Banana ball coming to Auburn

AUBURN | There’ll be dancing players, dancing umpires and perhaps even dancing grandmas at Plainsman Park Saturday. Auburn will host the Savannah Banana All-Stars in a fall exhibition game for a night of fun and entertainment beginning at 6:30 p.m. CT. The plaza will open at 3:30 p.m. and the gates at 5:30.

The Tigers, which began fall practice this month, have been preparing for the game by practicing many of the unique rules of Banana Ball including having every position player touch the ball after ball four.

“It’s going to be more people that have ever walked into this ballpark to watch a baseball game,” said AU coach Butch Thompson. “We’ve been playing some of the rules as we’ve gone through it. We rehearsed when a batter walks and he takes off running, and every fielder has to touch it before you can make a play on that guy. There’s a few minor points that we thought were big things that can really help you as a baseball team to grow. How to shove a ball in the strike zone. How to have a winner each inning.

“We’ve taken some things we really like to give us a light preparation. We’re playing their game so that will be an adjustment. We’ll see this as a team-building opportunity and an experience with the Auburn family at Plainsman Park.”

The other rules of Banana Ball include a two-hour time limit, the winner of each inning gets a point, batters can steal first base on a wild pitch, fans can catch foul balls for outs, no bunts, no hitters stepping out of box and no mound visits.

If the game is tied after nine innings, it’s decided in a showdown with one pitcher, one batter and one fielder.

The game will be available on the Savannah Banana YouTube channel. Auburn will play a second exhibition game Nov. 8 at Kennesaw State.