highlights of missed bananas

So.
I missed the game last night.
I had obligated myself as an usher at the Lucas.
I'm sure Haley would have granted me leave from my post, but...
I had wanted that "spoonful of sugar"...
which I had signed up for when the Bananas were in 4th place, weeks ago.
Then, my boys of summer had jumped onboard a winning streak and obtained top ranking going into the Western Division Coastal Plains League championship playoffs!
Wow!!! I'm so glad I was there for that ride!
The wins had granted them the possibility of an extra week of games right here at Grayson Stadium.
But I already had made other plans to occupy my evenings. In fact, my dance card has been full every night since this time two weeks ago.
So.
The first playoff game, on Wednesday, I had missed.
My seat in Section J didn't go unoccupied, though. I had sold it to Susie (a fellow Lucas usher and baseball fan) at the screening of "Grease" last Friday. She had thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to sit in the box seats! The game was pretty good, too! It had been an intense bout against the Asheboro Copperheads, but the boys reigned victorious in the bottom of the 9th with a walk off win!
That led into a second playoff game last night, Friday night, against the Forest City Owls.
As I mentioned, I was already obligated to dance with another... so I allowed Susie to buy my seat again. She was thrilled! And what a pitchers' duel that was! Absolutely scoreless, for both sides, until the bottom of the 8th inning.
Incredible.
Here are the highlights, gleaned from the camerawork from WJCL.

Ryan Flores, #5, launches one from the mound...

... and comes off the mound later, whipping off his ballcap, all fired up!
He should be!
The boy pitched a scoreless eight innings to the Owls.

In the bottom of that 8th inning, the Bananas scored!
Clint Hardy, #25, got on base...

... then Jameson Hannah, #3, slammed the ball toward the rightfield wall!
Was it a homerun???
The ball had hit the pole and bounced back on the field...

... but Clint, an incredible runner, was definitely safe at home!
Yeah!
A run for the home team!

Then the four umpires reached a ruling:
home run for Hannah!
He was allowed to complete his victory trot from third base!
The boys had a two runs on the board!

The top of the 9th cinched the victory.
#6 Clay Dungan had fired the ball to #27 Jeff Nellis to secure the out at second...

... and Jeff had fired the ball to #32 Garrett Nelson to get the batter out at first base!
Gotta love those double plays!

And the
first-time-ever Savannah Bananas became the CPL West Division Champions
of the
college summer league!


What a Cinderella story!
A team coming from nowhere to win a title!
And, on Sunday, they compete for the Petitt Cup title against the East Division Champions in a best-of-three series.
That first game, against the Peninsula Pilots, will be on the Bananas' turf.
Susie already bought her own ticket.
You better believe I'm going to be there, too, cheering the boys on with my shouts of "Get a hit, hit, HIT!", and "Let's go, Bananas, lets' GO!" and "Strike him out! Pop him out! Throw him out!" and "Just one more out, Bananas!"
Oh, yes, I will!
Even though I already had something else scheduled for that night...
my boys of summer have one last game...
and I am so proud of them!
I get one last birthday:58 celebration with them!
Go, Bananas!

bananas take 1st base!

Yep!
That's exactly what Coach Sean Wells did, after one too many bad calls by the base umpire.
Coach picked up the first base bag and hauled it over to the sidelines, as shown in this photo I took.

What an uproar!
But you know, the crowd agreed wholeheartedly with his actions! When they passed around a hat to "pay Coach Wells' fine", folks chipped in, filling the hat!

That was certainly not the only excitement tonight!
The only run on the scoreboard for five innings was due to the mighty bat of our right fielder, Clint Hardy. Here he is, almost home after a quick, nearly effortless victory trot around the bases.
Go, go, go, Number 25!

Go, go, go, Number 5, too!
Ryan Flores was the starting pitcher tonight, shutting out the Marlins for seven innings.
There was a shaky time in the 3rd inning - or was it the 4th?
He walked two men in a row.
His foot had slipped on the mound for the first of the two batters, and he had nearly fallen, shaking him up.
He settled right down after the coach paid a visit to the mound.
This photo was from last Wednesday, by the Bananas' photographer.
Yes, I should have taken one tonight, but I forgot.

How could I have forgotten to whip out my camera?
I blame this woman!
(smile!)
I sat with Lynn tonight, as Lauri had other goings-on for this first Thursday of the month.
Lynn and I had a great time, with me cheering and her ringing the cowbell!
Heck, the Beasley father and daughter even shouted encouragement to the players on several occasions!
As did Mister Willie, of course.
(smile)
What a marvelous night!

final friday with the boys of summer

Only two more games and the brief college baseball summer will end.
Next week's games are on Thursday and Saturday.
So, that makes this the final Friday for baseball this year.
A "diamond dig" was held after the game, but I did not stay for that.
I was there solely for the baseball.
Oh, yeah!

Garrett Nelson,
number 32,
is the
first base man
and
he has
been doing
a great job!
Steady hand
in the glove
and on
the bat.

Clay Dungan,
number 6,
is from
Indiana.
He's the
second base man.
Some of
his catches
are quite
incredible!
He's good
at running
and hitting,
too.

Here, the Savannah Bananas are saluting the military, present and past.
If you look directly above Number 18's head, and slightly left, you'll see a white-haired gent in a blue shirt standing up.
That's Chatham Thomas, Sr.
He and his wife Carol have played host to the Indiana man this summer.
(They also hosted Ryan Flores, number 5, a pitcher.)
I should be standing a little further to the left, on the same row as Chat, but a woman is blocking me from view.

Savannah VOICE was there prior to the game.
They gave us only two songs, but one was a favorite:
"Seasons of Love", from "RENT".

"5 hundred 25 thousand, six hundred minutes,
how do you measure, measure a year?"
And how do you measure a season of Bananas?
Well, they were to play at home in Savannah on 24 dates, two of which were rained out.
On those 20 dates played so far, they have played fifteen regular games and eight 7-inning games (on the doubleheader Wednesdays). If we figure an average of 150 minutes per game, that's a total of three thousand, four hundred and fifty minutes of summer delights at the ballpark.
I've missed two games. That should mean I missed out on three hundred minutes of the fun, but I parlayed those missed games into tickets to share with the bfe and with Kevin, so I consider those minutes enjoyed! Also, I parlayed one of the rain-out tickets into a shared game, so I'm actually even more to the good!
I'll be even more to the good when I share the second rain-out ticket...
but with whom???

Well, I won't be sharing the ticket with Mister Willie. See him in the pale peach shirt, in the upper left? He's sitting in his seat and does not even need tickets to gain admittance.
And I won't be sharing the ticket with the Denions. John, in the bright orange shirt on the right, was there tonight with his son, Aaron. So, they're good for the summer.
Hmmm... I better figure it out soon!
Only two more games...
and one of those is already sold out.
I'll keep you posted!

karate and fireworks with bananas!

You certainly want to show up early at the Savannah Bananas games!
Today, during the hour preceding the first pitch, we were treated to demonstrations by the Pooler karate club!
Hai YAH!!!

Did I say plural demos?
You bet that was plural!
In addition
to the synchronized "dancing" and the work with the tools of their trade, there was also the chopping of a a five-layer stack of concrete bricks!
Twice!!
Pretty fun stuff, y'all!

You know, I probably would have stayed out there after the luncheon, had I known of all that was to come!
I could have watched the boys of summer during their batting practice.
I could have been out there for the two softball games, too.
That's okay, though.
I have certainly gotten my money's worth of entertainment today!
Best fifteen bucks ever spent for my birthday:58!

You see, I was right there for the two - or was it three? - demos by a group of cheerleaders.
Go, team, go!
And I was right there for the T-ball "home run hit", watching as the Bananas did their best comedic throws and missed catches as the tyke ran the bases.
Hilarious!
And I was right there for the "French Maids" as they skipped and dusted and high-fived their feather wands!
And I was right there for the salute to the troops and the 7th inning stretch and the singing along with "Sweet Caroline"!
And I was right there when Clint Hardy sailed one over the left wall and Garrett Nelson bopped one high over the right wall!
Yes, indeed, I was right there.

And I was sitting in my seat, right there behind the boys, for the grand fiReWorKs display!
How wonderful that they were allowed to pull up their chairs from the dugout to the field!
Thanks for a great game, y'all!

meet the bananas!

I had decided to sleep in this morning... and slept until after 11 AM!
That meant I would be brunching, not lunching, at the meet and greet.
No worries!
The noon-start event was catered by Outback Steakhouse and they had plenty of good food, just as you would expect at a brunch.
(smile)
Steak strips! Grilled chicken strips! Boiled shrimp!
I had a little salad, too, and a heap of grilled vegetables: broccoli, carrots, and squash - oh, my!
Then, time for some meetin' and greetin'!

Here I am with, Thor,
son of Odin!
He got a kick out of that moniker,
as did a passing fan.
Who knows?
Maybe I've started something
with that one!

Sure, maybe he doesn't quite have the rippling forearms of the mythic namesake...
but look at that curly blond mass!
Look at his stance!
Oh, my!

Garrett Lovorn,
my man Thor,
was there with a bunch of the other pitchers.
I wish some of the ballplayers had been there, too.
Maybe there will be another meet for us members of the Savannah Bananas.

That would be very nice!
Maybe we can meet the entertainers, too?
Here I am with Mitch Torres, aka Ring Dude.
Not "windoo".
He got a kick out of that misnomer!
I blame the sound system...

But I was correct about him being one of the skipping diamond Maids!
This is from the game on Thursday against the Copperheads.
The Bananas lost the game, but Mitch won my heart!
(smile!)

I'll be looking forward to the baseball game tonight!
I'll be sure to arrive early, as it's yet another sold out event.
Hopefully, the Bananas will knock the air out of the Blowfish...
but, win or lose, we still get fiReWOrKs!!!!
Hooray!
Birthday:58 continues!

monsters! music! magic!

I'm in love with a monster, y'all!
The Summer Kid Film Festival brought me a plethora of them this week!
Happy birthday:58 - the celebration continues!
This time, the midweek, midmorning screenings started with "Hotel Transylvania 2" at the Regal. "Blah blah blah!" If you don't know what that means, then you've missed out!
No, seriously.
I'm so glad to have seen this one again! It has monsters! It has monsters dancing to music! It has monsters doing magic! It has it all!
And it reminded me of one of my favorite jokes.
(smile!)
"Live life like it's a song!" What a fabulous philosophy! That was the message on Wednesday from "The Book of Life". Thanks to the Regal for being the only cinema to bring this for the SKFF! Such a wondrous amalgam of the artistic motif from "The Nightmare Before Christmas" and the pop-music stylings of "Moulin Rouge!" - two of my favorites! And there were so many clever lines!
Dia de Las Muertes featured all the dancing and singing - even an operatic aria from a former bullfighter! - that this girl could want!
And the dead are a type of monster, right? And Dia de Los Muertes is quite magical, n'est-ce pas?
(smile!)
The week's finale, "Rio 2", was one dear to my heart. The first time I saw this was a dark and stormy night two years ago.
No, I'm not talking about the weather anyone was experiencing except me.
How nice to have a bright blue sky, inside and out, for this viewing! Oh, plus popcorn and soda, since this was a Carmike day!
Pop-up books galore in this movie! How I do love those!
There was even a generous dose of Shakespeare! (Thanks, Nigel, you kooky bird!)
Did I say bird?
Of course!
Flying, singing, dancing, soccer-playing birds! Birds using GPS! Birds of blue and red and orange and yellow!
So... MUCH... COLOR!!!
Admittedly, this one was pretty light on monsters, unless you count the evil lollipop-munching tree destroyer as a monster.
And I do.
Admittedly, it was also missing the magic, unless you count the two tree-huggers crushing nefarious plans and saving a species from extinction as magic.
And I do.
(smile)
i thank You, God, for this feast for my spirit and my soul!

monster is spelled m-y-s-t-e-r-y

I kid you not.
ConnectSavannah misunderstood the PFS listing.
The scheduled movie was a mid-1990's horror spoof about giant insects. Somehow, the folks at the weekly entertainment magazine thought the monster film was to be one of Jim's "to be named later" films ... and that's how they wrote it up.
I very much enjoy the "mystery" movies! Going to one is like digging into a box of chocolates, as Mr. Gump would say.
(smile)
So, when the write-up promised that an inductee into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame was starring in this "mystery" monster movie, I was all in!
Jim met me as I was buying my ticket.
"Oh, you're going to like this one," he said. "But you should know that it isn't the movie that I was going to show tonight. This is a different mystery monster movie, though not the one advertised."
"How do you know?" I asked. "If it's a mystery, how would anyone know it's not the intended mystery?"
Indeed!
And that's when I found out that several people already knew the title for the scheduled film, especially as Jim had shown promos for it at earlier PFS screenings.
The scheduled film's title was not a mystery.
The newspaper got that wrong.
But, that's okay!
It all worked out just fine!
I was still lured there for this 59-year-old film, "The Giant Claw"!
What a hoot!
A giant, zombie-looking, aerial predator with an antimatter shield?
Oh, do tell!
My favorite character had to be Mitch McAfee. An electronics-whiz rebel who billed himself as the "chief cook and bottle washer in a one-man bird watching society"? How could I resist a line like that? Especially coming from a man who resembled James Garner in appearance, voice, and mannerisms?
He was definitely batting them over the wall!
(The baseball metaphors were fabulous!)
Truly, it was quite funny and charming...
and also scientifically interesting, as it would turn out.
In the movie, it was proposed that they create a ray of "mesonic atoms" to pierce the antimatter shield that protected the beast from all weapons.
"Mesonic atoms"???
Hahahaha haha!
We all laughed about that one!
And we were all quite mistaken.
Apparently, the 1957 script writers were more up-to-date on the research in physics than were any of us in the screening room.
Mesonic atoms were the focus of several researchers in the 1950's, including a CalTech group in 1954, and a New York physicist in 1956. But that wasn't where the science exploration ended. It continued into the 1970's and beyond, including a 2012 textbook.
So... this movie was actually pushing some cutting-edge physics in our direction, in the guise of an extraterrestrial science fiction flick.
Wow...

some enchanted evening!

"American Graffiti" was the topic for viewing and discussion tonight at the Trustees Theatre.
I had so looked forward to seeing it on the big screen...
and the anticipation was well rewarded!
So many hotties, in their twenty-something prime, masquerading as just-graduated teens!
Well, not all of them were doing that.
Paul Le Mat was an older man, a hot-rod racing dreamboat...ooh la la! He really rocked that white T-shirt and those tight jeans. Seriously! That 14-year-old Mackenzie Phillips was so lucky to be toolin' 'round in his yellow truck!
Another man playing his age - or close enough - was a 31-year-old Harrison Ford. What a treat for the eyes and ears! As a rival hot-rodder, decked out in a cowboy hat and wearing an Elvis-worthy sneer, he was definitely fodder for sweet dreams later tonight...I'll just pretend he was singing "Some Enchanted Evening" to me, instead of to a fortunate Cindy Williams... pardon me while I melt...
(smile)
Speaking of treats for the senses, I have to give a shout-out to Wolfman Jack! As the DJ spinning the soundtrack to their lives, his 35-year-old voice was music to my ears! So very good to hear him again!
As for Richard Dreyfuss, I didn't really glom onto him until "The Goodbye Girl". Perhaps it was his stint as a naked man playing the guitar that did it for me in that one... yeah, that was definitely the scene!
Seeing this classic tonight, I know I've seen it before on a big screen. But certainly not when it first came out.
I would have been fifteen.
And shy.
But by the re-release in 1978, my early-twenty-something self would surely have been right there. And I would have known all the main players, too, especially Dreyfuss and Ford.
And that soundtrack...
Oh, my, yes... that fabulous soundtrack...
pardon me while I go find some Platters to play...
later, y'all!

Angel couldn't save the bananas

Not even the three-run homer from Angel Camacho could guarantee a win for the game tonight.
Close, but no banana.

I blame the brand-new purple jerseys the boys were wearing.
These were special one-time-use tops, destined to be auctioned off tonight as a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society.
I do hope the jerseys raised lots of money for that group.
They certainly did not lead to a win over the Salamanders.
That's okay - the game was quite a thriller!

Really and truly, having Thor, son of Odin, on the pitcher's mound was enough to make my night complete.
(Kevin actually asked when the wedding was scheduled...
as if that were even possible...
but a girl can still dream!)
Too many infield errors meant too little defense for him, sadly.

Not that the Bananas' offense was quite up to the task, either.
Angel Camacho tried to be a one-man winning machine, though...
and almost succeeded!
Four of the six runs the Bananas scored were thanks to his mighty bat.
Here, he's coming home after tapping one over the wall and driving in two men already on bags.
Hooray for him!
I hope that Angel got noticed by a scout or two!

Here's another highlight
from the night -
our very own
9th inning "windoo"!
What a hottie he was!
(I think he may have been
one of the Dirty Maids
cleaning the bases earlier...
he has such pretty eyes!)


My friend Christa had her own highlight handed right to her!
During one of the between-innings breaks, the ballplayers come out with roses for special ladies. Usually, little girls or older women garner the red-topped stems... but Lynn had "fixed" the gifting! She had told management that it was Christa's birthday - so one of the dark red blooms was granted to her.
Hooray!

sharing double bananas with sandpipers!

It's Wednesday, y'all!
You know what that means, right?
A doubleheader at Grayson Stadium!
Hooray for Bananas!

I started the game with two hotdogs and a chicken sandwich, washing it down with the first Diet Coke, heavy on the ice, of the evening.
$13 to anyone else, free to me!
Happy birthday:58!
Then I bore witness as the Grim Reaper laid his hex on the Grizzlies as their starting lineup was announced. Fun!

Jack was even here tonight!
This was his first game of the season - what a slacker!
(He left after the first game, too.)
Willie held court from his seat, with Bruce providing comments from time to time.

I had only briefly stayed with the boys, spending the first game with those Engler women.
They left when it was done.
Me?
I went back to my seat to enjoy the between-game "Olympics", complete with Synchronized Swimming in the wading pools!

And then...
a bit of excitement from the professional side of baseball!
Josh Reddick, of the Oakland A's, was back in his home town -
that's here! -
and threw the first pitch for the second game.
How 'bout that, sports fans!

The Sandpipers were very pleased with the second game.
Ryan Flores, one of their boarders, was the starting pitcher...
and he rocked it!
So did Jameson Hannah,
seen here making his homerun trot back to the plate after soaring one over the right field wall.
That pleased me!!!

Baseball at night pleases me, too.
So very much.
What a blessing to continue to have summer games to enjoy!
i thank You, God.

bananas salute to the military, past and present!

It isn't as if the Savannah Bananas don't pay tribute to the military already.
They do so at every game, and, as I've noted before, I love receiving that respect and recognition at the games.
But tonight, all night, has been directed at honoring those who serve, and have served, to protect our country.
Amen to that!

After the "first banana" had been thrown,
a VIP soldier came to the mound
to toss out the first pitch...
and the Bananas rushed to greet him with handshakes and "thank you"s.
Very nice.

Soon, the Savannah Bananas
were back on the field,
this time to
line up
respectfully
along the first base line
as the color guard
marched onto the diamond.

The Lexington Blowfish stood along the third base line
and gave recognition to the military brass band.
What a treat to have the national anthem played by such a fabulous group!

Then, in the second inning break, I saw something I've never seen in any ball park, ever.
These seven people were sworn in as soldiers, right there in front of a sell-out crowd!
Amazing.

This wasn't a military event, but it sure got me on my feet, and the rest of the crowd, too!
Christian Hollie sailed one over the left wall, making his homerun the first score for the Bananas.
Hooray!

The Bananas became an unstoppable scoring machine then!
And this young man received a 4-year college scholarship from the military!
Good for him!
I know his mom was very proud!

By that time, I had moved up into the cheap seats, partly to be near Mister Willie, partly to take advantage of the breeze off those Big Ass fans.
What a hot summer it's been!
Still, I can think of no better place for my stay-cation in the heat than here at Grayson Stadium.
Hallelujah and pass the ice-cold sodas!

bananas go country!

You know the thing I like best about this new baseball club?
Every game day is different.
I'm not referring to their Friday-Monday-Thursday-Saturday-Wednesday schedule rotation.
That's actually been quite a boon, allowing fans - and ball players - to take a respite.

But that isn't what I'm talking about.

I'm referring to the variety of promotions and entertainment from one game day to the next.
I'm referring to the vibe from the fans who bring their whole family out to watch baseball.
I'm referring to the vast amount of energy exuded by the many children as they munch on all-you-can-eat hotdogs and hamburgers and popcorn.

It's almost like stepping back in time to the olden days of baseball.
Where better to do so than at historic Grayson Stadium?
Nowhere else boasts a baseball diamond graced by such legendary greats as Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, and Shoeless Joe Jackson.
Other ball fields once could claim such a title. However, those have been replaced by newer buildings, shinier concession stands, and more expensive seats.
I'll gladly watch my baseball in this old stadium, and be grateful to do so!

Tonight's special theme was a celebration of country music!
Rosalind had braided her tresses into pigtails and was sporting cowboy boots, denim shorts, and ten-gallon hat.
Yeehaw, y'all!
(smile)
Me? I'm wearing my Daddy's shirt.
He would have had a blast at the ball park tonight!
The least I can do is celebrate for him, right?
(smile)

That's why I made sure to get this photo of Daddy's shirt - with his ever-loving, one-and-only daughter in it - hanging out with Banana Split.
Super cute, right?
(smile)

The game was a bit lopsided... but in favor of the Bananas!
Those poor Swamp Dogs just never had a chance!
Late in the game, I would have sworn our boys of summer were trying to give the visiting team a chance, but the North Carolina folks never managed to get a man across home plate.
Not once.
What a game!

And we end the evening with Mister Willie easing on down the stairs from his seat in the bleachers behind home plate.
Rosalind always escorts him safely down, all the way to his car.
Usually, I walk with them, but I held back to visit with the Povies. They're off to Mexico City and Cabo San Lucas in a week. Hotel California, here they come!
Hope they have at least as much fun as I did there!

bananas with elvis and the physicist!

Elvis!
I can't believe he was there!
I was with the bfe,
at the tail end
of the first game.
We were chatting
with the Engler women...
and Lauri -
or maybe Lynn -
said "Look, Elvis is
over there!"
Say what??!!!
Over in the box seats
over the dugout!
Of course I went!
I just know he was
there to celebrate
birthday:58 with me!

Banana Split made sure
to get his photo
with Elvis, too!
What a rare treat
for a baseball mascot,
but we all know
Elvis loves bananas!
(smile!)

All too soon,
the time had come
for Grayson Stadium -
and the baseball fans -
to say goodbye to the King.
Savannah Elvis -
or should that be
Elvis in Savannah -
had left the building!

Did I mention the bfe was at the game with me?
This was the first time the physicist had been to a baseball game in about twenty years.
Yep, you read that right: twenty years.
And here he was on a double-header Wednesday!
But you know what?
He stayed for both games!
Happy birthday:58 to me again!
I had thought for sure he would bail after the first game. Honestly! He's just not a baseball enthusiast. I had really been surprised when he had accepted my offer at the beginning of the month.
But he finally made it out to Daffin Park with me!
Hooray!

He was right there
beside me
for the Bananas'
"Salute to the
Troops" that
they do on each
game day.
I love the recognition!

He was right there
when Thor,
son of Odin,
(Garrett Lovorn,
in real life)
took the mound
and ruled it!

He was right there
when two chicks
strapped on bananas
to drive a beach ball
down the side field.
(I kid you not!
What a crazy game!)

He was right there
when the Maid Service
came out to clean
those dirty, dirty bases
with their frilly skirts,
feather dusters,
and hairy legs!
Hahahaha Hahaha!

He was right there
when Jameson Hannah,
one of my favorites,
slugged a home run
over the center wall!
First run of the
second game, too!

He was right there
to show some love to
the Bananas' Bat Dog,
Daisy, the sweetest
little pup that ever
graced any ball park!
(She even made the news
in New York City!)


Thanks, man!
And thanks for making it through both games, right there with me!
(Hey, it's an inside joke, y'all!)
(smile)