Jesse Cole on creating the Savannah Bananas and Banana Ball

In The Front Row with Mike Vaccaro

Jesse Cole grew up in Massachusetts and fell in love with baseball thanks to his dad. Recruited by Boston College and Northeastern to play baseball, Cole went south to Wofford College in South Carolina where he had an opportunity to be a two-way player. An injury his senior season, would deny Cole a chance at pro ball, but it would change his path forever. A short stint as a coach in the Cape Cod League led Cole to work behind the scenes in baseball when he became the General Manager of the Gastonia Grizzlies of the Coastal Plain League. From Gastonia, Cole and his wife, Emily, would buy a CPL franchise in Savannah, Georgia. Going against the fan vote, Cole named the franchise the Bananas and would work to improve the fan experience with the creation of Banana Ball. In the spring of 2022, Banana Ball hit the road and has become a sensation leading to an ESPN series and a cross-country tour in 2023. Cole shares the rules of Banana Bal, hiring ex-MLB standout Eric Byrnes to coach the team and the other former big leaguers who have played for the Bananas. Plus, we hear about the origins of the yellow tux.