players at the end of their careers another option.”

ESPN.com

I like this. I’ve thought for a while that an independent league outside of MLB control would be good for the game. If they make enough money, they might create a salary structure that paid younger players more than they might make going the traditional route. A 20 year old might find getting $2 million a year from Banana Ball better than toiling in the minors. On top of that, they would get to play actual competitive baseball, rather than simply playing on a team that develops MLB talent.

First, of course, the league needs to answer the question, “Will competitive Banana Ball work?” Highly competitive athletes are deadly serious about their work. Banana Ball at the moment is more about entertainment than competition. We will see how the two of those meld.

There is also the loss of uniqueness. If the Bananas come to town, it’s an event. People turn out to see something unusual. With six teams playing and a 180 game season, the uniqueness might wear off a little.

I wish them great success, however. The game should evolve, and there may be aspects of Banana Ball the big leagues can use.

Note that the article also contains a nice history of the Clowns, a very important Negro League team.