Charlotte well represented as Savannah Bananas bring their fun and games to town
Eric Jones Jr. was invited to speak to Davidson College’s baseball team six months ago.
It’s an annual tradition for the Wildcats before the baseball season starts as different alumni hop on a Zoom to talk to players and parents. During the 30-45 minutes Jones spoke, head coach Rucker Taylor couldn’t help but reflect on how much the player had changed from his 19-year-old self at Davidson.
Jones didn’t dwell on the five-star hotels, private flights or awesome baseball stadiums in his life during his time as a bullpen catcher with the Seattle Mariners. Instead, he described his new routine that involves a steady diet of observing actors and musical artists to see how they conduct live performances. Add dance rehearsals and trick plays and batting practice, too.
It’s all in preparation to be a part of team that’s equal parts sports and entertainment — the Savannah Bananas, a wildly popular baseball team that counts millions of fans via TikTok and YouTube, and in person (if you can get a ticket.)
“It’s really not a path I think we’ve seen for him 12, 13, 14 years ago when we first crossed paths,” Taylor said. “But again, hindsight being 20/20, there’s a lot of things he’s able to do as a Banana that fit who he is. He’s been able to grow and explore some things that he maybe had an itch for.”
The South Mecklenburg grad will share his journey with his hometown when the Savannah Bananas take on the Party Animals at a sold-out Bank of America Stadium on June 6-7. The Bananas market themselves as an organization that “makes baseball fun,” enforcing two-hour time limits, dances, comedy sketches and more.
Jones will compete against Reece Hampton, a Charlotte Christian graduate and former Charlotte 49ers outfielder as part of the Banana Ball World Tour, spanning 40 cities across 25 states.
“I’ve had this date circled on my calendar for over a year now,” Hampton said. “And I’m so excited to come home and we get two nights out of it, which is even better.”
Out of college, Jones and Hampton focused on a more traditional path toward a career in baseball.
Jones signed an undrafted free agent contract with the Minnesota Twins. Hampton was selected in the 12th round by the Detroit Tigers during the 2018 MLB Draft. Years of trying to make it to the show ensued, moving from the minor league to independent ones. Anything to keep the dream alive.
Eventually, Hampton ended up with the Gastonia Honey Hunters and Jones took the bullpen job with the Mariners. Both had tasted what it was like to be a part of the Bananas during short tour stints, but neither had committed full time.
That changed in 2022. Jones was 26.
Then-Seattle relief pitcher Ryan Borucki (now with the Pirates) heard about Jones’ time with the Bananas during their spring tour. He urged Jones to give up the bullpen job. Jones could catch bullpens forever if that’s really what he wanted. Borucki told him there’s no glory in playing a decade in the minors to never make it big. Borucki believed the Bananas were onto something and Jones should take part while he’s able, even if it meant giving up the dream he’d pursued since childhood.
“That was really meaningful and impactful to hear that,” Jones said. “And a guy like that, who has made the majors, and would support me doing something else.”
So, Jones left.
Hampton made the same decision.
The pursuit of playing in the majors was always going to be linear. Hampton saw what Borucki did — the Bananas had a high ceiling. Traditional baseball didn’t offer that same guarantee.
He committed to the Party Animals full-time.
“I wanted to be a part of that and just kind of let loose,” Hampton said. “[I] swallowed my pride and my ego a little bit.”
The two players learned to adjust. Taylor said baseball is often viewed as being buttoned up. It has to be done a certain way to be acceptable.
The Savannah Bananas thumbed their nose at such nonsense.
Jones learned to share his story on social media and how to build his brand, an idea that was taboo in MLB. Both carved out hours of rehearsal and dance practice with regular training. They attended meetings to discuss entertainment and listen to player suggestions. Jones even started a podcast called “The Catching Corner,” discussing the ins and outs of being a catcher.
“It’s great and it’s challenging on many aspects of life, and I feel like (I’m) developing as a multifaceted person,” Jones said. “So, I feel in touch with lots of different elements of my life that maybe I never fleshed out, an acting career or my theatrical or musical side. But I’m getting to kind of embrace those sides now and continue to play baseball, which is what I’ve always loved.”
Three years removed from the Mariners, Jones is no longer stuck outside the white lines. He’s learning how to captivate audiences while being the Savannah Bananas all-time home run leader. He’s found the glory Borucki promised would come.
“Part of me feels sad that my major league dreams of playing didn’t or haven’t come to fruition,” Jones said. “But I know this is what I should be doing, that I’m here for a reason, that everything has happened for a reason.”
If you go: Savannah Bananas in Charlotte
Tickets for the Savannah Bananas this weekend in Charlotte are sold out, although they are available on numerous secondary markets for inflated prices (most of the tickets were originally $35). On their website, the Bananas advise against buying tickets on secondary markets due to the risk of fraud.
If you do have tickets, both Friday and Saturday games start at 7 p.m. at Bank of America Stadium, with earlier activities occurring outside the stadium. The schedule:
11 a.m.-1 p.m.: Early merchandise sales
2 p.m.: Pregame party begins
2 p.m.: Player appearances
3 p.m.: Before the Peel show
4:30 p.m.: Bank of America gates open
6:30 p.m.: Pregame show inside stadium
7 p.m.: Game begins: Savannah Bananas vs. Party Animals
9 p.m. (approximately): Game ends
The Observer’s Scott Fowler contributed to this report.
This story was originally published June 5, 2025 at 5:30 AM.
