Savannah Bananas’ Alex Ziegler, a Butler High grad, to throw out 1st pitch before Pirates vs Reds
He was born to be a Banana.
A Savannah Banana, that is.
Butler graduate Alex Ziegler, 30, is in his third season with the Savannah Bananas, a traveling baseball team that puts a unique show on the diamond each night by playing baseball with radical rules.
Their style of baseball is affectionately known as “Banana Ball.”
“It keeps getting better each year,” Ziegler said. “At times, I feel like a rock star. We sell out every venue we play in. People know who we are, wherever we go. It’s crazy.”
Next Wednesday afternoon at PNC Park, things will get a little crazier for Ziegler.
Wearing his Savannah Banana uniform, he will be throwing out the ceremonial first pitch prior to the Pirates’ home game against Cincinnati at 12:35 p.m. that day at PNC Park. He has made appearances at PNC Park before — performing some of his bat tricks — but has never tossed out a first pitch there.
“That’s going to be quite a moment for me,” Ziegler said. “I’m going to throw the pitch over my back. It’s been my dream to play a game there. I think it’s the most beautiful ballpark out there.”
Ziegler said he knows the director of entertainment at PNC Park and that’s how he wound up with the opportunity to throw out the first pitch. He remains hopeful that the Bananas will play a game at PNC Park within the next two years.
The Bananas are playing in six big league ballparks far this season. They’ve already played in front of sellout crowds in Houston and at Boston’s Fenway Park. Games are upcoming in Cleveland, Washington, Miami and Philadelphia. Those games are sold out as well.
The game in Boston was played Saturday night.
“We played in front of 37,000 at Fenway,” Ziegler said. “I have to admit, I cried a couple of times that night. My family came up for that one. It was a memorable night.”
Ziegler pointed out that the waiting list for Savannah Banana tickets “is over a million now.” The Bananas are halfway through their 90-game schedule this season.
For the first time since joining the team, Ziegler is getting regular playing time in the field. He plays first base and is hitting over .300. His main role the past couple of years was performing his bat tricks.
“I do a lot of trick things over there, like catching the ball between my legs or behind my back,” he said of first base.
The Bananas had been traveling with and playing against the Party Animals, A third team, the Firefighters, has been added this year. A fourth team, the Visitors, is in the works. All of these players practice together, but play specifically for one team all season.
“They’re trying to form a league in Banana Land,” Ziegler said, laughing. “That’s gonna happen.”
He said his favorite Banana Ball rule is if a fan catches a foul ball hit into the stands, the batter is out.
“I’d love to see the major leagues adopt that rule,” Ziegler said. “Foul balls would be insane.”
Ziegler was a member of the Butler Township 12U team that came within a game of playing in the Little League World Series. He also played high school baseball at Butler and college ball at California (Pa.) University.
