Banana ball has been a very interesting subject for me. I first found out about them through tiktok and was entranced by their business model to entertainment and put fans first. Jesse is an entertainer by nature and clearly knows how to capture an audience. I enjoyed the beginning of the book that was basically a biography of his life and how he ended up creating banana ball. Funny enough, he starts the book saying that this isn't meant to be a biography. I enjoyed the second half of the book less. It felt like he was trying to defend banana ball too much. There was so much repetition about how they're real baseball players, how everyone doubted them, and the various players and their eye catching stunts. There was clearly hardships and doubts that Jesse had to overcome but I didn't have to hear 4 times about the banana nanas, how the players wear kilts, and there's a player in stilts.

Overall, the book explains how banana ball came to be but the second half falls flat.

The Savannah Bananas are entertaining and this book is, too. It was fun to read about the origin of this baseball team.

Banana Ball is a very fun read about a very fun sport. Although the author claims it isn't a memoir, the first half of the book very much is (which I didn't mind!). I love reading about people who think outside the box, and "outside of the box" is pretty much the MO of the Savannah Bananas. More specifically, they think "OTT" (over the top), and the grandiose nature of the author as well as his vision for the future of Savannah Bananas comes through in the writing.

Falling a rung below the minors is whatever you consider Jesse Cole’s entertaining enterprise. BANANA BALL: The Unbelievably True Story of the Savannah Bananas, written with Don Yaeger, is a combination business/self-help/philosophical treatise of a bizarro version of the national pastime.

Many have long complained that baseball is boring, that it takes too long, that there’s not enough action. That’s the main reason for this year’s rules changes. And it’s no secret that fans are offered many more leisure options than in the days of Ruth, Gehrig and Cobb. Cole believes that if you build something different and snappy, yet still keep some of the remnants of a game to which he once aspired as a pro ball player until injuries derailed those goals, “they will come.”

Cole’s mantra is “entertain first, everything else is secondary.” He reports glowingly about the stellar athletes whose love for the game demands they participate any way they can. That would explain the guy who plays on stilts. Or the one who throws a bunch of trick pitches. Or the one who… the permutations go on.

There are whacko rules that are meant to make the game more fan-friendly, like two-hour time limits and some formula for combining three innings’ worth of runs into points. It may be entertaining, but is it baseball? And does anyone who attend these exhibitions really care? Cole thinks the answer to both questions is yes, but for a traditionalist like me, I’m afraid not.

Despite naysayers, Cole has grown the Bananas into a successful business. Readers of a certain age might find comparisons to the Harlem Globetrotters. Indeed, he does devote several pages to that notion, although he downplays it. Like the Trotters’ Washington Generals, the Bananas have one opponent in on the joke who they pretty much play all the time.

From "2023 Summer Baseball Titles: Tradition and the Bucking Thereof" on Bookreporter.com

Thank you NetGalley and Dutton for my copy of Banana Ball The Unbelievably True Story of the Savannah Bananas by Jesse Cole! I have been a big fan of the Savannah Banana’s on social media for years and I was so excited when I saw this book. Jesse did any amazing job telling the story of how the Banana’s got to where they are today. My goal is to get to a game someday!!

I have been a social media fan of the Bananas for a couple of years. This was such a fun and interesting read for me! I loved learning about the beginning of the game and how they have kept it going!

BANANA BALL by Jesse Cole is the "The Unbelievably True Story of the Savannah Bananas," as told by their owner, the founder of Fans First Entertainment. If you do not know about the Savannah Bananas and their brand of baseball, you are really missing some fun. As Cole explains, "We have a clock and our games top out at two hours. We don't allow bunts. Batters can steal first base. And if a fan catches a foul ball in the stands, it's an out. Crazy Right?" Actually, it is hilarious as the highlight video below illustrates. Cole, whose firm's motto is "Fans First. Entertain Always," is straightforward and highly amusing in his writing. He begins with describing growing up outside of Boston and the love of baseball that he shared with his Dad. Right away, though, readers will appreciate Cole's willingness to take chances and provide fun for others. In a charming manner, he recites close calls – almost going to Williamsport as a Little Leaguer, getting injured in college before the draft – and relentlessly shares his enthusiasm for the game. The playfulness exhibited in this book will have you smiling and laughing. Enjoy!

Highlights link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAiBzAkeKUE

I was so excited about the subject of this book. I am a huge baseball fan and have loved following the Bananas' journey. I gasped out of excitement when I saw the cover on NetGalley. But the writing killed me. It felt disorganized and repetitive. As a writing tutor with over ten years of experience, I can say this book NEEDED reverse outlining. I wish a sportswriter would have taken it on, interviewed everyone, and followed the team. This just felt like I was reading someone's personal journal rather than an engaging account of the Savannah Bananas. I wanted it to be so good, but the writing was not good at all.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I would recommend this to Banana fans but this book should probably be classified as a memoir or biography since it focuses mainly on Jesse Cole's life.

As a baseball fan, I've been aware of Banana Ball as well as the Savannah Bananas for a number of years and seen some of their videos online. They are more or less, baseball's version of the Harlem Globetrotters (don't tell that to Jesse Cole though), presenting baseball in fun new ways, like bats on fire and the ten foot tall batter, and that's not even the surface of it. I enjoyed reading about his road to where he is today.

The creator, Jesse Cole, writes in the book about how he's changing America's Pastime to be compelling and entertaining for the 21st century fan. I was intrigued to how it came about, going back to the early days of his life, his dreams in the major leagues shattered by a career ending injury in college, and experiences throughout his life brought him to this point. Fresh off his injury and wanting to stay in the sport, he saw baseball as slow and boring and needing some shaking up, and if it was boring to a lifelong player, imagine it for the casual fan! So he decided to change it up, put back the fun back in the sport, and it was a long road to get there, from college ball to the minor leagues, to establishing the Savannah Bananas, while going into his relationship with his wife, Emily, a major contributor to the Bananas. Some of the lessons he learned and shares can apply to any field and profession, especially if you're in the entertainment business (like fiction authors), changing something that's been so buttoned up into an engaging event once again. There’s a bunch of baseball references and a tiny bit of baseball action, but even if you don’t know the sport, you won’t be lost, as it's more about the characters and personality than the in-game action. I really love that Eric Byrnes and Jake Peavy, two of my favorite MLB players, were really putting their effort behind this new twist on baseball, among other big baseball names and brands.

This has also made me want to go to one of their games in person as soon as I can, but for now, I'll check out more of their videos online and have their ESPN+ documentary series on my must watch list. If you're a baseball fan, or even just wanting to mix things up in your own career or life, pick this book up.

I first found The Savannah Bananas on TikTok in 2020. I've been a fan ever since. I read Jesse's first book and am honored to have the opportunity to review his second.

Read this book if you want to know about teamwork, fun, and a bit of baseball.

I'm patiently waiting for the ticket lottery to see if I can catch the team on their world tour this summer. In the meantime, read this book!

One of the biggest criticisms of baseball today is that it is no longer fun, either for the players or the fans. Enter the Savanna Bananas, a touring team that tours various ballparks with its opponents, the Party Animals. The Bananas are the result of much creativity and hard work by Jesse Cole and his wife Emily. How they got to this point, where the Bananas are a big hit both in person and on TikTok, is captured in this terrific book written by Jesse.

When Jesse realized that his dream career of playing baseball was not going to happen, he also saw how the fun was being sucked out of the game for both players and fans. Wanting to still have a career in the game, he took an unpaid internship for an independent team in North Carolina. Taking the lessons from that team’s owner and adding in his creativity, he and a woman with a similar job (who would marry Jesse) and drive came together to create the Bananas.

It should be noted that as soon as Jesse and Emily obtained the team and the historic stadium in which it would play, the Bananas were not touring but were in a summer league for teams of collegiate players. Jesse’s writing about his time in North Carolina, his relationship with Emily, and their shared vision of creating a team that would put the fun back in baseball is terrific. This is especially clear when describing some of crazy ideas and stunts of the team. Jesse also makes it clear that not everything must come from him or Emily - the player’s input is important as well. A great story about this is a player who suggested setting his bat on fire for a plate appearance. It became one of the most popular Bananas video on social media.

The book does not have much on-field action but it doesn’t need it - the stories about the struggles and then the huge victories for the Coles are riveting on their own. One more note about the games the Bananas currently play on their tour with the Party Animals - they are very competitive. The Party Animals are not the perpetual losers to the Bananas like the Washington Generals are for the Harlem Globetrotters- like the Bananas they are good baseball players as well as entertainers.

This review cannot properly describe the Coles, the teams or the entertainment they provide. Just pick up the book and the reader will see for themselves how good the story of the Savanna Bananas is.

I wish to thank Penguin Group Dutton for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

After seeing that the Savannah Bananas would be making a stop in my city, I got curious on what kind of team exactly they were. Learning more about Jesse’s passion and vision (and love for his wife) was endearing and made me want to see a game all the more. I gave three stars for the writing- it read clunky and the quotes from mentors/teammates were all plopped in instead of being more integrated into the story.

Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read and review.

#netgalleyarc I found this team on social media and they are so much fun to watch. This was a fun quick read and I enjoyed learning about the history of the Bananas.

This was such a fun read. Really enjoyed it. Part autobiography, part story of the baseball team. Mixed in with a ton of fun! Definitely recommend this for anyone interested.

Cute book sure to interest anyone interested in sports and comedy. With the Savannah Banana's starting to tour this should draw interest.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for the ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book.
I was vaguely aware of the Bananas and love baseball so it was a no=brainer to request this ARC. I had no idea Jesse Cole was a Red Sox fan from Massachusetts. Being a lifelong Sox fan and New Englander myself, I appreciated all the Sox and Fenway references throughout the book. The beginning chapters were more interesting to me, then I felt like it was just repetitive and dragged out. The book could have been shorter. It also got away from the Banana Ball story and more into an autobiography of Jesse and Emily. That said, I'm glad I had a chance to read it and look forward to (hopefully someday!) seeing a Bananas game at Fenway.

I’ve been following the bananas for a couple of years now and we saw our first game of Bananaball last March, with a visit to Grayson Stadium last summer. What Jesse Cole does for the Bananas is unmatched, and this book was a great behind the scenes look at how it all came about. It’s exciting to think about the future of Bananas baseball! Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC!

I have never seen the Bananas play but I can only imagine the atmosphere. Reading this book makes me reminisce about a game I loved as a child; the grass-stained pants, the bugs hovering near the huge lights on a humid Kansas summer night, the paper lineup stuck in the chain link fence at the dugout entrance, the chatter from the infield … hey batter batter swing! Fun - it is that simple.

Jesse & Emily Cole had a dream to break the business-like decorum of baseball & put fans first. They did just that. A lesson in leadership resonates in the philosophy of putting people and their experiences first. This idea can be applied to just about anything and any industry. Look at what you have to do then ask, “what can we do?” The sky is the limit!

If you love baseball, well the old way of playing baseball, you might not like this book. If you think baseball is great but a bit slow, you'll love this book. If you want to know the man and the vision behind the phenomenon that is sweeping the baseball world, then you must read this book!
Banana Ball the book chronicles the journey of Jesse Cole, the founder of the movement. It is a great look at someone who is changing the way a country looks at the great American game! It is a fascinating story of how his love for the game evolved into a passion for making the game appealing, pun definitely intended, to a whole new generation of fans!