Going Bananas for Ad-Free Ballpark

PRESS RELEASE – The Savannah Bananas have announced that Grayson Stadium will become the first known stadium to go completely Ad-Free. Starting this season, Bananas fans will not see any billboards or signage featured in the stadium.

Fun First Drives Bananas’ Success, More Promotions and Entertainment Planned for Year Two

Jesse Cole likes to do things his way, but a trio of legendary promoters overlooking his desk inside Grayson Stadium might have had issue with the perceived originality.  His vision has been extracted from Walt Disney, Bill Veeck and P.T. Barnum, whose posters line his office wall.  Read more here.

Bananas Open in Front of Sell-Out Crowd

PRESS RELEASE – In front a sellout crowd of 4,073 people, the Savannah Bananas put on a show but slipped up against the Blowfish by the score of 8-5. Not even a 90 minute rain delay could keep away the fans as they were treated to dancing Nanas, Irish tap-dancing and even a Golden Banana.

Bananas Unveil Uniforms

With the help of WJCL 22, the Savannah Bananas (Summer Collegiate, Coastal Plain League) unveiled their uniform lineup for their 2016 inaugural season.  Read more and view photos here.

Savannah Bananas Facebook photo.

Going Bananas for Daisy

Savannah Bananas (Summer Collegiate, Coastal Plain League) team president Jared Orton has adopted a puppy that was abandoned at Grayson Stadium.  Everyone is loving “Daisy,” the team’s new unofficial mascot and future bat dog.  Read more and view photos here.

Bananas to Add ‘Walk of Fame’ to Grayson Stadium

PRESS RELEASE – The Savannah Bananas continued plans for their inaugural season at historic Grayson Stadium by investing in Grayson’ Stadium’s historical past. The team is unveiling the Grayson Stadium Walk of Fame, a concourse exhibit honoring the greatest baseball stars that have ever played at Grayson Stadium.

Bananas Unveil Inaugural Promotional Schedule

PRESS RELEASE – The Savannah Bananas announced today the promotional schedule for their inaugural season.

It’s the ‘Savannah Bananas’

PRESS RELEASE – Fans First Entertainment is excited to announce that Savannah’s new baseball team will be called the Savannah Bananas. The name was chosen over the two finalists, the Anchors and Ports and revealed in front of hundreds of fans at a Bananas Launch Party Thursday night at Grayson Stadium.

Talking the Return of Baseball in Savannah

Mark your calendars for June 2. That’s when Jesse Cole and the summer collegiate Coastal Plain League will debut the beginning of a new era for historic Grayson Stadium in Savannah (GA) after the departure of the Savannah Sand Gnats (Single-A, South Atlantic League).  The ownership will host an event early next month to announce the team’s name and unveil the logo, uniforms and color scheme.  Read more here.

Savannah Baseball Announces Name-the-Team Finalists

The finalists for the new summer collegiate Coastal Plain League franchise in Savannah (GA) are the following:  Anchors, Bananas, Party Animals, Ports, and Seagulls.  Fans can vote on their favorite by clicking here.  Fans First Entertainment introduced their President, Jared Orton, in early November, who announced the “Help Us Name the Team Contest.”  Read announcement here.  Thanks to Mark Tobin for the heads up.

Coastal Plain League Franchise to Replace Departing Savannah Sand Gnats

A summer collegiate Coastal Plain League franchise will take up residence at Grayson Stadium when the Savannah Sand Gnats (Single-A, South Atlantic League) depart for a new ballpark in Columbia (SC) after the 2015 season.  The team will be owned by Jesse Cole and Fans First Entertainment, who will continue to own the Gastonia Grizzlies and manage the Martinsville Mustangs in the CPL.  Read more here.  Watch news reports here and here.

Savannah Wants Answer for 2016

Hardball Capital, the owner of the Single-A Savannah Sand Gnats (South Atlantic League) that might be relocating to Columbia (SC), has until Jan. 1 to let the city of Savannah (GA) know whether the minor league baseball team will play in Grayson Stadium in 2016.  Read more here.  Thanks to Joshua Grace for the link.

Savannah Balks at New Stadium Site

The Savannah (GA) City Council on Thursday voted unanimously to reject building a new baseball stadium at Savannah River Landing for the Single-A Savannah Sand Gnats (South Atlantic League).  The council will consider the Canal District for a future building site.  The mayor expressed interest in renovating Grayson Stadium instead.  One aldermen thinks the city should explore bringing in

Forget the Ballpark Study, Savannah City Staff Have a Different Site in Mind

City of Savannah (GA) staff members are recommending that the proposed new stadium for the Single-A Savannah Sand Gnats (South Atlantic League) be considered as a part of the planned Canal District.  The recommendation rejects the Savannah River Landing site picked in a recent $55,000 ballpark study.  The city council will address the issue on Thursday.  Read more here.

Editorial: Build Wrigley- or Fenway-Style Ballpark at Savannah Civic Center Site

If the City of Savannah (GA) actually moves forwarding with building a new ballpark, Tom Barton, editorial page editor of the Savannah Morning News, suggests the parties should ditch the proposed Savannah River Landings site just east of downtown.  Instead, he thinks the existing Savannah Civic Center should be demolished and replaced with a local version of Wrigley Field or Fenway Park.  Read more here.

Savannah Ballpark Study Faces Scrutiny

It was not smooth sailing for Johnson Consulting’s $55,000 taxpayer-funded ballpark study, as Savannah (GA) City Council members challenged the unscientific survey taken as part of the study and sited the firm’s failure of to incorporate the cost of land in the project’s overall price tag.  Hardball Capital, the owner of the Single-A Sand Gnats (South Atlantic League), is planning to move

Study: Savannah Should Build New Stadium

A consulting firm is recommending the City of Savannah (GA) move forward with the construction of an estimated $35 million multi-use stadium at the Savannah River Landing site east of downtown for the Single-A Savannah Sand Gnats (South Atlantic League).  Now, it is up to the Savannah City Council to decide whether to take the $55,000 study’s advice.  Read more here.  View study here.

Savannah to Study Feasibility of New Ballpark

Despite some misgivings, the Savannah City Council agreed during a workshop Thursday to request proposals to study the feasibility of a new stadium for the Single-A Savannah Sand Gnats (South Atlantic League).  Read more here.

Freier Would Buy Another Team If Both Savannah and Columbia Play Ball

Jason Freier, owner of the Single-A Savannah Sand Gnats (South Atlantic League), says he would buy another team to satisfy both Savannah (GA) and Columbia (SC) if both markets decide to build a new ballpark.  That being said, there is a long way to go here, and it is entirely possible that only one or neither market will play ball with Freier.  Read more here.

Sand Gnats Subtly Threaten Move

The Single-A Savannah Sand Gnats (South Atlantic League) have expressed a willingness to leave Savannah (GA) for another market, if a new downtown ballpark is not built to supplant outdated Grayson Stadium.  Hardball Capital, the team’s owners, have reportedly already been in contact with city officials in Columbia (SC) about relocation.  Read more here.

Sand Gnats Pitch New Ballpark Plan

The owner of the Single-A Savannah Sand Gnats (South Atlantic League) is seeking city support for a multi-use stadium at the stalled Savannah River Landing site.  Read more here.