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The Journal.

The Game Making Baseball Fans Go Bananas

The Journal.

The Wall Street Journal

Daily News, Business News, News

4.25.3K Ratings

🗓️ 8 August 2025

⏱️ 20 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

There’s a new game selling out stadiums around the country: banana ball. The game’s founder, Jesse Cole, describes how he got started. And WSJ’s Jason Gay watched a game to see what Major League Baseball – and other pro sports – can learn from banana ball’s fan-first approach. Jessica Mendoza hosts. Further listening: - NCAA President on New Era for College Sports - How Parlays Became the Biggest Bet in Sports - The Biggest Trade in Sports Wasn’t an Athlete –– It Was a TV Show Sign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

Here to honor America with the singing of tonight's national anthem.

0:09.6

It was a Friday night in Baltimore, shockingly temperate.

0:14.6

It was the perfect night for a ballgame.

0:16.9

Last weekend, my colleague Jason Gay caught a game at Camden Yards.

0:20.9

That's the home of Baltimore's Major League Baseball team, the Orioles.

0:24.9

The place was completely packed.

0:26.5

It felt more like a party than any baseball game I'd ever been to.

0:30.8

And it really delivered on what the phenomenon has been.

0:36.5

The phenomenon Jason was there to see wasn't the Orioles.

0:40.7

It wasn't even really baseball.

0:42.7

Jason was there for Banana Ball.

0:44.9

Banana Ball, taking America's favorite pastime to new and often ridiculous heights.

0:50.6

The wildest thing in sports today.

0:52.9

It's part baseball, part big top, and nonstop fun.

0:57.1

And just for the uninitiated, what is Banana Ball?

1:01.1

Could you describe it?

1:03.1

Banana Ball is a fast-paced, circus-like, short attention span, attack on your senses. It is really all about entertainment

1:15.4

maximization at all times. And it is an answer to anybody's lament that baseball has become

1:23.7

bored. Banana ball is a lot like baseball. There are pitchers and batters, infielders and outfielders.

1:31.3

But the players do more than just play ball.

1:34.3

They wear crazy costumes.

1:36.3

They cartwheel and dance and perform all kinds of tricks.

...

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