The Savannah Bananas brought Banana Ball to Gillette Stadium, embracing the New England Patriots football field and its oddly shaped dimensions to play some amazing baseball while also sharing stories of theater, homecomings, faith, and the best way to make it onto the squad.
Ever since Abner Doubleday claimed to have invented baseball nearly 200 years ago, the game has been played on a diamond. But as the Savannah Bananas move into football stadiums to accommodate their enormous crowds, they are increasingly playing on rectangles.
On August 28 and 29, the Bananas and the expansion Loco Beach Coconuts played the first Banana Ball games at Gillette Stadium, drawing approximately 65,000 fans each night. The Bananas defeated the Coconuts both nights, but the score was hardly the point. Every player brought a signature skill, a unique personality and a story of their own. That is what made each night so entertaining.
Gillette’s improvised dimensions were 350 feet to left field, 402 to center and only 213 to right. Those distances created a playing surface of approximately 93,900 square feet. Major League Baseball fields average about 108,200 square feet, making the Gillette layout just 13.2% smaller. But the unusual shape made the game feel much bigger, with anything hit toward right field carrying the potential for a mammoth home run or a truly bizarre play in the gap.
Before the game, we spoke with players from both teams about the strange geometry of the field and the unconventional paths that brought them there.
Jesse Cole May Take the Bananas to the Moon
“Whether we’re playing on the moon, we’re all playing the same game against each other.”
Bananas founder Jesse Cole saw the short porch as a fan-first opportunity.
“There’s a lot more home runs,” Cole said. “When you play in a football stadium, obviously, a lot more home runs. Innings can change a lot quicker. I think that’s exciting for fans.”
The dimensions required adjustments, but both teams faced the same odd boundaries.
“No dimensions scare me,” Cole said. “Whether we’re playing in a circle, whether we’re playing in a square, whether we’re playing in a triangle, whether we’re playing on the moon, we’re all playing the same game against each other.”
That is not confirmation of a lunar stop on the next Banana Ball World Tour. It is not exactly a denial, either.
Cole said young players hoping to join the phenomenon must offer more than traditional baseball skills.
“In Banana Ball, it’s about being different,” he said. “It’s about being unique. It’s about the best version of yourself. Show us something people haven’t seen before.”
Armani Henderson Finds a New Way to Play
“I’m known for my antics. You’ll see me jumping around, shaking my butt at the pitcher, lots of dancing too.”
For Coconuts outfielder Armani Henderson, the rectangle was a defensive puzzle.
“Right field’s 213 gives the lefties a little bit of an advantage,” Henderson said. “As an outfielder, you gotta make sure you know your dimensions well.”
The solution is to move the right fielder into a rover position.
“Think like slow-pitch softball up the middle,” Henderson explained. “It’s almost like you’ve got five infielders and then you have two outfielders, because if the ball hits the fence really hard, it’s going to be easier to grab that and hold them to a single.”
Henderson played at Merrimack and Johnson & Wales in college. He worked for Hasbro, the makers of Mr. Potato Head. Then he played professionally in Europe, then returned to Rhode Island after an injury and started a business. Then he flew to Savannah on a whim.
“Next thing you know, I’m in a tryout,” he said. “Next thing you know, I was with the player development team. That led into another tryout, which led me to signing to play here.”
At Gillette, Henderson also played catch with his father on the field.
“Just like any kid grows up thinking, ‘I want to play catch in an MLB stadium with my dad,’” Henderson said. “I know this isn’t Fenway Park, but this is pretty cool. I would put that right up there with it.”
Joe Filomeno Faithfully Puts the Jersey Back On, Again
“Don’t stop until somebody takes the jersey from you. It’s going to be taken at some point. It happens to everybody.”
Joe Filomeno attended Augustinian St. Rita of Cascia High School before pitching at Louisville and being selected by Texas in the 15th round of the 2014 MLB Draft. After playing in the Rangers organization, in independent baseball and in Australia, he left the game for six years. A Banana Ball game in Chicago inspired his return, and he now pitches for the Loco Beach Coconuts.
Filomeno’s journey back to baseball reflects the perseverance, faith and sense of purpose that continue to guide him.
“Don’t stop until somebody takes the jersey from you,” Filomeno said. “If it were up to me to go back, I wouldn’t have taken five to six years off. The jersey’s going to be taken from you at some point. It happens to everybody. So keep it on.”
For Filomeno, keeping the jersey on is not simply about continuing to play. It is about loving what he does, praising God and remaining connected to the communities that have shaped him. He remains especially proud of his Augustinian education and the values of unity and love that have stayed with him.
“The Banana Ball community, the Christian community, the Catholic community, the Augustinian community, whatever that community is to you, that one holds a special place in my heart because without unity, we have nothing,” he said. “You can’t live your life without love in your heart and without love at the forefront of your mind.”
Erik Ostberg Hitting Bombs on a Different Kind of Stage
“Some guys are more baseball-heavy. Some guys are more theater-heavy.”
Massachusetts native and Loco Beach Coconuts player Erik Ostberg arrived in Banana Ball with a resume weighted heavily toward baseball. He spent years in the Tampa Bay system and became a two-time American Association All-Star. Banana Ball asked him to become more than a ballplayer. It asked him to become an entertainer.
Playing at Gillette brought those two sides together. Ostberg homered in front of a large group of family and friends, creating one of his favorite baseball memories.
“This is just the craziest environment I’ve ever played in,” Ostberg said. “I hit a homer last night. I had a ton of family and friends here. One of my best baseball memories for sure.”
The weekend also reunited Ostberg with Savannah Bananas star Jackson Olson. Ostberg was a junior at Hartford when Olson arrived as a freshman. He toured Olson’s family around campus and took the younger player under his wing. Years later, their roles have reversed.
“And now I come to Banana Ball and he’s the guy and I’m just nobody, you know what I mean?” Ostberg said. “So I’ve been kind of learning from him as far as like just watching the entertainment side of things.”
That role reversal has pushed Ostberg beyond his comfort zone and required him to develop skills that were never part of conventional professional baseball.
“Some guys are more baseball-heavy. Some guys are more theater-heavy,” Ostberg said. “I’ve really been trying to put myself out there and push myself on the dances and being on the microphone.”
At Gillette, Ostberg was preparing to introduce the Coconuts on the microphone, a role he said he loved. The veteran brought to Banana Ball for his ability on the field was learning to dance, perform and find his own place in the show.
For Jackson Olson, Dancing with the Stars May Be His Toughest Challenge Yet
“The [Dancing with the Stars] ballroom floor … is probably the hardest thing I’ve ever done.”
Savannah Bananas star Jackson Olson is preparing for Season 35 of Dancing with the Stars, and a sold-out stadium is apparently less intimidating than a ballroom.
“Definitely the ballroom floor,” Olson said. “It’s probably the hardest thing I’ve ever done.”
Banana Ball has at least helped him learn choreography quickly. With the Bananas, dancing and baseball are both part of the game.
“Memorizing moves here has helped me for that Week 1 dance,” Olson said. “Now it’s about perfecting those moves and making them look really good.”
Before Olson became the experienced performer helping Erik Ostberg navigate Banana Ball, he was the freshman watching Ostberg dominate at Hartford. Olson remembered Ostberg hitting .500 and emerging as a Golden Spikes Award candidate before suffering a knee injury. His clearest memory came during a lopsided loss to Arizona.
“We played Arizona. I think we lost like 25-2 or something, and he scored both of our runs and he hit a home run,” Olson said.
Neither imagined they would one day meet again on opposing Banana Ball teams, with Olson playing for the Savannah Bananas and Ostberg representing the Loco Beach Coconuts. The former mentor is now learning the entertainment side from the player he once took under his wing.
KJ Jackson Turns a Theater Minor Into a Banana Ball Major
“Nah, just standing up causes that.”
Before the interview, Kyle “KJ” Jackson was sitting on the ground. We assumed he was tired from the game and apologized for making him stand. Once he did, it became clear why he had been keeping a low profile: dozens of screaming girls immediately began chanting his name.
“Nah, just standing up causes that,” Jackson said over the noise.
Jackson spread his arms and let the chant build. It was a fitting entrance for someone whose education prepared him for both baseball and show business.
Jackson combined Division I baseball at Kent State with a minor in theater, perhaps the ideal combination for a Savannah Bananas player.
Theater “plays into everything we do here: dancing, performing, singing,” Jackson said. “It’s quite literally the heart and soul of this organization.”
Its greatest contribution, however, is not the performance itself. It is the mindset required when a game or routine goes off-script.
“My ability to think on the fly, be adjustable, make quick adjustments and not really be scared to fail,” Jackson said. “That’s more what’s carried me in this career rather than my athletic ability.”
On a conventional baseball team, a theater minor might be a curiosity. With the Bananas, it may be the most practical degree in the dugout.
Diamonds may be a girl’s best friend, but at Gillette Stadium, KJ Jackson gave them some competition.
And on a field built for football, the Bananas proved that baseball’s most memorable moments can happen whether on a rectangle or a diamond.
All interviews for this story were videod by Dan Field of Boston Baseball and conducted by Kim Tauro, a member of Austin Prep’s Class of 2028 and an aspiring journalist. Her published work includes “Three Goals, Two Brothers, One Team,” featuring Austin Prep hockey players Mason and Logan McGovern; “Alex Herbert Reaches 1,000 Saves, Anchors Austin Prep Hockey,” featuring goaltender Alex Herbert; “Fope Ayo Takes a Shot at Division I Basketball,” featuring University of Michigan commit Fope Ayo; and a profile of Austin Prep boys basketball coach Sean Ryan.
Tauro received honorable mention in the 2026 Will McDonough Sports Journalism Contest and is a member of Austin Prep’s Sports Operations Club.
Brett Rudy is a trailblazer in the world of baseball. As the founder of Baseball Is My Life and co-founder of Charity Hop Sports Marketing, he’s dedicated to elevating the sport and supporting the athletes who play it. With a passion for making a difference, Brett has created successful philanthropic initiatives like Charity Wines and 100 Innings of Baseball for ALS. He’s also the mastermind behind the Corked Bat Collection, Cooperstown Classic at the Baseball Hall of Fame, and Winterball for Toys for Tots. When he’s not working to improve the game, Brett can be found playing outfield in the Boston Metro Baseball League, living and breathing the sport he loves.