Your guide to Savannah Bananas in Kansas City: Rules, parking, schedule & more
Kansas City is going bananas this weekend.
The Savannah Bananas, an exhibition baseball team based out of Savannah, Georgia, are bringing their famous style of play to Kauffman Stadium on Friday, May 23, and Saturday, May 24. The two games are sold out, and the Bananas say that tickets available on resale sites like SeatGeek and StubHub are most likely fraudulent.
It marks the first time the traveling baseball team has played at Kauffman Stadium, but not their first dance in Kansas City. They’ve twice visited the Legends Fields in KCK, the home of independent professional baseball team Kansas City Monarchs. Bananas owner Jesse Cole credits Kansas City with helping get his brand of baseball off the ground, according to a Startland News report in 2023.
The Bananas are scheduled to play The Firefighters this weekend, and both teams are made up of former high school, collegiate and minor league baseball players. You may also see some special appearances from hometown heroes.
If you’re headed to Kauffman Stadium for Banana Ball this weekend, here’s what you need to know.
What is Banana Ball?
Banana Ball started in 2018 and is a spin on the classic baseball format. The game adheres to the usual rules of baseball, but there are quite a few twists you will need to know before first pitch.
The game is won based on the team that scores the most points after the two-hour time limit. Teams earn a point if they score the most runs in each inning. An 18-0 inning earns one point, as does a different inning with a score of 1-0 or 6-5. The scoring changes in the final inning, where every run becomes a point added to the team’s total score.
Since there’s a two-hour time limit, no new inning will start once the clock strikes zero.
Stepping out of the batter’s box at any time is a strike, and bunting at any point results in an automatic ejection from the game. (The Bananas say bunting sucks.) Batters can also steal first at any time, like on a pitch that gets behind the catcher.
Batters also can’t reach base on a walk. If a pitcher throws four pitches that are called balls, it becomes a Ball 4 sprint, which sees the batter try to steal as many bases as he can before the entire defense touches the ball.
No mound visits from the team’s managers are allowed at any point. A batter is called out if a fan catches a foul ball, too.
“In Banana Ball, everything is in play, so you better be ready,” the Bananas said.
If the game is tied at the end of nine innings or the time expires, the game goes into a showdown featuring the batter versus the pitcher and a fielder, and the batter has to score once the ball is in play. It goes into pitcher versus batter with no fielders if the game remains tied after the first try, and then pitcher and fielder versus batter with the bases loaded if it’s tied after the second try.
Both the manager and fans can challenge one ruling from the umpires. And the newest rule is called the golden batter rule, where the team can bring in its best hitter at any point in the lineup, like in the final inning in a close game.
While they were a part of the Coastal Plain League, a summer collegiate league, the Bananas would play these exhibition games on the side. They left the league in 2022 to pursue Banana Ball full time.
Where can I park at Kauffman Stadium?
The parking gates open at noon on both game days, and parking passes are available through the Kansas City Royals’ website. Parking passes must be purchased in advance and you must have the MLB Ballpark app downloaded to show the pass at the gates.
Parking costs $31 for a general admission pass and $46 for a reserved pass. You can buy passes for Friday and Saturday online.
What times should I know for Banana Ball?
Once the parking lot opens, these are the times you should know ahead of the Savannah Bananas’ games this weekend:
- Noon: merchandise stand opens outside Gate C
- 2 p.m: pre-game plaza opens and player appearances
- 3:30 p.m: “Before the Peel” pre-show by Gate A
- 4:30 p.m: stadium gates open
- 6:30 p.m: Banana Ball pre-game begins.
- 7 p.m.: Banana Ball starts
VIP pre-game access opens at 3:30 p.m., which takes place on the field inside Kauffman Stadium.
Does Kauffman Stadium have a bag policy?
Each fan is allowed to carry one clear plastic, vinyl or PVC bag. The bag can’t be any larger than 12 by 12 by 6 inches. Backpacks are not allowed.
Fans can also carry a 1-gallon clear plastic freezer bag — a Ziploc bag or something similar — and a small clutch bag no larger than 9 inches by 5 inches, which is subject to search. The clutch bag doesn’t have to be clear.
Exceptions can be made for medical reasons or diaper bags for infants and toddlers.
What is not allowed inside Kauffman Stadium?
You cannot bring hard-sided coolers, alcohol or non-clear liquid containers — including reusable water bottles — inside Kauffman Stadium. You can bring food that resembles individual portions in a clear, plastic bag no larger than 1 gallon. You can also bring in unopened plastic water bottles that are one liter or smaller.
Soft-sided single juice, milk containers or ADA-required liquids may be allowed in as well, according to the Royals. Sports drinks, such as Gatorade, are also allowed as long as they are unopened and less than a liter.
Lotion-style sunscreen is also allowed, as are small push-button umbrellas, according to the Bananas.
These following items are prohibited inside Kauffman Stadium at all times:
Aerosol cans
Banners or flags with sticks in them
Baseball bats
Beach balls and other inflatable items
Bullhorns and other noisemakers that are deemed unacceptable by Kauffman Stadium staff, like cowbells
Brooms that are taller than four feet
Cameras with lenses that are larger than 12 inches
Items that could be projectiles, such as toys
Lasers and laser pens
Pets or other animals that aren’t there for service purposes
Unmanned aerial vehicles
Weapons and fireworks—this includes all guns and knives
Wrapped presents
Stadium staff will ask you to return these items to your car or throw them away. Restrictions can change at any time.
