Banana Ball

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Game	Banana Ball
Game Family	Baseball Baseball
Location
Regions	US
Eras	Contemporary, Derivative
Invented	Yes
Tags
Description	In May 2022, Protoball first heard of Banana Ball from Brett Hammond, who advised us of the following 2022 article in the Los Angeles Times.  Additional input will be welcomed.     "For a collegiate summer league team — playing a rung below the minors — the Savannah Bananas draw big crowds when they barnstorm through the South and Midwest during the offseason. Fans come to see “Banana Ball,” a quirky version of baseball with a whole different set of rules. “We looked at every boring play,” franchise owner Jesse Cole says, “and we got rid of it.” It's time for Banana Ball - Fans in the game: Any foul ball caught by a spectator counts as an out. No time to waste: Neither managers nor catchers can visit the mound and if a batter steps out of the box between pitches, it’s a called strike. Run don’t walk: The moment the umpire calls “ball four,” the batter takes off sprinting and the defense snaps into action. Runners can keep going until the ball is thrown to every fielder, including outfielders. A walk can turn into a home run. More running: Batters can steal first on any passed ball or wild pitch, regardless of the count. No bunting. Really: If a batter bunts, he is thrown out of the game. Match play: “Banana Ball” is like match play in golf. The team that scores the most runs during an inning gets a point for that inning. The win goes to the team with the most points at game’s end. Skeleton crew: During extra innings, the defense gets only a pitcher, catcher and one fielder. If the batter puts the ball in play, he must try to round the bases and score before the ball is chased down and thrown home for an out. Early to bed: “Banana Ball” has a strict time limit, with no new inning started after 1 hour 50 minutes."   More stuff to ponder:  Meet the Savannah Bananas, who’ve captivated fans and MLB. ‘We exist to make baseball fun’ Why it takes so long for MLB to change rules: Battle between tradition and innovation What is Banana Ball? Here are the Savannah Banana rules of the game Choreography in baseball? Savannah Bananas first base coach can dance to that How do the Savannah Bananas draw sold-out crowds? Five fun facts about the team Read full series
Sources	Los Angeles Times, 5/16/2022, 4PM.
Source Image	[[Image:|left|thumb]]
Comment	According to this article, "banana ball" debuted in 2021: https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/introducing-banana-ball-the-savannah-bananas-attempt-to-change-baseball/ Edit with form to add a comment
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