Banana Ball invaded ONEOK Field for three games last week and packed the stadium each night. I attended the game on Thursday and was totally blown away by the baseball as well as the entertainment value.

If I had to describe what Banana Ball is, I would say it’s a cross between a baseball version of the Harlem Globetrotters, pro wrestling, and a circus. Think of it as the old Indianapolis Clowns or Max Patkin on steroids.

What started as the Savannah Bananas exhibition baseball team, playing their games solely in Savannah, Georgia. In 2020, The Party Animals were introduced as the rival team that tours and plays against the Bananas, much like the relationship between the Globetrotters and the Washington Generals.

From there, the two teams began touring various cities around the U.S., first on a seven-city tour in 2022, then expanding to 114 games in 2023. Two of those games were played at ONEOK Field here in Tulsa and both games sold out within minutes.

In 2024, this whole Banana Ball phenomenon grew to become a six-team traveling league called Banana Ball Championship League. The two teams that took part in the three games last week were the Texas Tailgaters, considered the home team, and the Indianapolis Clowns.

The original Indianapolis Clowns began as the Ethiopian Clowns in the 1930s and later joined the Negro American League. They competed in the Negro league for many years but started seeing a decline in popularity when Major League Baseball was integrated in the 1940s.

By 1967 the Indianapolis Clowns were the last Negro league team still playing. The Clowns continued to play exhibition games into the 1980s, but as a humorous sideshow rather than a competitive sport. After many years of operation as a barnstorming team, the Clowns finally disbanded in 1989. I remember as a kid watching the Clowns play an exhibition game in my hometown, Jamestown, NY, sometime around 1970.

In the Banana Ball Championship League, all the teams are exhibition teams, although unlike other exhibition sports shows or professional wrestling, the game is determined by what happens on the field with their unique and unusual rules, rather than a scripted outcome each night. The six teams in the BBCL are all trying to win and secure the best record in the league.

The evening in Tulsa began with a huge tailgate party that covered the entire inner parking lot at ONEOK Field. There was a stage where a band performed and players were introduced to the crowd that stood shoulder to shoulder. When the gates were open, the party continued inside the ballpark. There was music, dancing, a cowboy performing rope tricks, a player that juggled and rode a unicycle, and a whole lot more entertainment. At times, there was too much going on, and it became a bit of a distraction from the game itself.

However, the fans loved it. The kids were enthralled by the music, the colors, the non-stop action, and the sideshow type entertainment. Banana Ball is played with the league’s trademark yellow baseball.

The players didn’t sit in the dugouts while encouraging their team but rather stood in front of the dugouts and loudly cheered, danced and celebrated with their teammates. Whether they were in the lineup or not, the players were engaged throughout the game.

A coach near the first base coach’s box was grilling hot dogs throughout the game, handing them out to players, fans and even yours truly, who was standing near the dugout taking photos.

One of the umpires was dressed like a Ninja and did backflips when he signaled an out at first base.

Aside from the entertainment aspect, there was a very good brand of baseball being played. We saw a few spectacular plays in the infield and outfield with some trick catches and through the leg throws. Plus, there were a handful of home runs hit in the game I attended.

This evening, the Clowns scored more runs than the Tailgaters, 10-9, however Texas won the game on points, 4-3.

The true winners were the Tulsa baseball fans who showed up and enjoyed an amazing evening of baseball entertainment. Hopefully, this won’t be the last time to see Banana Ball in Tulsa. If we’re lucky, they’ll bring the tour to ONEOK Field every year.