The Savannah Bananas Had a ‘Powerful and Emotional’ Weekend in Iowa

Owner of the Savannah Bananas Jesse Cole had a lot of good things to say about the state of Iowa this weekend! In a post from Jesse (aka "the yellow tux guy") on social media, he describes the team's time in the Hawkeye State as "one of the most powerful and emotional weekends we’ve ever experienced."

The Wave

Late last week, the Savannah Bananas baseball team arrived in Eastern Iowa to play a couple of sold out games at Kinnick Stadium on Friday and Saturday night. But, that's not all the team did during their time in Iowa City. On Thursday morning, players made a visit to the University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital to spend some time with kids being treated there. A video posted by the Children's Hospital shows members of the team playing games and taking pictures with patients, as well as hanging out with Nacho the therapy dog!

The biggest highlight of sporting events held at Kinnick Stadium is the Iowa Wave, which has become one of the things that the Hawkeyes are best known for. During both games, the Savannah Bananas were able to participate in this tradition, and it seemed to have a powerful impact on all of them. The post from owner Jesse Cole reads:

"Being at Kinnick Stadium these two days for one of the greatest traditions in sports and waving to the kids at the Children’s Hospital, as well as having some of these courageous kids join on us on the field was something our entire team will never forget. For a few moments, Banana Ball took a back seat, and we were reminded what really matters."

The Weather

Another memorable moment for the Savannah Bananas this weekend was one we're ALL familiar with here in Iowa: unpredictable weather. According to the team, Friday night's lightning delay was the longest in Banana Ball history! An article from the Daily Iowan reports that the game was scheduled to begin at 7 p.m., but it ended up starting around 9:20 p.m. instead.

Despite the chaos that ensued because of the stormy conditions, Jesse said in his social media post that many Iowans stuck with them until the very end. The post reads:

Additional Highlights

Some of other notable moments from the Savannah Bananas games in Iowa City this weekend include a live performance from the lead singer of The Fray, an apperance from Spencer Lee, and a halftime football game from Brad Banks and Dallas Clark. You can check out some of the highlights below:

Jesse Cole's post goes on to thank Iowa fans for their energy and passion, and ends by saying, "Until the next time Iowa, thank you for everything! You have our hearts!"

Did you make it to either of this weekend's Savannah Banana games in Iowa City? We want to hear about your experience! Let us know in the comments or by sending us a message on our station app.

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