
I mentioned yesterday that I found a group of All Star Game and World Series baseballs for sale at [Citi Field](2026-05-01_nymets). One of them caught my attention to the point where I felt I HAD to take it home (don't worry, I did pay for it):

![A photo of a baseball that says "OFFICIAL BALL: 1994 WORLD SERIES" and has a World Series logo](/images/2026/1994wsball.jpeg)

To explain why I felt so compelled to buy this, lets start by talk about unions.

Y'see kids, many workers are part of things called unions. These unions are in place to protect workers for various reasons (injury, healthcare, etc.), and are in many, MANY industries - including the sports world.

Pretty much all major sports leagues in the world have things called player's unions. These unions are in place to help the players in their dealings with team owners - especially for fringe guys as they're more at the mercy of the executives who are trying to build winning organizations. Typically, a league and its player's union have what's known as a Collective Bargaining Agreement (henceforth known as a CBA), which dictates various rules that the two sides have to follow in their dealings with one another[^1].

In 1993, the CBA between Major League Baseball and its players union (the aptly named MLB Players Union) expired. Therefore, the two sides entered 1994 without a CBA, but games continued to be played (which is actually fairly unusual). However, midway through the MLB season, negotiations broke down between MLB and the players union, and on August 12, 1994, the players went on strike. Thus, the 1994 season came to a grinding halt and never resumed, so the 1994 World Series - i.e. the World Series THIS baseball was made for - never happened. However, I assume this ball exists because the baseballs for said series had to be made months in advance so that they'd be ready for the 1994 World Series.

The strike dragged on into 1995, where some games were played using replacement players. I don't know fully how this worked, but the thing I think is important is that these replacement players were barred from joining the MLB Players Association. One of the more notable replacement players was current MLB Network analyst Kevin Millar, who was famously one of the "faces" of the 2004 Red Sox; I remember going to Baltimore in 2008 (he was an Oriole at the time) and trying to find a shirt with his name and number on it only to learn later that the Orioles couldn't sell things with his likeness due to him not being in the MLBPA.

Coincidentally, the Washington Nationals - the team I saw beat the Mets a few days ago - would likely not exist had the strike not happened; they were the Montreal Expos at the time and had the best record in baseball when the season stopped. Had they not stopped playing, it's likely the attention they would have received in a championship chase would have spurred the city to get them a new stadium, as their stadium was widely regarded as HIGHLY subpar[^2]. Instead, the Montreal Expos were never able to repeat that 1994 success, and thus never received that stadium. Then, after a series of mismanagement issues including the team almost being folded, they eventually moved to DC in 2005 (but as a Bostonian...thanks for Pedro!).

As for why THIS post exists, it's not just to reminisce about 1994, because the thing is...we could very easily be headed in the same direction.

The Collective Bargaining Agreement between MLB and its players union is set to expire after this season, and MAJOR issues between the two could cause a lockout (the technical term for this type of work stoppage) that many believe could be EXTREMELY lengthy. Probably the biggest issue lies with player salaries: MLB is the only major league in North America without a limit on how high salaries can go, which means that teams that have/make a lot of money can dominate the league simply by buying the best players as the smaller teams can't afford them (though it doesn't always work - case in point: the two New York teams being at opposite ends of MLB's current standings). This was also at issue in 1994, but the valuation of players and teams has EXPLODED in the 30+ years since then, and the gaps between big and small markets is at the point where you can basically pencil in annual standings predictions based on payroll (though again...Mets). Owners are hoping to institute a salary cap to (hopefully) even things out, while the players don't want to see their potential paydays getting cut. Therefore, there's a growing fear that a work stoppage is looming next year - and with divisions high even WITHIN the two groups (MLB and the Players Association), no one knows how many games will be lost.

While work stoppages are not exactly "uncommon" in the North American sports world, I've mentioned in the past that there are massive issues currently surrounding baseball in the United States. The fear is that a lockout would kill most people's interest in a sport that already has perception issues - especially as speculation indicates the impending one could take A WHILE to resolve.

The NHL infamously lost a whole season 20 or so years ago (right around the time I started following sports more closely), and it still hasn't recovered from it. Yes, the sport is growing in places once thought to be incompatible with hockey (not including Phoenix[^3]), but media coverage continues to be lukewarm at best, and it is still FAR behind the other sports in terms of popularity.

The last thing MLB wants is to be treated like the NHL: a sport the media views as largely irrelevant in the grand scheme of things. However, with the NFL being the NFL, the NBA still having LeBron James (for now), and the rise of soccer in the US (though MLS is a different story altogether), who knows what damage could end up being done if MLB loses a season due to labor unrest...

---

_As an aside, you can expect a LOT of content on this blog this month, because I'm going to be BUSY. I started a <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/sportventures.blog" target="blank">BlueSky account</a> for this blog, and while it's largely going to be announcements of new posts, I may do other things there in the future (as well as use other social media)._

---

[^1]: I was actually mention all of this for the [Philadelphia Wings post from a few weeks ago](2026-04-12_phiwings2) as a labor dispute almost disrupted the 2025-26 NLL season, but between the dispute being settled before the season started and the game being the Wings' final home game, I felt it wasn't necessary.

[^2]: The Seattle Mariners were in a very similar situation at the time, but they got their playoff run in 1995 - and their new stadium (where they play today) in 2001.

[^3]: RIP ~~Arizona~~ Phoenix Coyotes - you may have been one of the worst ideas in North American sporting history, but at least you had some cool jerseys.


I find a gem from a time long gone - and ponder how it mirrors the future

The 1994 World Series


_\*This trip occurred on April 30, 2026 - exactly one year after my first visit to their nearest [minor league affiliate](2025-08-09_bkncyclones). It also marks the first **Major** League Baseball game on this blog after so many minor, independent, and summer league games!_

I'm not really sure how deep I should go into the history of the New York Metropolitan Baseball Club here...partially because I actually have already! From [an old post on this blog](2025-12-26_merchstops):

_The New York Mets are one of baseball’s most...curious franchises. They’ve had some notably GOOD things happen, such as being the first expansion team to win a World Series (the ‘69 “Miracle Mets”), and then being the first expansion team to win a second World Series in 1986 because of John McNamara (you’re welcome). On the other hand, they set the modern era record for futility in their first year when they went 40-120 in 1962 (since passed by the 2024 Chicago White Sox losing 121 games), famously collapsed at the end of both the 2007 and 2008 seasons (with the Phillies the beneficiaries of both collapses), have had some other memorably WILD losses (like an infamous 2019 implosion against the Washington Nationals), were owned by someone implicated in the Bernie Madoff scheme, and also...Bobby Bonilla Day (which is actually connected to the Madoff saga)[^1]._

As someone who has more or less been "kinda cool" with the Mets despite the 1986 World Series (mainly due to the fact that they ALSO hate the Yankees), it's hard for me to get behind what's gone on in Queens over the past two decades of overspending, collapses, and the tease that was the 2015 World Series. However, there is at least one nugget not in this summary that I think is relevant:

I mentioned this the first time I visited Brooklyn on this blog, but the New York Mets are, in essence, the National League replacement for the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants (both of whom moved to California in 1958); in fact, their colors of blue and orange are an homage to the two teams. However, there's actually a bit more to their founding story than that.

A year after the Dodgers and Giants moved, a rival league - the Continental League - was announced. New York was one of eight cities announced to be getting a team in this league, but before the league could start (as it was due to start in 1961), the National League announced that it would add new teams (the first expansion in MLB history), and thus NL baseball came back into New York in 1962 with the establishment of the New York Metropolitan Baseball Club - better known as the New York Mets. With NL baseball back in New York City's boroughs (and the prospects of further expansion), the Continental League abandoned its plans and disbanded[^2].

The main driving force behind the Continental League was an attorney by the name of William Shea. In honor of him, the Mets' original stadium was named after him: Shea Stadium (kinda sorta - they spent two years at the famous Polo Grounds before it was opened). It hosted not only the Mets, but also the New York Jets (until they moved to the Meadowlands in the 80s) as well as...the Yankees (when Yankee Stadium was essentially rebuilt). In 2009, however, Shea Stadium was closed and demolished, and the Mets' current home was opened: Citi Field[^3].

![An image of the original "HOME RUN" apple outside Citi Field](/images/2026/0430-outside.jpeg)

Similar to how the new Yankee Stadium was meant to emulate the original 1923 structure, Citi Field is meant to honor another stadium of New York City’s baseball past: Ebbets Field. This homage is very much seen in the main entrance, which is designed to mimic the facade of Ebbets Field and whose main area is known as the "Jackie Robinson Rotunda". The stadium also features something that has been unique to the Mets for a long time: orange foul poles (every other stadium in MLB has yellow ones).

The main level concourse fully wraps around the field...but the seating bowl does not. There is a part of the seating bowl which is disrupted by the two bullpens in right field, and the concourse goes over the bullpens via a "bridge" called the Shea Bridge (named after, of course, William Shea). This bridge features a very significant feature on it: the logo the Mets used during their final season at Shea Stadium[^4].

There are also two other levels, each with their own concourse. I honestly feel like there's not much to discuss in terms of what's on them (at least for now), but it MUST be mentioned that the uppermost concourse has its own "plaza" area behind home plate (or at least I THINK it's behind home plate).

Behind center field (i.e. the scoreboard and the famous Home Run Apple) is a plaza which features a mini field and the first Shake Shack I can recall seeing outside of the original Madison Square Park location (and do NOT get me started on my opinions of Shake Shack). This plaza also features a "mini field" as well as other activities, but the thing that was the Mets Museum. There isn't really a whole lot here except for a bunch of old memorabilia, but the team's two World Series trophies are displayed here.

![A photo of two World Series trophies on display](/images/2026/0430-trophies.jpeg)

<figcaption>Y'all remember the Grimace saga of 2024?</figcaption>

I've seen the Mets at Citi Field a few times before, but those games were so long ago that I honestly don't remember much about them (outside of one of them being a walk off win). To be honest, _this_ game wasn't on my radar until literally last week; yes, I know the Mets are mired in last place (in all of MLB) and recently lost 12 games in a row, and while that probably dulls excitement around the team...it also lowers ticket prices! Case in point: I saw tickets going for as low as NINE DOLLARS a few days before this game, and I ended up spending just over eleven dollars for a seat which "normally" costs $27! However, what I didn't realize until I got to my seat was that the eleven dollars I spent also got me access to not one, not two, but three lounges in the upper concourses!

![An image of the field at Citi Field from the first base side](/images/2026/0430-infield.jpeg)

<figcaption>I like this view, but I only spent ONE inning here</figcaption>

The lounges are, more or less, very similar to one another: slightly fancier than normal concessions with tables to eat which are largely indoors (which helps on a day like this one, which was fairly cold). One did not have field views, however, and while the other two had large windows to see the game, one of the lounges on the middle concourse in left field also had an "outdoor patio area" where I spent most of my "game watching" time.

![An image of Citi Field from left](/images/2026/0430-outfield.jpeg)

Part of the reason this game was so "cheap": it's a 1 PM weekday game against the Washington Nationals (who haven't exactly been "good" after somehow winning the World Series in 2019[^5]). It ended up being a bit of a back and forth game, but true to form, the Mets...found a way to lose. Throw in the Phillies winning two games of a double header that same day, and the Mets find themselves firmly in 30th place out of 30 teams in Major League Baseball - which means that a repeat trip is VERY MUCH a possibility later this year.

### MERCH

Fun fact: the jersey in my collection that I've had the longest is a Mets jersey I bought at a Marshalls in 2005[^6], and the first "authentic" baseball hat I got was a Mets hat at a Modell's Sporting Goods (RIP Modell's AND the Livingston Mall). In addition, while Citi Field hosts the only "official" Mets stores nowadays, I remember there being a Mets Team Store in a mall near Penn Station in Midtown growing up, but it closed a VERY long time ago (RIP Manhattan Mall), and there was also a Mets pop-up store in Union Square last spring which I visited the first time I went to [NYC's OTHER MLB stadium](2025-08-13_nycfc).

Anyway, back to the ballpark: there are, as you might expect, a plethora of merchandise areas amongst the concourses at Citi Field. The main store is just inside the main entrance (as you'd probably expect), each outfielder has a (fairly small) team store in their part of the outfield, plus there's a store in the plaza on the highest deck[^7]. This last store is the most interesting one IMO, as it holds the stadium's "clearance section" where old hats/jerseys are sold at reduced prices. Unfortunately for me, most of the jerseys were replicas, but they did have a FEW authentics. Also, I usually don't mention food in these posts (even though I tend to go for ice cream helmets at games), but I do have to mention the "Home Run Apple ice cream bowl" sold here, as it's WAY COOLER than your standard "food in a helmet".

There's also a memorabilia store on the main concourse which sells game used items such as uniforms and baseballs. This store also has a "grab bag lottery" where for a set price, you can have a chance at items such as jerseys, field dirt, and baseballs signed by soon-to-be-fired Mets manager Carlos Mendoza.

However, the thing I found most interesting about the memorabilia store is that it had baseballs from events not related to the Mets (i.e. old All Star Games and World Series) - [and one of them caught my attention quite a bit](2026-05-02_1994ws)...

---

[^1]: Long story short: Bobby Bonilla played for the Mets and was released, but in order to avoid having to pay out his ~$6 million contract, ownership at the time offered him just over $1 million a year for 25 years from 2011 to 2035. You can do the math, but the reason they did it was because they thought the returns from Madoff's "work" would outweigh paying interest to Bonilla (don't ask me to elaborate further than that).

[^2]: The other seven Continental League cities (and the years they eventually received MLB teams) were the Twin Cities (1961), Houston (1962), Atlanta (1966), the Dallas-Fort Worth area (1972), Toronto (1977), Denver (1993), and Buffalo (which has not received an MLB team - though the Blue Jays were there during COVID and are the MLB affiliate of the city's minor league team).

[^3]: Yep, Citi Field and the current Yankee Stadium were opened in the same year. At one point, they were tied to the same bill, but I don't know if they were still tied together when their constructions were finalized.

[^4]: There's also a monument somewhere in the parking lot where Shea Stadium's home plate stood.

[^5]: That's right kids: every team in tne NL East NOT named the Mets has won a World Series in the 21st Century! Heck, the ~~Miami~~ Florida Marlins have won TWO World Series since the Mets last won, and they didn't exist until **1993**!

[^6]: I did get a Red Sox jersey as a birthday present prior to getting the Mets jersey, but that jersey, sadly, has almost certainly been lost to time. Also, I've since gotten jerseys that are older in age than that Mets jersey (i.e. things from the 90s), but they're all pickups from thrift stores/vintage sellers in recent years.

[^7]: There was also a store on the second concourse, but it appeared to be closed.

Step right up and greet the 2026 New York Mets

New York Mets (Major League Baseball) @ Citi Field (Queens, NY)


_\*This trip occurred on April 26, 2026._

The backstory of _this_ post starts with [this trip from Friday](2026-04-25_bananaball_ny). Long story short: the Savannah Bananas and Party Animals were scheduled to be at Yankee Stadium the weekend of April 25-26, but rain on Saturday caused the first game to get pushed up to Friday.

However, I mentioned in that post that there were three tiers of seats available to me when I was buying tickets. I decided to get seats in the "middle ground" section for me and friends for the first game (i.e. the one that got moved to Friday), but...

...I also wanted to see what it was like to sit in seats that are normally WAY OUT OF REACH for normal folks like me (as in these seats are normally around $500 at their least expensive for the Yankees), so in the spirit of "it’s better to ask for forgiveness later than permission first"...I bought myself a "premium" ticket for the second game[^1].

Originally, I was going to make the entire weekend experience one post, but then I ended up somewhere close to 2,000 words on just the first game alone (though that does include a small "recap" of 2025). Therefore, I opted to post about the first game the day after it happened and have this separated, as there was briefly a threat of another rainy day (though thankfully the rain ended before this game)[^2].

### The K Club in the Hall

First of all, since I was able to get to the stadium earlier than I had originally planned (due to not having to worry about going to church on Sunday morning), I was a bit more "able" to see some of the pregame things going on at the game. However, I felt that I had seen enough of the pregame stuff on Friday (save for a bit of merch hunting), and combined with the fact that I wasn't waiting for anyone this time, I decided to access the K Club area instead - partially as I would not have been able to the night before.

For Yankee Stadium (both last year and this year), the K Club perk was, in essence, early access to the Great Hall of Yankee Stadium (i.e. the entryway to the stadium after the gates). However, once you entered, you would not be allowed back in if you left as it constituted reentry (something largely prohibited in the major North American sports).

I thought it would be a bit more "calm" than the plaza outside, but it ended up being just as chaotic thanks to player signings. In addition, once the players left for their VIP meet and greet, there wasn't much to do except to wait for them to come back (as they make an appearance at the pregame rally, and walk through the K Club area prior).

![The Savannah Bananas prepare to parade through a crowd of fans at Yankee Stadium](/images/2026/0426-pregame.jpeg)

### The Pride of the Yankees

Since I had time and "personal freedom" before the game, I decided to walk around the stadium a bit more than I did on Friday. This includes me going all the way up to the third deck (which was closed last time), where I found that the view was kinda nice (even if you can't really see the game). I must note that there was nothing Bananas related up here - just the regular concession stands (plus the team store on the second deck - which had clearance NYCFC shirts last time - was closed).

Also, two exhibits that I didn't get to see last time were open, so I checked them out:

MONUMENT PARK: I mentioned Monument Park [before](2025-08-13_nycfc), but this time, I was able to go down and check it out as it was open before the game. It's a little difficult to walk around when there are so many people inside, but it's an interesting look into historical figures in Yankees history (plus one of my favorite Immaculate Grid deep cuts: Red Ruffing).

![An image of several monuments at Yankee Stadium](/images/2026/0426-monumentpark.jpeg)

<figcaption>There are monuments for Mantle and DiMaggio in the row behind these three - an interesting choice given what links the two outside of the Yankees...</figcaption>

THE YANKEES MUSEUM: located on the second deck of the stadium, the Yankees museum is more or less just a small showcase of old Yankees memorabilia, but several of the team's World Series trophies are on display, and it's interesting to see the trophy up close and see how the of MLB has changed over the years (case in point: the Milwaukee Brewers, who were an American League team until 1998[^3]). Also, there was an exhibit commemorating two recent Yankees who made the Baseball Hall of Fame: CC Sabathia and...Ichiro Suzuki?[^4]

![An image of a small model of Yankee Stadium](/images/2026/0426-ysmodel.jpeg)

<figcaption>This was honestly my favorite thing in the museum: A miniature model of the stadium complete with "working" video board!</figcaption>

Finally, I didn't mention it on Friday, but the Yankees main team store was open for both games. There wasn't much that I was interested in getting there (because Yankees), but I VERY briefly considered getting a Team USA Baseball Jersey that they had (with the main reason I couldn't justify buying it being the name and number on the back...).

Once I was done with those, I spent the rest of the game in the area my seat was in (partially because I had to deal with a leg cramp):

### The Champions Suite

The Champions Suite area comprises of the seats closest to the field along the foul lines and "outside" the infield (the ones closer to and behind the plate are known as the Legends Suite - don't ask how much they go for).

In order to get to this lowest part of the seating bowl, however, security guards are lined up right at the entrances to this area, and you need a wristband to access the seats (even during pregame from what I could tell). Said wristbands are available on the main concourse, and in an amazing coincidence, they were at the entrance to the section me and my friends sat in on Friday.

![An image of one of the seats in the Champions Suite area of Yankee Stadium](/images/2026/0426-suiteseat.jpeg)

The seats here are CRAZY - it's a fully padded seat (as in both the seat and the backrest are padded) with small table next to the seat for food (which also has a "storage cubby" underneath it). It is definitely a very comfortable seat - though it would have been a bit more comfortable if seeing the infield wasn't so difficult since the chair itself is pointed toward the outfield (although getting to see the outfielders creep in on potential ball four sprints was interesting[^5]).

There's also a private lounge accessible before and during the game; my understanding is that it includes all inclusive food and drink for Yankees games; for the Bananas, there was no food available (and I assume you had to pay for alcohol), but sodas were free.

### Are the stars out tonight?

Friday night featured only one special guest appearance, and outside of it being led by Derek Klena (a Broadway actor turned Savannah Banana), it didn't involve anyone who played in the game (it was the cast of _Aladdin_).

This game featured more Derek Klena than the first game (though he didn't play), as he had more songs to sing this time (including a _High School Musical_ parody with the all important Princess Potassia during the in-stadium pregame festivities).

During the wait for the player parade before gates (when K Clubbers were already in the stadium but no one else was), I heard someone rehearsing "The Winner Takes it All" by ABBA over the PA system and thought it was Klena, but even if it was him, he didn't sing it during the game - Ben Platt (of _Dear Evan Hansen_ fame) did (in what seemed like an homage to _West Side Story_). In addition to that (which was between innings), this game also featured a singer from _MJ the Musical_ during one of Kyle Jackson's walkups[^6].

However, unlike Friday's game, this game had two special guests who played for the Bananas (both as batters):

- Russell Wilson (the quarterback). Yeah, I got nothing...
- Tino Martinez. Inasmuch as I don't like the Yankees, I feel like Tino is one of the most underrated players of their late 90s dynasty era. 

### The game itself

Besides the stuff mentioned in the prior section, this game felt VERY different from Friday night's game in that it seemed slower. The two hour time limit expired BEFORE the bottom of the eighth inning, so the game was one inning "shorter" than standard baseball (and somehow didn't feature either team using their Golden Batter). It was also a much higher scoring game, as the Party Animals won 7-1 to earn a split of the weekend series.

## \-\-\-

So that's the story of Banana Ball in New York City for 2026 (or at least my version of it). I went to both games, and while they were vastly different experiences IMO, they both had their moments that remind me of why I think there's something very interesting with Banana Ball despite the mid-game hakas and all the other craziness - even as a "traditional sports fan" (as many seem to despise the gimmicks).

Banana Ball will be back at some point in the near future (because I've already bought tickets for the entire year already), but it'll be a bit before the Savannah Bananas show up here again.

Also, I found a surprise from the <a href="https://www.mariowiki.com/Banana_Fairy" target="blank">Banana Fairy</a> in my merch bag (I ended up buying a few things today) that I don't know if I should talk more about...

(P.S.: As a longtime church musician, I find it VERY interesting that one of the Bananas had a worship song as their regular walk up song...)

---

[^1]: I did have thoughts about buying more tickets should...certain situations arise, but by the time I tried to do it, the premium seats were gone.

[^2]: I also had another thing I was thinking of doing between the two games, but ended up not going partially due to the rain.

[^3]: THe Houston Astros went the other way - National League to American League - in 20, but the Yankees have not won the World Series since that move happened.

[^4]: Yes, Ichiro played for the Yankees, but I doubt many folks think of him as a Yankee. Also, no mention of the newly elected Andruw Jones...

[^5]: In Banana Ball, a batter being pitched four balls starts a sequence where the batter is allowed to advance as far as they please, and all nine fielders need to touch the ball before they can throw the runner out.

[^6]: And yet no mention of _Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (1994 video game)_...

I get a taste of the "suite life"

Savannah Bananas vs. The Party Animals @ Yankee Stadium (Bronx, NY)


_\*This trip occurred on April 24, 2026._

Last year, [I wrote over **8,000** words on the Savannah Bananas and Banana Ball](2025-08-23_bananaball_bos) - and that was just ONE GAME. This year, I may or may not approach that number again, but if I do, it’ll be a bit more spread out, as I intend to see more than one Banana Ball game this year - starting with this trip.

I don’t really think I NEED to get into the Savannah Bananas/Banana Ball thanks to that post, but I realize that is a LOT of backstory to take in for anyone reading this. Personally, I’d love it if you read through it as it was a lot of work (again, **8,000 WORDS**), but if you don’t want to/can’t and need some context, here’s a brief summary of what you need to know for this year:

### Last time on "~~DRAGON~~ BANANA BALL Z"

The Savannah Bananas were founded in 2016 as a collegiate summer league team[^1], and were a runaway success out of the gate. In 2020, they developed a version of baseball known as Banana Ball in an effort to add more entertainment to the game, and in 2023, they left their summer league to focus on Banana Ball full time. To this end, they’ve created five new teams over the course of the past few years, and this year marks the debut of an "official Banana Ball league" known as the Banana Ball Championship League.

Demand for tickets has been sky high since the very beginning, and normally, there are multiple levels of luck involved in getting tickets as it’s lottery based: you have to be selected to have the opportunity to get tickets, and even then, you may still miss out if you get a later ticket purchasing window (see: me trying to see the Bananas at Fenway Park in 2024). However, there’s a "superfan group" known as the K Club, which cuts down on the "luck" involved by allowing you to buy tickets before the general public. I am a member of the K Club (partially due to what happened with the 2024 Fenway game), which is how I got my tickets last year AND this year.

### 2026

With that out of the way, I’d like to discuss getting tickets for this year, as it ended up being a little different from [how it was last year](bananaball_bospt2). Again, I recommend reading the linked post to get a full view of how the process works, but in short: K Club members have an exclusive window during which they are allowed to buy tickets/VIP packages that, more often than not, don’t reach the general public (and, for some things like the VIP packages, don’t even reach some in the K Club).

This year, instead of the whole year being available on a single day, the team divided ticket purchasing into two distinct windows. In November 2025, I had the opportunity to buy tickets for the first half of the year (February through June), and then a few months later, I got the second half (July onward).

For the November Bananas window, only one stop was on my mind:

**April 25th and 26th at Yankee Stadium.**

Yes, I don’t exactly "like" the Yankees (and the Bronx is a whole other story), but it was the closest the Bananas themselves were going to be to northern NJ where me and most of my friends live. In addition, several friends had expressed interest in going as they saw me post on Instagram during the game last year, and another had tickets to another Banana Ball game (but ended up unable to go), so it made sense to try and share the experience with them.

There were three "tiers" of seating available when my chance to buy tickets came up, but I felt "best" seats available when I was purchasing cost too much for me to justify buying the six of them I was allotted (and the idea of buying twelve tickets spread across two games was far too rich for my blood), so I opted for what was, more or less, the "middle ground": six seats along the foul line for the game on April 25th (the least expensive seats available were in the outfield, which is often cited as a vastly inferior experience)[^2].

I’ve already visited Yankee Stadium for [soccer](2025-08-13_nycfc), so I won’t be getting TOO deep into it, but I will mention this: this is somehow the SECOND time Yankee Stadium is hosting Banana Ball (which I can only assume would make George Steinbrenner’s head _actually_ explode - and maybe Hank’s as well). Truth be told, I actually thought about visiting the merchandise stands when the Bananas visited in 2025 (they were playing the Firefighters that time and I was looking for a specific Firefighters hat), but ended up not going (largely because it wasn't really worth it).

### Gameday

This game featured the Bananas taking on the Party Animals - the original "foil" for the Bananas. Despite that identity, however, they’ve pretty much been the best team in terms of wins and losses - including a win in a Banana Ball "championship playoff" last year.

Like I said earlier, I bought my max allotment of tickets for this game KNOWING that I wanted to bring friends (and their families). Of course, when you have more than five friends who are interested...let's just say things can get complicated (especially when you inadvertently meet up at a concert a week before the game).

Another thing that made things complicated: rain. Due to the threat of rain ALL DAY on Saturday, there were (obvious) concerns about whether or not this game would happen (slight pun there), and literally 50 hours before the game, it was announced that it had been moved **UP** to the 24th. Despite the move causing a lot of fans to have to miss out, there was still a pretty good turnout IMO.

On a personal note, with the scramble of a literal last minute rescheduling, I had to figure out if my friends were still going to be able to make it to this game - a scramble that lasted right up until the moment I had to leave home for this. In the end, however, two of the friends I invited (and their kids) ended up being able to make it[^3].

The pre game plaza here was "open to the public" (unlike most Banana Ball events), so I was able to go there early and catch the festivities there without having to worry about letting people in (as I had all the tickets). The plaza was at a public park which was the field of the "original" Yankee Stadium and was MUCH BIGGER than what Fenway had, so was nice to have the space to move around (unlike on the streets of Boston), but to be fully honest...I'm not sure I'm into the pre game show, as it was largely a "pep rally".

Also, while on my way to the game/plaza, I ran into a family from Savannah (more specifically Tybee Island) who were personal friends of the owners (Jesse and Emily Cole) and were in New York for the very first time; it was honestly great hearing from them about their experiences living in the heart of "Bananaland" (including an appearance on ESPN).

### That sweet sweet merch

I usually like doing this section at the END of these posts, but today I'm going to move it up.

I mentioned this somewhere in that original post, but K Club members have been able to buy an exclusive jersey for a few years now; I didn't get last year's as I wasn't all that interested in it at the time (it's a "half and half" jersey that only featured two teams of a four team competition). This year, however, I decided to get one, and despite some delays, it managed to arrive just in time for this game.

At the game itself, the plaza had a VERY different merchandise setup from my trip to [Fenway](bananaball_bospt3): both teams were in one centralized area, and you made your selections (for BOTH teams) and then went to a check out area to pay (like a regular store). Inside the stadium, the stands were more similar to how they were in Boston - though oddly, I was only able to find ONE Party Animals merch tent (which, as you may expect, ended up being quite busy the entire night).

One item I saw that caught my interest: a dad hat featuring a logo the Bananas do not typically wear on any of their uniforms (I believe they did wear it at some point during the Coastal Plain League era). Unfortunately, as it was on a dad hat, I didn't think I ever really choose to wear it over other Bananas hats (which sucks because I like the logo - shown below).

![An image of a hat with the letter "S" wrapping around a Banana logo](/images/2026/0424-hat.jpeg)

The "plaza store" also featured something I hadn't seen before: player jerseys! I only saw them selling one Party Animals player (though it didn't look like they had any adult sizes for him) and three Bananas; two of those Bananas were their most popular players (RobertAnthony "RAC" Cruz and Kyle "KJ" Jackson), and the third one was someone you may or may not have heard of: Derek Klena.

### The Bananas give their regards to Broadway

As I understand it, Klena is a pitcher who joined the Bananas just this year, but is better known for his work on Broadway in various musicals (he did pitch for a bit in college before focusing on showbiz). He showcased those talents twice during this game (and in a way, this replaced the special guests like the former Red Sox I saw at Fenway):

1. When he first entered the game, he was dressed as (and sang) the title character/song of _The Phantom of the Opera_.
2. Before the final inning, he and the cast of _Aladdin_ did a very elaborate number with the Bananas (complete with PYROTECHNICS). While it was super cool to watch, bad EQ kinda ruined the whole thing...

![An image of a performance on the field at Yankee Stadium](/images/2026/0424-aladdin.jpeg)

Speaking of the final inning, the Bananas went into it down 2 to 1, but then got a home run in the bottom of the inning to tie the game. Since the inning ended tied, it went to Banana Ball's version of "extra innings": Showdowns.

### Goin' downtown, you're gonna mess around

I didn't even begin to discuss showdowns last time as they didn't come up, but showdowns are how ties are broken in Banana Ball.

The long and short of it is that each team has a chance to score in each showdown - if the team that bats first scores, the other team has a chance to respond. The only exception is if a home run clears the fence (i.e. NOT an inside the park home run); should that happen, it's a walk-off and the batting team wins immediately. To make things interesting, there are VASTLY different rules on the defensive team from regular baseball.

First, it's the pitcher, catcher, and one fielder versus the batter. If the game is tied after that, then the fielder is gone in the next showdown, so it's just pitcher, catcher, and batter. If the game is STILL not done, then subsequent showdowns (plural IIRC) return the fielder, but also load the bases for the batter. I don't remember what the rules for ball four are exactly, but this did come up during this game's showdowns, and it involved a pinch runner being placed on second.

Neither team scored until the third showdown, where a base hit (with the bases loaded and only one fielder) secured a walk off win for the Bananas.

### Final thoughts

I mentioned in [my final thoughts after the Fenway game](bananaball_bospt4) that one thing I really appreciate the Savannah Bananas doing: trying to make sure the fans are HIGHLY entertained. Tonight's game kinda highlighted that, but also reminded me of one important aspect of sports that I think has been dying: engagement.

One of the biggest gripes a lot of people have about professional sports is that they're inaccessible to true fans, and those who have the means to go are largely there to keep up appearances rather than to watch the game. For example, the last time I saw something at Yankee Stadium, the people in front of me were wholly uninterested in the game - talking about other inane topics while play was going on.

Here, while things do get SUPER loud (a common complaint amongst notably Yankee fans HEYO), the team and its hosts are trying to keep fans engaged with what's going on (one of the biggest examples of this being fan caught outs). Sure, it's not perfect, but I do find that it generates a much more lively atmosphere than your average American sporting event, and those are always fun (I am eagerly awaiting the day the Bananas do a Japanese-style oendan).

## \-\-\-

As I mentioned earlier, this is NOT the last time you will be seeing Banana Ball on this blog in 2026 (like it or not). In fact, the Savannah Bananas and Party Animals may be back here [much sooner than you may expect](2026-04-27_bananaball_ny2)...

---

[^1]: Collegiate summer league baseball is a system in which college baseball players play for various teams during the summer to stay fit, use wood bats (as they're not used during the regular college season), and showcase their talents to MLB scouts.

[^2]: This is one of the most common criticisms of the Savannah Bananas experience, but if we're being honest, the demand for tickets means it's hard for them to really do much to remedy this. Heck, I was originally told I can’t even get tickets to see any action in Savannah...keyword "originally".

[^3]: I found out later that said friends ended up on the game's broadcast. I didn't check if I was there, but I'd honestly prefer NOT to be on camera.

Banana Ball where you’d LEAST expect


### [26 IN 26 STOP 11](26in26list)

_\*This trip occurred on April 18, 2026._

Indoor football is a sport with a very WILD history. While there were a plethora of random exhibition indoor games held throughout the early part of the 20th century (and even an NFL playoff game), the sport as it is known today first debuted in 1987 when an executive who had previously worked with the NFL founded the Arena Football League - the first indoor football league (who, it should be noted, owned the trademark for "Arena Football" - hence the sport being called "indoor football" instead).

Since then, many leagues have started up, many leagues have folded for various reasons, many teams have started up, many teams have folded for various reasons (some before even playing a game, and others MID-SEASON), there was a league where the fans controlled play calls, the AFL had games broadcast on network television, the AFL folded, Antonio Brown (yes, THAT Antonio Brown) owned an indoor football team[^1], the AFL <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arena_Football_League_(2024)" target="blank">attempted a comeback</a> (emphasis on "attempted"), and there’s probably one or two other stories in there that I forgot. To give a more personal example of just how volatile indoor football can be, I had intentions of seeing the Massachusetts Pirates of the Indoor Football League (probably the most stable of the indoor leagues right now) last season, but ended up backing out. Unfortunately, the Pirates relocated to Orlando, FL during this past offseason (having already moved from Worcester to Lowell due to purported arena lease issues). Anyway, with that preamble out of the way, let’s talk about this team and league - though to be honest, it’s going to be kinda difficult.

First, the league: The American Arena League was founded in 2017 as a merger of two other leagues. However, the league went dormant after 2021 (I THINK), though its minor league circuit (AAL2) continued on and became the de facto "top" league. This year (2026), the league is making a comeback with a whopping FOUR teams[^2] - one of them being the Jersey Bearcats.

The Jersey Bearcats were founded in 2018, but didn’t join the AAL until 2021 (though I guess that it was technically AAL2). In their (rather) short time in the AAL2, they won the league’s championship in 2023; in fact, three of the founding members of "AAL 2.0" are the now junior circuit’s three most recent champions!

In order to be able to talk about the team’s history, I ended up scrolling through their Instagram feed to get more information. Through that, I found out that the team originally played in Metuchen, NJ, but at some point (Wikipedia says 2023), they moved to Warinanco Sports Center in Roselle, NJ - a building whose name is somewhat familiar to me as my high school’s hockey team played games there.

I don’t know the full history of the building, but its website indicates that it was built in 1961 as the first public "artificial" skating rink in its county (i.e. not just a frozen lake) and then extensively renovated in 2017; this renovation also saw the building get renamed to "Warinanco Sports Center" (and is also why I remember it being called "Warinanco Rink" when I was in high school).

As a community sports center, I feel like a lot of the things I've said about other places like this apply - though it is smaller than many of the other community arenas I've been to (i.e. [Middletown](2025-09-14_njtitans), [Danbury](2026-02-15_dbyhattricks) or [Mennen](2026-03-22_fphl_mennen)). One thing that separates Warinanco from these places, however...

...The arena isn't fully indoors.

The main arena here is a separate structure from its entrance (which hosts a cafe), and while three sides of the arena do feature walls, the fourth side (which is the one closest to the entry building) is partially exposed to the outdoors. In essence, it's KINDA like a cross between a gazebo and a barn - complete with massive support beams for the roof which create obstructed views.

![An image of indoor football](/images/2026/0419-warinanco.jpeg)

<figcaption>I don't really have any photos to show how "exposed" the far sideline (of this photo) is to the outside, but you can sort of see the natural light exposing the roof of the adjacent building</figcaption>

There's only a few rows of seats here (on the side opposite the entrance), but due to the height of the bleachers being quite low and the fact that players were standing on the benches (as I think there's not enough room for them to sit), it was near impossible to see the game from them if you were trying to sit down.

I’ll be honest: the main reason this trip ended up on my radar was because I randomly looked up indoor football one day to see what leagues/teams were in existence this year. Once I saw that a team was playing in Jersey, I decided to look them up and found out that they were VERY close to home. Despite having a prior commitment that would, in part, conflict with the ending of this game (this game started at 4, and my other event was at 7), I chose to go to it to alleviate a potential "sticky" situation next month (which is when I was originally planning to go).

I must say: the game was an interesting vibe. There were a surprising number of spectators at the game, and it seemed like there were actually a decent number of people supporting the visitors. I do have to assume that they're family/friends of the players, but it was still nice to see a lot of people (as opposed to only seeing like 20 or so). One thing to be aware of if you do decide to check out a game: they do not take card payments at the door - it's either cash or one of the money changing apps.

Unfortunately, my prior commitment meant that I had to leave the game at halftime - which is quite early for my tastes. However, I apparently didn't miss too much, as the score was 40-6 when I left and ended 54-6, so it seems that not much happened during the second half. Also, I mentioned earlier that the AAL has only four teams this year; however, those four teams are "padding" their schedules by playing teams from what is now AAL2, and the Bearcats' opponent for this game was an AAL2 side: the "New Jersey" Eagles (New Jersey in quotes because my research indicates that they play in Pennsylvania).

Finally, for WHOLLY inexplicable reasons, the boards featured ads for the Dallas Vigilantes - a team from the original AFL that only existed for two seasons and folded in 2011 - FIFTEEN years ago.

### MERCH

There was a t shirt toss that I was on the wrong side of the arena for...and that was it. However, I should also note that there was also popcorn for sale from a group that also sells their popcorn at [Rutgers](2025-11-25_rubasketball_womens) [Basketball](2025-12-21_rubasketball2).

---

[^1]: It went about as well as you'd expect if you know who Antonio Brown is, but if you don't: let's just say it didn't go very well. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5cUUXwqCE8" target="blank">This video</a> goes more in depth on the saga, but I do need to attach a viewer discretion advisory as it contains strong language (as well as a reference to a somewhat explicit thing Brown did). Also, the same YouTuber has a video on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-73O7HM21g" target="blank">the insanity of AFL 2024</a> that was made THREE WEEKS into the season.

[^2]: I realize this is a VERY rough summary, but it goes to show just how insane things get in indoor football. If you want the bigger picture, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Arena_League" target="blank">here’s the league’s Wikipedia page</a>.


Are you ready for some (partially) indoor football?

Jersey Bearcats (American Arena League) @ Warinanco Sports Complex (Roselle, NJ)


_\*This trip occurred on April 16, 2026. I’ve been to this stadium AND seen this team before, but since I’ve never talked about either yet, I’ve indicated this situation with this “New to Blog” badge. I don't think I’ll use it that often, but I can almost guarantee that this is NOT the only time I'll use it._

Oh, the Somerset Patriots.

I truly do not know how to feel about them.

On the one hand, they've been the closest baseball team to me since I moved to New Jersey in 2001. They were established a few years before that (1998) as a founding member of the Atlantic League, and under the leadership of long time manager Sparky Lyle (who managed the team from their founding all the way to 2012), won five Atlantic League titles (then added a sixth in 2015).

As a long time independent baseball "darling", I remember going to a game sometime after the Freddie Bynum era in Baltimore[^1], visiting a "Somerset Day" event which featured an "old timey baseball" exhibition game (or something like that), and then visiting the team store to collect their Atlantic League flexfit hats when they became an affiliated MiLB team and largely did away with flexfits for fitted hats.

On the other hand...remember when I said they became an affiliated MiLB team? Well, they’re affiliated with...the Yankees. This was probably one of the more controversial moves in the 2020 realignment, as they took the place of the [Trenton Thunder](2025-08-15_trethunder)[^2] - a team who were viewed as one of the better markets in MiLB (at least in terms of fan support). There's a TON of factors that go into what happened, but for better or worse, I think one of the main motivations for the move was one of the main motivations for the 2020 realignment: keep prospects (and rehab assignments) closer to the major league team[^3].

Depending on how you view the whole situation, then the team’s time as a Yankee affiliate will either please or upset you: they’ve become one of the Eastern League’s higher drawing teams (being pretty much consistently fifth since joining the league), and only missed the playoffs once (in 2021 - when there were no Minor League playoffs). In addition, the team won the Eastern League in 2022 - though it should be noted that Minor League Baseball playoffs are viewed as more of an obligation than a reward, so make of that what you may.

![An image of action during a Somerset Patriots game at TD Bank Ballpark](/images/2026/0416-somerset.jpeg)

Honestly, I feel like this stadium is kinda...run of the mill. It opened with the team’s debut in 1998 and is in suburban Bridgewater, New Jersey - flanked by a shopping center across the street and New Jersey Transit’s Raritan Valley Line just past the outfield (the stadium shares parking with the RVL’s Bridgewater station). There’s not a ton of interesting things around for pre/post game near the stadium (though in fairness this is true of a lot of the Minor League stadiums I've been to on this blog), but Bridgewater Commons is a short drive away if you want to check it out.

In many ways, this stadium actually rather similar to Trenton Thunder Ballpark: a "split seating bowl" with the main concourse at the top and a walkway separating upper and lower sections midway down towards the field, but here, the concourse is partially at “street level” as opposed to the whole thing being elevated (or it’s just due to the whole stadium being built on an incline). There's a "Wall of Fame" in left, but for whatever reason, it seems that the team is more or less uninterested in their Atlantic League heritage, as the only mentions of it I could find were the championship flags in the outfield.

![An image of a walkway in the seating bowl of TD Bank Ballpark](/images/2026/0416-middle.jpeg)

<figcaption>For those who want/need a visual explanation of the "middle walkway", I've included this photo. The main concourse is above the sections on the left, and the field is below the sections on the right.</figcaption>

There were MULTIPLE times I considered coming here in 2025: trying to see the Portland Sea Dogs, trying to get a “free” jersey (which I couldn't do because of another commitment and Jazz Chisholm Jr.), a thought of a trip with friends - and with the exception of the last one, all of these ideas were BEFORE I started this blog. I felt heading into 2026 that if/when this game were to happen, it should be a friends trip - partially because one of them was actually a bat boy for the team at some point, and mentioned a lot of the things he had to do for the players for that job (including attempting to do their convenience store shopping as a teenager in a state where the minimum age for tobacco is 21).

However, after my recent trip to [the BlueClaws](2026-04-08_jsblueclaws2), I realized that I wanted to (re)visit this place for a game since it's been at least seven years since the last time I've been here for something other than the team store (even though, y'know, Yankees). Since we had a stretch of EXTREMELY warm weather for April, I figured that week would be good for a game, and then throw in an Anthony Volpe rehab assignment (he grew up in the area and went to high school about half an hour away) and I felt I'd try and spend an evening here (though the "friends trip" is VERY much still on the table for later in the year).

The game ended up being a bit of a wild one, but in the end, Somerset prevailed. Again, I'm not sure if I'm "happy" about that or not because Yankee affiliate, but it does help my personal "win-loss record" for this blog (which, after a REAL rough stretch in March, is now back over .500 for the year)[^4].

(P.S.: Shout out to the choir from my old middle school, who sang the anthem before the game. I'm pretty sure all of them were still at least five years away from being born when I graduated...)

### MERCH

This stadium has probably one of the smaller team stores I've seen in the Eastern League. I feel like it worked well when the team was independent, but as they've become an affiliated team and added several alternate identities, their merchandise selections have outgrown the small space; it really feels like half the store is on the concourse now.

I've visited this store SEVERAL times outside of games (partially due to parking being free at these times), and each of the past few times I've been, they've left those merchandise racks on the concourse (it's covered by the suite level/press box, so the items are largely protected from the elements). I should note that this problem is not exclusive to Somerset; fellow Yankee affiliate [Hudson Valley](2025-08-12_hvrenegades) had racks outside their store during the game I went to last year (and inside it when I visited before the game - which made it hard to navigate).

I think I've mentioned on this blog that I'm not super into MiLB alternate identities. However, the Patriots have one of the best alt identities in all of Minor League Baseball: the Jersey Diners. Along with the [Manchester Chicken Tenders](2026-04-06_nhfishercats), this is one of the few alt identities that I actually have a hat for. I don't have the jersey, and I thought about getting it at this game, but the jersey is...kinda weird in a not-so-good way IMO. I should also mention MiLB's "Copa de la Diversión", wherein teams adopt special Spanish alternate identities, because this year, the hats for it feature special designs on the bill, which I think are actually very neat (I almost got the BlueClaws Copa hat when I was there last time).

The Patriots also have a special alternate identity for this season (as it's the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence): the Somerset Semiquincentennials (try saying and/or typing THAT five times fast). This one features a jersey which may be a record setter for "most letters on the front of a baseball jersey" (and may have influence on the future of this blog...)

## \-\-\-

And yes, this means that just like the Phillies (whose [Eastern League affiliate](2025-08-24_rdgfightinphils), coincidentally, were the opponent for this game), I’ve visited three of the Yankees' four MiLB affiliates. Don't expect to see the fourth one on this blog anytime soon however - they're ALSO in Florida, and I have no plans of traveling down there...

Also, inasmuch as I (think I) prefer the Mets and Red Sox, most of their affiliates are WAY TOO FAR for visits - I'm not sure if/when I'd ever want to visit Syracuse, Binghamton, Greenville, SC, or Salem, VA (or, once again, Florida...).[^5]

---

[^1]: My memory of this game is SUPER hazy, but I want to say it was against the Sugar Land Skeeters - another former Atlantic League team that is now affiliated (they're the Houston Astros' AAA affiliate).

[^2]: The Thunder just got picked up by Diamond Baseball Holdings (i.e. the company that owns almost half the minor leagues now), and word on the street is that their return to affiliated ball may be coming soon: people around the Eastern League believe they're going to swap places with a team that was supposed to be replaced in the league by the [Brooklyn Cyclones](2025-08-09_bkncyclones) in 2020 before local politicians stepped in...

[^3]: And based on the amount of Mets fans I know from the area, I’m wondering if the Yankees are trying to cut into that base as well...

[^4]: Every team I visited in March lost with the semi-exception of the [FPHL game](2026-03-22_fphl_mennen) - a game I'm not sure how to count in my W-L calculations as the "away team" won despite the fact that they were the ones more or less running the whole thing.

[^5]: Those who know the Minors may realize which cities I've left out of this list. One of those I went to back in 2022, and the other is on my radar for later this year.

Sportventures

Meet the Mets (4/30/26)

Yankee Stadium goes ape****...again

Yankee Stadium goes ape****

Jersey Bearcats (4/18/26)

Somerset Patriots (4/16/26)