+
Sign up for
The Upworthiest
Our top stories of the day delivered straight to your inbox.
upworthy

baseball

Joy

Surprise finish in Savannah Bananas 'baby race' is the most adorable sports moment ever

No one predicted how this race was going to end.

@Austin Usher/TikTok (used with permission)

Imagine trying to calculate the odds on this one.


If you want to see the most hilarious race in the world, line up a group of crawling babies across from a parent and say "Ready, set, go!"

That's exactly the scenario that played out at a Savannah Bananas baseball game, and the result was one for the record books.

If you're unfamiliar with the Savannah Bananas, you're in for a treat. Think Harlem Globetrotters, but with baseball instead of basketball and with even more silliness and shenanigans. The athletic skill is there, make no mistake, but the primary goal is to entertain. And goodness, do they win on that front every time.

The players dress up. They dance. They sing. They play baseball. And in between all of that, they have whacky contests like this baby race.

Who knew a minute of babies crawling could be so riveting…and with such an unexpected outcome?

@thesavbananas

Is this the greatest comeback of all time?! 📸: @Austin Usher #savannahbananas #bananaball #funny #foryou #cute

"The race was the most unexpected highlight amongst all of the other wacky Banana highlights," the man behind the camera, Austin Usher, told Upworthy, "We laughed from the moments the babies sat without moving until the very end. No one expected the come from behind win like that, it was the loudest crowd pop of the night for sure."

People loved the surprise win that no one saw coming, especially from the babe who seemed to spend most of the race trying to help out a buddy.

"Me explaining to my wife that we lost the house because I bet on a baby race," wrote one commenter.

"This baby race is a life lesson. Success will come to those who remain focused even if you are a late starter," wrote another.

"The baby that won spent half the race encouraging his lil friend to run:)) gave up on him and still won," offered another.

"That baby was so sure he wanted to help his friend out. He tried twice. TWICE!!! Very intentional child," shared another.

The Savannah Bananas have as unlikely an origin story as that baby's odds of winning the baby race. The team was founded in the fall of 2015 as an attempt at bringing baseball fans back to Historic Grayson Stadium after minor league baseball had left Savannah. At that time, they struggled to sell any tickets and the owners even had to sell their house to keep from going under.

After they named the team the Savannah Bananas in February of 2016, they made national news. But local folks weren't sold on the silly name and told them they'd never sell a ticket.

Not only did they end up selling out their first game, but they've sold out every game since—over 200 of them. They have also grown in popularity immensely, boasting over 8 million followers on TIkTok alone. And with "kenergetic" at-bats like this one, it's not hard to see why:

@thesavbananas

Baton Rouge, your Kenergy is 10/10 💛🙌 #savannahbananas #kenergy #imjustken #oscars #kenough #ryangosling #geauxtigers

Is it really baseball, though? Yes and no. It's definitely baseball, but with a few twists. Here are the 11 rules of "Banana Ball" that set it apart from a traditional baseball game (besides the costumes and dancing and acrobatics).

You can follow the Savannah Bananas on TikTok and Instagram.

From Your Site Articles
babies
Culture

Shohei Ohtani is hitting home runs deep enough to connect continents and cultures

Photo by Eric Drost/Flickr

On July 7th, Shohei Ohtani hit his 32nd home run of the year, a solo shot off of Boston Red Sox starter Eduardo Rodríguez, breaking Hideki Matsui's 17-year-old record for the most home runs hit in a season by a Japanese-born player. What is incredible about this hitting stat is that Ohtani broke the record in only 81 games — literally half an MLB season. Then add in the massive subplot that he is also the Angels' best pitcher and currently possesses an ERA+ of 132 (making him 32% better than the league average). When baseball has become exceptionally specialized, with players, coaches, and management becoming obsessed with the launch rate of swings and the spin rate of a pitch, Ohtani is breaking rational thinking by simply being the Modern Day Babe Ruth. His home runs get hit with such power and force; they are not only landing over the fence of ballparks but making an impact across the entire country and through continents.



Ohtani hits his 32nd homer of the season! (Sets new single-season record for Japanese-born player!)youtu.be



Baseball is known as the National Pastime. Yet, over the last decade, the game has become increasingly regional regarding general fan interest and rating viewership. While fans still care deeply about their home teams, the baseball megastar whom people tune into SportsCenter in the morning to see how they did the previous day, has seemingly gone away. Enter Ohtani, a man who can throw a baseball 100 Miles Per Hour and can hit home runs 450+ feet. Maybe the sneakiest detail about Ohtani is he is also one of the fastest baserunners in the MLB.

Ohtani is a must-watch player. His swing is like watching the Grim Reaper use his scythe to send a baseball to the nether realm. He sprints out of the box with every non-home run hit as if his life depends on it. Meanwhile, the ones that are going out of the park are known instantly by the sound of the bat. If you plan on taking the kids to the ballgame, make sure it is when the Angels are in town because they will get to see something special. Modern-day baseball loves to put players in boxes and label them as a known commodity, putting a somewhat limit on up-and-coming prospects. Ohtani's success will lead to many more players following in the trail of being two-way players over the next couple of decades. Undoubtedly, there is a ten-year-old out there watching what Ohtani is doing and they will try to be the next two-way success.


Shohei Ohtani Doing It All (Two Way Player) 2021 Highlightswww.youtube.com



Impact as a Japanese Player in America


After Ohtani broke Japanese Legend and former MLB All-Star Hideki Matsui's home-run record, Matsui came forth to heap praise on Ohtani as a once-in-a-generation talent. Even though Ohtani is a prodigal talent, he represents something bigger than himself for his country and culture. Japanese and Asian pitchers have integrated into Major League Baseball with more ease and less skepticism than hitters, specifically those whose specialty is power-hitting. Ohtani has crushed those notions. As time has gone on, he has adapted to the style of American pitchers and is obliterating anything in sight. More hitters from Japan, Korea, and other Asian countries may get signed to MLB teams due to Ohtani. Not to mention all the Asian-American youth in this country who have someone they can look up to. Jeremy Lin and Linsanity was a special moment in time that lasted a few weeks and had a monumental impact on so many Asian-American sports fans' lives. Ohtani is not Asian-American; however, he chose the Angels because he wanted to live in an area with people around him that felt like home. Imagine if Jeremy Lin had LeBron James or Kevin Durant's career? That is the potential for Shohei Ohtani.

Baseball is a game and watching Shohei Ohtani play is a unique experience. The biggest complaint about the game from outside viewers is that the game is slow and tedious. Ohtani is the opposite of that. Now more than ever, tune in to watch an Angels game because you might see something from Ohtani that you might never get to see in a baseball game again.

Related Articles Around the Web
baseball
Joy

Young baseball fan goes viral after sweetly giving up home run ball to fan of rival team

@AH_Pod/Twitter

This article originally appeared on 04.12.21


In all sports, competition can get fierce, especially at the professional level. But two young baseball fans showed us this weekend that sports are really all about fun and connection first with a beautiful show of sportsmanship, kindness, and gratitude.

It happened at a game between division rivals, the Philadephia Phillies and the Atlanta Braves, at Truist Park in Atlanta Saturday night. Joshua, a young Phillies fan, happened to be sitting near the spot where Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman landed a home run in the top of the ninth. Joshua didn't quite manage to catch the ball in his glove, and it fell down into the bullpen. When someone grabbed it and tossed it up to him, he missed that catch, too—twice. Cameras caught him and his dad in a funny exchange, as Joshua got some light, good-natured ribbing from his old man.

But that wasn't the moment that really caught people's attention. Instead of keeping the home run ball for himself, Joshua took it over to a young Braves fan who was wearing a Freeman jersey and gave it to him. After excitedly showing the prized ball to his dad, the boy went over to thank Joshua and his dad.

Watch:

The whole exchange was just so wholesome, encapsulating how sports can—and should—bring people together. Even though they were rooting for opposite teams, the mutual respect and sportsmanship shown by these two boys is a lesson for all of us.

People loved seeing all of this play out on film, including the Phillies and Braves themselves. In fact, Freddie Freeman surprised Johsua before the following night's game by personally giving him a baseball signed by him and Phillies right fielder Bryce Harper.

Both teams shared their admiration for Joshua's generosity on social media.

Many commenters remarked that Joshua's father is clearly raising his son right, as is the dad of the kid who came over to say think you. Joshua's dad, James Scott, said that the action of his son was in "the DNA" of the family—to "pay it forward in love," as he wrote on Twitter. He referred to the exchange as "a great moment of humanity."

When we are immersed daily in stories of division, and as humanity works through the very real issues of all kinds that we have to fix to get past those divisions, it's wonderful to be reminded of the beautiful ways people can touch one another's lives in ways big and small. In this case, a mutual love of baseball, despite the on-field rivalry of the two teams, and the basic act of a kid brightening a stranger's day reassure us that the ills of society are not all that we are.

It's so easy to focus on the negative news, and it's so easy to get bogged down by the vast amount of work to be done to help us get to a place of true unity, equality, and justice. Seeing these small moments, these seemingly minor gestures, these glimpses of human connection help sustain us through that work.

It may have been a simple act, but the impact of it is profound. Thanks to these gentlemen for filling our hearts for a moment and reminding us what the best of us look like.

From Your Site Articles
Related Articles Around the Web
inspiring
More

Baseball has taken huge steps forward in support of LGBTQ players and fans.

Pride nights at major sporting events have become as American as apple pie.

Major League Baseball has made huge strides in recent years in recognizing LGBTQ fans and players. Only the Angels and the Yankees haven't yet held Pride events. But with the Angels announcing plans to host Pride Night in June 2019, the sea change is almost complete.

It's a rapidly accelerating culture of acceptance for a sport that as recently as 2015 faced backlash from fans in one city that hosted its first Pride night. But even that story had a positive ending. The Chicago Cubs are believed to have held the first Pride Night in 2001 and are one of at least 11 teams to sell official Pride merchandise at games.

During the 2018 season, 23 teams are set to host Pride nights, with many having past and future events on the books. As the world of sports continues to evolve on LGBTQ issues, that's a lot of progress in a very short window of time.

Even the New York Yankees — the only team left so far without an official Pride planned — still recognize that inclusion is paramount.

New York is home to Stonewall, where the modern gay rights movement got its start. In 1994, Yankee Stadium played to host the closing ceremonies of the Gay Games. It seems that it would be one of the first, not the last, baseball team to get on board.

Former Major League star Billy Bean, who came out in 1999 and in 2014 was named MLB's inclusion ambassador, said he's talked to the Yankees about hosting a Pride night but wants it to feel "organic."

Team representatives have said the Yankees are simply moving away from theme nights but insist they are actively working with the LGBTQ community to ensure an inclusive atmosphere at games. But as any sports fan can attest, optics matter. And right now there may be no better public display than hosting a Pride night.

"It's part of us getting better and understanding the value of being inclusive," Bean said. "There's a massive significance to that message."

Photo by Stephen Brashear/Getty Images

There's still more work to be done to make sports more inclusive, but Pride nights are a hopeful sign of what's to come.

Major League Baseball has really upped its game as far as inclusion in recent years, and it should be commended for it. And there's still more work to be done for making sports everywhere a safe and welcome space for all people — fans and the athletes themselves included. Pride Nights send a powerful message that all are welcome.

Trending Stories