Independence Day festivities aren’t the only fireworks in Jacksonville this week.
That’s because Banana Ball is coming to town.
The Loco Beach Coconuts face off against the Indianapolis Clowns for a three-night series at Jacksonville’s VyStar Ballpark beginning on Thursday, July 2, as Banana Ball’s offbeat offshoot of baseball enlivens the festivities leading up to July 4.
For those used to the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp’s Triple-A games at the ballpark, this week’s ballgames will have plenty of things in common. Some others … not so much.
When are Banana Ball games in Jacksonville?
Thursday, July 2: 7 p.m.
Friday, July 3: 7 p.m.
Saturday, July 4: 7 p.m.
Tickets for Banana Ball in Jacksonville
Tickets for Jacksonville’s Banana Ball series, as with most other stops for the tour, sold out about as fast as a four-seam fastball.
So fans still looking for tickets will likely have to try their luck on the secondary resale markets.
Still, some of those tickets can be pricey. An early check of listings on sites including StubHub, Seatgeek and Ticket Exchange by Ticketmaster for the Jacksonville games showed many of the tickets still available listed above $100.
Banana Ball in Jacksonville: How to watch online
For those who can’t make it to the ballpark, there’s still a way to watch the series, even though it won’t be available on standard television.
The games will be streamed live on the Coconuts’ YouTube channel. Fans can view the games at https://www.youtube.com/@Loco.Beach.Coconuts.
What makes Banana Ball different?
Short answer: a lot.
Banana Ball games, even the ones without the flagship Savannah Bananas, bring plenty of between-innings and in-play wacky moments.
Banana Ball also includes its own set of unique rules, rules a little different from the ones encounter at a Major League Baseball game.
Banana Ball Rules
Fans can make outs: If a spectator in the crowd catches a foul ball, it’s an out.
Batters can steal first base: If a pitcher throws a wild pitch, or if there is a passed ball, a batter can take first.
No walks: On Ball 4, the batter runs to first and can advance to as many bases as possible while the catcher has to throw the ball to every position player before the batter can be tagged out.
Each inning is worth one point: Whichever team wins the inning gets that point until the final inning.
Two-hour time limit: No inning can start after one hour and 50 minutes unless the game is tied.
No stepping out: If a batter steps out of the batter’s box, it’s a strike.
Showdown tiebreaker: If the game is tied after nine innings or two hours, a tiebreaker showdown takes place with only the pitcher, batter and one fielder.
No mound visits: Pitchers are left to their own devices to dig themselves out of a hole. No mound visits are allowed from the coach, catcher or any other player during the game.
No bunting … ever: Batters who bunt are immediately ejected from the game.
Challenges: The coach of each team holding onto a challenge prop can throw or shoot it onto the field before the next pitch. Each team only gets one challenge unless the play in question is overturned by the umpiring crew, in which case the challenge is retained.
Golden batter rule: Either team can send any hitter in the lineup to bat in any spot once a game, including toward the end when the game is on the line.
Source: USA TODAY Network/Cincinnati Enquirer
Are there Jacksonville-area players in the game?
There’s one on the Loco Beach Coconuts roster.
Dalton Mauldin, a combination infielder and singer/songwriter from Lake City, is among the players for the Coconuts. With nearly five years in the series, he’s a Banana Ball veteran.
He played at Columbia High School and in college at NCAA Division II Trevecca Nazarene University before joining the Banana Ball series. Mauldin, the Savannah Morning News reported, dressed as Buddy the Elf from the Will Ferrell movie “Elf” at his Bananas tryout in 2022.
The Savannah Bananas team itself includes a familiar face for Jacksonville in former Mandarin High School outfielder Ty Jackson, but the Savannah squad is playing the July 4 weekend at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Everything to know about Banana Ball’s Jacksonville stop this weekend
Reporting by Clayton Freeman, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union / Florida Times-Union
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Clayton Freeman, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union | USA TODAY Network
