GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — Major League Baseball Opening Day is a week away, but baseball’s biggest party arrives in Gwinnett County.
The Savannah Bananas, the team known for its quirky rules and viral dance moves, will make a stop at the Gwinnett Stripers’ Coolray Field as part of their sold out national tour.
The Bananas and their “rivals” the Party Animals will play three games on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Here’s what to know if you are heading to see the Bananas.
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TICKETS AND GAME TIMES
The Savannah Bananas used a lottery system to determine who could purchase tickets. All of their games are sold out.
The team says you may see tickets being sold on third-party sites like StubHub and SeatGeek. They warn against purchasing tickets from people on social media accounts and say any fake tickets will not be accepted.
Friday’s game had to be postponed due to weather. The Bananas instead will have a doubleheader at 12 p.m. and 7 p.m. If you had tickets to Friday night, those tickets will get you into Game 1. Sunday’s finale will begin at 1 p.m.
WHAT YOU CAN AND CANNOT BRING
All guests are allowed to bring one clear bag and one sealed bottle of water per a ticket.
No outside food and other drinks are allowed. Neither are weapons of any kind, laser pointers, lawn chairs, banners and flags or objects that can be thrown in the stadium.
WEATHER AND TRAFFIC
Severe Weather Team 2 Meteorologist Ashley Kramlich says periods of heavy rain are possible Friday night with scattered showers likely through Saturday morning.
Metro Atlanta will dry out, but turn windy for the rest of the weekend.
Gwinnett police says you can expect heavy congestion on Ga. 20 and Ga. 316 as well as Interstate 85.
BANANA BALL RULES
The Savannah Bananas began in 2016 as a member of the Coastal Plains League, a summer baseball league for college players.
“Banana Ball” has taken the sports world by storm with its silly rules, trick plays and dancing. Tickets for the 2023 tour sold out quickly.
If you are unfamiliar with how Banana Ball works, here are the rules.
- Win the Inning, Get the Point: Every inning = one point. The team with the most runs in an inning gets a point. The exception is the last inning where every run counts.
- Two-hour time limit: A new inning can’t be started after 1 hour and 50 minutes. Again, every run counts in the last inning.
- No stepping out of the box: You step out, it’s a strike.
- No bunting: Yup, Banana Ball does not include the small ball. If a hitter bunts, they are ejected from the game.
- Batters can steal first: It can happen on any pitch when the hitter is batting. It’s up to the batter.
- No walks allowed: If there’s a ball four, the hitter can advance to as many bases as they want. Every member of the defense, except the catcher and pitcher, have to touch the baseball before it becomes live.
- No mound visits: The coach, players and catcher can’t approach the mound. It’s all part of keeping the game moving at the Banana Ball pace.
- Fan catching foul balls equals an out: This rule is important for fans in the stands.
- Showdown Tiebreaker: If there’s a tied game after two hours, the Bananas do a “showdown tiebreaker.” The hitter must score. If they score, it’s a point. If they get out, they get no points.
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