What first Banana Ball game in Spartanburg was like, led by ex-Wofford pitcher Jesse Cole

SPARTANBURG — Fifth Third Park was home to what felt like a perfect combination of baseball and fun.

That’s because Banana Ball, a variation of baseball that includes an entertainment-style version with unique rules, made its way to Spartanburg for the first time.

Banana Ball was founded by former Wofford pitcher Jesse Cole. Now the Banana Ball Championship League features six teams: Savannah Bananas, Party Animals, Firefighters, Texas Tailgaters, Loco Beach Coconuts and the Indianapolis Clowns.

On Aug. 6, the Indianapolis Clowns and the Texas Tailgaters faced off in Game 1 of the best-of-three series, and the Clowns claimed the victory 4-3.

“It’s crazy, this all started right down the road,” Cole said. “My career ended in Wofford due to injury and I wanted to try and find ways that could make the game more fun. Fortunately after 20 years of trying new things, we’ve built Banana Ball, and it’s going on all around the country, and we’re having the time of our life.”

The ballpark was packed, which was not surprising, since the Banana Ball games almost always sell out.

From “Call Me Maybe” to “Don’t Stop Believin’,” there were singalongs throughout Fifth Third Park.

There were several instances where players for the Clowns and the Tailgaters broke out in coordinated dance routines as they approached home plate, which garnered a sea of applause in the ballpark.

“The environment is really cool,” said baseball fan and Spartanburg native Caden Leil. “It’s a 10 out of 10. I’ll be back here tomorrow.”

Banana Ball is notorious for fan involvement. A young boy and his parents were brought to third base, where he was asked a series of questions. He had to pick which parent described the question the best, and the one who wasn’t chosen would get a massive pie to the face.

By the end of the game, the Tailgaters made their way to center field, as they danced to “The Show Goes On,” closing out Game 1.

“It was a great first show,” Cole said. “We had 27 trick plays, home runs, great moments, and had a former Clown from 55 years ago back here pitching. It’s amazing.”

The fun’s not over yet. The Clowns and Tailgaters will be back at Fifth Third Park at 7 p.m. on Aug. 7 and 8 for Games 2 and 3.

Kamryn Jackson covers high school and college sports for the Spartanburg Herald-Journal, Greenville News, Anderson Independent Mail, and the USA TODAY Network. Please email her at KEJackson@gannett.com for story ideas, athlete of the week nominations, statistics, and follow her on X @KamxJack (formerly Twitter).

This article originally appeared on Herald-Journal: What first Banana Ball game in Spartanburg was like, led by ex-Wofford pitcher Jesse Cole