TAMPA, Fla. — When you’re the greatest show in sports, there is dancing. And a band. And, of course, back flips.

Make no mistake, what happened last week were baseball games. But they were Savannah Bananas baseball games, so fans had to keep their heads on a swivel, or they would miss something.

What You Need To Know

  • The Savannah Bananas opened their latest world tour in Tampa on Feb. 8-10

  • The entertaining team combines equal parts of baseball, dancing and theatrics to create a fun atmosphere for fans

  • Jesse Cole created the Bananas with the philosophy the fans always come first

When they were in town, the Bananas were the hottest ticket in Tampa. From Feb. 8-10, the group sold out three nights at Steinbrenner Field. They were the first stops on the latest Banana Ball World Tour, which kicked off in Tampa. And the fans were ready.

Why Tampa? Why not?

"From the first conversation, it was, 'Hey, what can we do to make this special?'" Savannah Bananas owner Jesse Cole said. "And last year blew our minds. This ballpark, the tradition here, the energy, the fans, this stadium was built for Banana Ball."

Cole knows his Banana Ball. He created it. He’s part P.T. Barnum, part Willy Wonka and part George Steinbrenner. He had a vision for the Savannah Bananas, and that vision revolved around one thing: the fan experience.

"It’s how we make people feel," Cole said. "It’s so much bigger than baseball. And when you realize that people travel from all over the country to come here to get that feeling, to feel like they don’t need to take themselves so seriously. They can just have joy, and that’s what it’s all about."

That fan focus is why, before every game, in addition to batting and fielding practice, there are skit and dance rehearsals. Like a theater group preparing for an upcoming performance, these baseball players have to work on their timing.

The origins and the mad hattery of Banana Ball have been documented in a book. Longtime Tampa sports reporter Joey Johnston — who has covered a lot of sporting events, including the World Series, Super Bowls and the Olympics — followed the team during its first tour. He says he hasn't seen anything like the Savannah Bananas before.

"Every sports franchise, every college, everybody who tries to market their product, they can learn something from this guy and from this team," Johnston said.

The Savannah Bananas have tapped into that place in time when a young boy or girl first started playing baseball. When it wasn’t about balls and strikes and pitch counts and wins and losses. They’re harnessing that memory of when it was all about the joy of the game. About having fun.

"We’re having the time of our life," Cole said. "And we’re going to continue to bring this thing to more people. And hopefully get more kids around the country and all over the world playing."