Last night, at Grayson Stadium in Savannah, Georgia, the Savannah Bananas defeated the Macon Bacon 8-0 in their first game of the season.
- KC's View:
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I only know about the Savannah Bananas because of MNB reader Peter Talbott, who alerted me yesterday to the season opener. The Bananas are part of the Coastal Plain League, but because the minor league baseball season has been officially canceled because of the pandemic, they - along with the Lexington County Blowfish and the Macon Bacon - will play an abbreviated 2020 Southern Summer Ball Series that will end in a championship game in mid-August.
You have to check out the Bananas - they're a fascinating franchise, using marketing moxie and a high degree of creativity and innovation to bring people to the ballpark (they're working on a sellout streak at the moment, apparently). That's not happening this season, of course - there is reduced capacity at the ballpark, you have to wear a mask, and they're following local health guidelines.
Now, I have to be honest here. I'm not sure that this is a good idea, much as I admire their dedication and persistence. It simply isn't safe to be congregating, even in an outdoor stadium, and I worry that there will be an outbreak among people going to these games.
But, I must admit (with some degree of guilt) that my spirit lifts a bit at the crack of the bat … not to mention the whiff of a company willing to challenge the status quo.
