The Savannah Bananas made their return to Cincinnati June 19-20, with one more game set for Sunday.
And, as they did in 2025, they put on a performance the Queen City won’t forget anytime soon, with special guests and coregraphed performances stealing the show.
Here are four takeaways from the traveling baseball team’s visit to Great American Ball Park on June 20.
Adam Dunn and Aaron Harang returned to Great American Ball Park
Two Cincinnati Reds legends returned to Great American Ball Park for one more run Saturday.
Slugger Adam Dunn started the reunion, going to the plate for the Bananas the second time through the batting order. Dunn, who had 40 or more home runs six times in his career but led the National League in strikeouts four times, struck out during his lone appearance.
Former Reds starting pitcher Aaron Harang then went to the mound later in the night, and he found a bit more success. Harang forced a batter into a pop-fly out.
It may not have been the Dunn and Harang of old, when they were in their primes for the Redlegs back in the 2000s. But it sure was a nostalgic trip down memory lane seeing them back at GABP.
Mo’Ne Davis takes the mound in Cincinnati
Former Little League World Series legend Mo’Ne Davis took the mound against the Bananas on Saturday night.
Davis, who made Little League World Series history in 2014 by becoming the first female pitcher to earn a win and a pitch a shutout in the tournament when she was just 13, joined the Banana Ball squad April 8 and made her debut April 11.
During her outing at Great American Ball Park, she gave up a run to KJ Jackson and was relieved shortly after.
She was the 10th overall pick in the Women’s Pro Baseball League draft and officially signed with the Los Angeles franchise, the league announced Monday, Dec. 22, 2025.
The Clowns celebrate history in Cincinnati
It’s been a long time coming, but the Indianapolis Clowns returned to the Queen City after four decades.
The original Clowns were founded in the 1930s as the Miami Giants before becoming the Ethiopian Clowns. After moving to Cincinnati in the early 1940s and starting play in the Negro Leagues, they moved a couple of seasons later and became the Indianapolis Clowns. The Clowns, known equally for their baseball skill and showmanship, were a barnstorming team playing in the waning years of the Negro Leagues.
The historical aspect of the Clowns was sprinkled throughout the game with a pre-game history lesson of the team’s founding and its journey to the present day. Several entertainers with the team also sported dandy-style clothing, which is on par for the team’s history.
Banana Ball rules played a huge role in the game’s outcome
The game was much different than the final score indicated, thanks to the signature Banana Ball rules.
The Bananas defeated the Clowns 7-3, but they scored many more runs. In Banana Ball, points are only scored if a team wins an inning, aside from the last inning when all runs count as points.
So, in reality, Saturday’s game was a blowout, with the Bananas scoring 18 to the Clowns’ 7. Some of the runs, of course, were also because of Banana Ball rules, but the change in play results in a more competitive product that had the Clowns in the game through the final inning.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Adam Dunn, Mo’Ne Davis, more. Takeaways from Savannah Bananas in Cincy
Reporting by David Wysong and Kaycee Sloan, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By David Wysong and Kaycee Sloan, Cincinnati Enquirer | USA TODAY Network
