From the Bronx to Bananaland
A sea of bright yellow jerseys, shirts and all types of gear greeted us from Heritage Field, the park next to Yankee Stadium.
When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I have followed the Savannah Bananas for years on social media. They always seemed like a lot of fun, even if I do recognize that social media is a highlight reel.
We tried getting tickets to see them before, but never won the lottery. However, we finally got a chance to see them at Yankee Stadium, which is fitting for me in so many ways.
We saw them on Sunday, September 14. We parked our car where we normally do for Yankees games and went through all of the same routines — I was even wearing an Aaron Judge shirt.
Once we got out of the parking garage, that’s where all the similarities to the Yankees ended.
A sea of bright yellow jerseys, shirts and all types of gear greeted us from Heritage Field, the park next to Yankee Stadium.
And the peer pressure was hitting hard!
It seemed like everyone had Bananas gear except for us. How did they get all this stuff? I’m sure they sell items online, but I didn’t even consider buying anything before the game.
While I wanted to be one of the folks with Bananas gear, the line for the merch tent was more than 100-people long, and we weren’t going to wait in the blistering sun. We decided to take our chances inside, where there were more merch tables.
The game — or spectacle — did not disappoint. There was always something going on, no matter when or where.
Before the game, Heritage Field was packed with festivities like players signing autographs, a stage for music and inflatables that were used as props for pictures.
Inside, there was plenty of “schtick.” A literal banana toss from the upper deck, a princess singing about Bananaland, or a guy searching for a “golden” banana blindfolded while on all fours on the field, getting direction from the crowd to find it.
We laughed. We cheered. We had a great time.
In the third inning, it was time to get our merch. Even though the game was going on, this was the best time to get in line to finally buy something. The line was steady, but we still waited for about 20 minutes.
My son got a yellow banana jersey, I bought a non-yellow t-shirt and a team set of cards.
I’ve been to well over 100 Yankees games in my lifetime and to see Yankee Stadium packed with people in yellow rather than navy blue was certainly a sight. It’s fascinating to see how the Savannah Bananas have grown since they were founded in 2016.
The team doesn’t really sell collectibles. Most of the items for sale were apparel. They did have a team set of cards that was reminiscent of a minor league baseball team set.
Is there an opportunity for the Bananas to create collectibles? Probably.
Some of their players have incredible social media followings, like Jackson Olson, who has more than 900,000 followers on Instagram. With the celebrities who have appeared in games, there’s a chance to make event-used items.
For example, at the game we went to, we saw New York Giants Super Bowl–winning quarterback Eli Manning as a guest ump, which got an amazing pop from the crowd. Former Yankee Nick Swisher also had an at-bat. The night before, Joe Torre was a surprise first-base coach.
There’s definitely something there, but I’m sure they’ll figure it out.
Either way, the Savannah Bananas were fun to attend, and we did get some cards to add to our collection.
Dart is in
NFL rookie Jaxson Dart is going to be starting for the New York Giants in Sunday’s game, according to multiple reports. Dart was a first-round pick this past year — 25th overall and second of the round for New York.
And, speaking as a Giants fan, we are desperate for anything good.
There’s this little sting watching Daniel Jones slinging in Indianapolis and Saquan Barkley hurdling players in Philadelphia, and thinking about what could have been had the Giants had a better offensive line.
While I’m not expecting miracles from Dart, I am hoping for something fun to root for.
There have been NFL products to hit the shelves this season and here are some cool Dart cards that you may want to add to your collection.
2025 Donruss Gridiron Kings (Buy on eBay)
2025 Panini Luminence #177 (Buy on eBay)
2025 Elite Football #103 (Buy on eBay)
2025 Donruss Bomb Squad (Buy on eBay)
2025 Donruss Downtown (Buy on eBay)
2025 Panini Origins Blank Slate (Buy on eBay)