Tampa Bay's "Field of Dreams" Becomes a Reality

By Joey Johnston

When Hurricane Milton literally blew the roof off Tropicana Field on Oct. 9, jeopardizing the Savannah Bananas’ Tampa Bay area appearance scheduled about five months later, it required some quick thinking and innovative solutions.

Sort of like the way the Bananas operate themselves.

Eric Hart, president/CEO of the Tampa Sports Authority, immediately contacted Tampa Bay Sports Commission executive director Rob Higgins. The message was brief.

“I made the first phone call and simply said, ‘Don’t let them (Bananas) leave the market,’ ‘’ Hart said. “We knew the Bananas were going to do some NFL stadiums and college football stadiums as part of their (2025) tour. So I told Rob, ‘Let's push now to see if we can move it over here as quick as possible.’

“This wasn’t a play for money. This was us keeping this great event in our market. We immediately started laying the groundwork. All these months later, here we are.’’

Saturday night, a baseball game will occur at Raymond James Stadium before an electric, sold-out crowd of 65,000.

It’s completely Bananas!

And it’s really happening.

“This is a dream to be honest,’’ said Bananas first baseman Dan Oberst, a Tampa Bay area native. “For 65,000 people coming out to watch you play in your hometown, that’s something you imagine as a kid. I’m definitely going to have a few moments looking around and saying, ‘Wow, we really did this!’ ‘’

The Savannah Bananas — the fun-filled baseball and entertainment spectacle that has been dubbed “The Greatest Show in Sports’’ — is coming to Ray-Jay. In the shadow of the stadium’s iconic pirate ship, the Bananas will sing and dance, creating never-before-seen trick plays and bringing family-friendly joy to the largest audience in the organization’s history.

Higgins praised Bananas founder Jesse Cole, a forward thinker if you’ve ever seen one. Cole is a charismatic mix of P.T. Barnum and Walt Disney. His fans-first approach has set a new template for the sports and entertainment industry.

“Hosting the Bananas’ first-ever NFL stadium game is the next great chapter of an amazing partnership with Jesse Cole and his team,’’ Higgins said. “Last year, we were the first city ever to welcome 50,000 Bananas fans (during games at Steinbrenner Field). This Saturday, we will host the largest Bananas game ever.

“When the hurricanes hit and the Trop became unplayable, Jesse heard from nearly every facility around the country (as a replacement site). But he did what great partners do and that was to step up by staying in our region. We could not be more grateful for him working with us to keep the Bananas in our area.’’

So … how will this actually work?

Trey Altman, the TSA’s facilities manager who had baseball experience while working at NC State, oversaw the two-day installation of sparkling new infield turf through a partnership with QGS Development and Quality Turf. The remainder of Ray-Jay’s turf is also relatively new after getting in place for the Feb. 14 Major League Soccer game between Orlando City SC and Inter Miami FC.

More than 352 tons of red clay were brought in for the infield.

“It looks like a major-league baseball field,’’ said TSA vice president of stadium operations David Moss, who is accustomed to challenges with Monster Truck shows and complicated concert set-ups. “It’s absolutely amazing. I had never manicured a baseball field before. Trey was my first call, but he had a baseball background so he said, ‘Don’t worry, we’ve got this.’ ‘’

There’s also more than 600 feet of padding for safety and protective netting around the field (similar to an MLB game). The paramount theme was making it safe while maintaining the integrity of a competitive game.

Home plate is situated near the stadium’s northeast corner, just below the pirate ship.

The field dimensions are … interesting. It’s 237 feet to right field (for comparison’s sake, the Green Monster at Boston’s Fenway Park left field is 314) and 285 to right center. But there’s a 50-foot-high net in play along the right-field area. Home runs to right must clear the net.

“Lefties might have a fun night … time will tell,’’ Oberst said. “I anticipate a lot of action out there, I know that.’’

Other dimensions: 354 to left, 378 to left center and 422 to center.

“It’s pretty crazy to think about how I’ve been part of many ‘firsts’ in my time here and obviously this one in Tampa is the biggest,’’ Bananas veteran pitcher Kyle Luigs said. “It’s definitely exciting having the opportunity to entertain this many fans all in one night.

“With that, obviously, there comes many challenges and the first is the field dimensions. Nobody has ever done this before, so we’re going into this almost completely in the dark. Figuring out how to play an entertaining and competitive game within two hours and not having offensive explosions everywhere, that’s the biggest one in my mind.’’

The Bananas never disappoint.

“We want the same attention to detail for each fan,’’ Luigs said. “We want the same awesome experience for the person up in the far corner to the person right behind home plate. I think we are oddly set up for success in this regard with all of our amazing cast and characters. I think everyone will have that ‘close to the field’ type of feel.’’

What will Saturday night feel like?

“We’re going to have trick plays, celebrations, new dances and a whole new energy,’’ Oberst said. “The fans are in for a treat. I have no doubt we are going to leave a greater impact on everybody in that stadium than anyone could ever imagine.’’

One word seems to reverberate.

Historic.

“Saturday night will be nothing short of spectacular,’’ said Adam Virant, the Bananas’ coach and director of baseball operations. “We have a saying that ‘whatever is normal, we do the exact opposite.’ That’s why we decided to play Banana Ball in an epic venue such as Raymond James.

“There will be something for everyone — incredible music, outstanding dancing, amazing trick plays and Banana Ball played by some of the most talented players in all of sports.’’

For the uninitiated, it’s baseball, but with a Bananas twist. The game, against the arch-enemy Party Animals squad, will be played in a two-hour time limit. There are a series of rules and stipulations that make the action more fun, fast-moving and fan-friendly.

Example: If a foul ball is hit into the stands and caught by a fan, it’s an out.

For real.

Hart doesn’t doubt the potential of Saturday night, saying, “I have a feeling that Jesse Cole has a few new things up his sleeve because he’s a genius when it comes to his product.’’

“There are times in your career where things take off and you don’t see it coming,’’ Hart said. “Morgan Wallen was playing in bars and a few years later, he’s selling out stadiums for multiple days. Whoever thought Taylor Swift would become as mega-huge as she has become? Certain things just connect with people and the Savannah Bananas are definitely one of those.

“You can take your kids to the Bananas and just forget about stuff while having a great time. It’s family fun and it’s priced accordingly. You see how much Jesse care about the fans and the product. It’s just exciting to be part of this and you’re motivated to work your hardest and show how amazing our community can be. I truly believe years from now, parents will remind their kids, ‘Remember that night when we went to Ray-Jay and saw the Bananas?’ You’ll talk about this for years to come.’’

Hurricane Milton made for some early complications. But though the teamwork of the Bananas, the TSA and the Sports Commission, an epic night of entertainment is at hand.

“This has been such a fun process to see the concept around Saturday night’s game come to life,’’ Higgins said. “From working quickly to relocate the game once the Trop was no longer playable to deciding that home plate would go in front of the pirate ship to the net system that will be used, the ideation around every detail has been fascinating. It always is when it comes to Jesse Cole and the Bananas.

“The Bananas continue to innovate at a level that is unmatched. Bringing a game to Raymond James Stadium in front of a sold-out crowd of 65,000 is the ultimate testament to how they think outside the box. This is going to be a historic night that no one will soon forget.’’

Tuesday afternoon — when almost no one was watching — was pretty unique, too.

That’s when the TSA met with officials of the National Hockey League, which is planning to stage a Winter Classic outdoor game for the Tampa Bay Lightning and Boston Bruins at Ray-Jay in 2026. 

“For the NHL, we laid out a hockey rink right in the center of the (Ray-Jay) field,’’ Hart said. “And we also had the baseball field sitting out there. Can you imagine? Pretty crazy. It’s a very, very good time for us right now at the stadium.’’