Banana Ball League to include Indianapolis Clowns team in 2026

(logo courtesy Savannah Bananas)

Banana Ball continues to grow.

The Savannah Bananas remain the modern nameplate for the barnstorming style of rollicking entertainment, but on Thursday night founder Jessie Cole announced more growth for his brand of baseball hijinks.

Cole said the Savannah Bananas will be joined by five teams in a new league in 2026 that has scheduled appearances in 75 stadiums in 45 states. Cole said Banana Ball drew 2.2 million fans this year and he hopes that number grows to 3.3 million in 2026.

Two new teams will be added in 2026—the beach-themed Loco Beach Coconuts and the Indianapolis Clowns, a tribute to the Negro Leagues barnstorming team that inspired Cole.

The Clowns are scheduled to play the Party Animals at Victory Field in Indianapolis on May 15 and May 16, 2026.

“When I first heard the story of the Indianapolis Clowns, I was inspired,” Cole said in social media. “They were the first baseball team to put entertainment first and would go to great lengths to bring their style of baseball to fans all over the country. We’ve always shared a similar vision and mission: To make baseball fun, put the fans first, and entertain always. Partnering with the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum to bring the Clowns to millions of fans all over the country and preserve their legacy is a dream come true.”

Cole said Banana Ball will be played in 14 major league parks and 10 football stadiums, including two NFL sites—the Superdome in New Orleans and Gillette Stadium, home of the New England Patriots. The new Banana Ball Championship League will include visits to such college football venues as Tennessee’s Neyland Stadium and Texas A&M’s Kyle Field.

“To see the response from fans all across the country, I don’t think anyone could have imagined this,” Cole told The Associated Press on Thursday, adding he only sold “a handful of tickets” when the Savannah Bananas were founded in 2016.

In 2023, the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, opened an exhibit for the Savannah Bananas. The exhibit was recognition of Cole’s success attracting younger fans with shenanigans such as a player on stilts and outs being counted when a fan catches a foul ball in the stands.

The new league is adding new “Primetime Coach” positions which will be manned by two former major league players on the new teams—Shane Victorino on Loco Beach and former Philadelphia Phillies great Ryan Howard on Indianapolis.

“Getting the opportunity to coach a Banana Ball team that’s paying tribute to the Negro Leagues? That’s an honor, straight up,” Howard said in a statement released by the league. “The names that came before us—Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, Cool Papa Bell—those legends paved the way. They played the game with style, with soul, with swagger.

“Banana Ball is all about energy, entertainment, flipping the script, and you know what? That’s exactly what the Negro Leagues brought to the game from day one.”

The other teams in the league are the Fire Fighters and Texas Tailgaters.

The original Indianapolis Clowns got their start as a professional barnstorming team that played in Florida and Cincinnati before moving to Indianapolis in 1948. The team won the Negro American League championship in 1951, 1952 and 1954.

“The rebirth of the Indianapolis Clowns is an exciting and historically relevant tribute to the team that was at the forefront of combining baseball and entertainment,” said Bob Kendrick, president of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, in a written statement. “Our partnership is a tremendous opportunity to not only entertain, but educate fans about the rich history of the Negro Leagues while paying homage to the team that helped influence Banana Ball.”