BUFFALO, N.Y. — By now you know a few things about the Savannah Bananas.
They're entertaining. They're selling out every seat at every stop of their world tour. And fans are constantly showing up early to stadiums, ready to claim their general admission seats.
And yes, the Banana Ball game itself is different because the team, of course, wants to be more entertaining than the old ballgame.
What makes the game itself different? There are 11 rules. They are:
1. Win the inning, get the point. Think of it as match play in golf. The team with the most runs in an inning gets a point. The one inning where every run counts is the last one.
2. There's a two-hour time limit. There's no fear here that a slow-moving game will mean a drawn-out game. In fact, no new innings will be started once the game hits the 1-hour, 50-minute mark, unless there a tie. More on that later.
3. No stepping out of the batter's box. It only slows down the action. If you do, it's called a strike.
4. No bunting. Because really, when has bunting ever been fun? "Bunting sucks. We're eliminating it. Swing the bat," the Bananas say in a rules video.
5. Batters can steal first base. If the pitcher throws wild, then yeah, start running.
6. No walks allowed. Batters are allowed to sprint to first base, or advance as far as they can. The catcher, meanwhile, has to throw the ball to every position player before the batter can be tagged out.
7. No mound visits. Again, they would only slow down the game.
8. Fans can make an out. If a fan catches a foul ball, that's tough luck for the batter, because it counts as an out.
9. Showdown tiebreaker. This goes back to Rule 2. If a game is tied after nine innings or two hours, it goes to showdown between the pitcher and a batter, with only one fielder. Only one out is allowed. If that batter makes an out, the other team steps to the plate. If there's a hit, the fielder must retrieve it and stop the batter from rounding the bases, which would result in a point scored. This continues until one team outscores the other.
10. The Banana Ball Challenge Rule. Any fan can challenge a ruling on the field. You read that correctly.
11. The Golden Batter Rule. A team can send up any batter to hit in any spot in the lineup. If you ever wanted to see the best batter in the most crucial spot late in a game, this rule ensures it.