PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Finally, Joe Sperone was close to a decision.
“I was gonna call it quits, honestly,” he said. The choice was agonizing, the question gnawing at him for a while: Keep the dream alive, or hang ’em up?
Baseball was Sperone’s everything. Since he began taking the sport seriously in his youth, he estimated he played about 10 months out of the year, developing into a good enough pitcher at Cardinal O’Hara to get a shot at West Chester University.
He cracked the starting rotation as a freshman and went on to become a dependable winner. The right-hander compiled a record 24-9 during his four years with the Golden Rams, while pitching in some of the team’s biggest games.
By the time his college career was done, Sperone had a solid resume. But he was also a realist.
He started getting calls from major league organizations about the draft and free agency when he was a sophomore. Nothing substantial enough ever materialized to convince him he had a clear path to the majors.
A desk job offered more stability, but “this was the only game I wanted to play,” he said. “I know every kid says it, but my dream was, obviously, to get drafted playing the MLB.”
Especially for his hometown club, the Phillies. In elementary school, he worshipped that 2008 World Series team. His dad even took him to the parade.
“Chase Utley, he was always me and my dad’s favorite,” said Sperone. “The way he played the game was exactly how I played the game. You don’t take any reps off. You got to the field early and you’re the last one to leave. Just that hard-nose, blue-collar grind. That's just basically how I live my life.”
Baseball had been good to Sperone, but he was increasingly prepared to let it go.
Then, crushing news hit, right after his graduation in spring 2024: His dad was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer in his lymph nodes.
“He’s been by my side, my best friend, one of my biggest supporters with my mom,” Sperone said.
The dire situation called for deep conversations. Nothing in the future was guaranteed. Should the younger Sperone really cut the cord?
“It was both of our dreams for me to play pro ball, do whatever in my life with baseball,” he said.
Sperone regrouped. It wasn’t time to give up. Not yet. Not on baseball, and not on his dad.
“I knew if he had to go through chemo and everything, if he could see me keep living out that dream, maybe it would help him,” Sperone said. “That was kind of my drive and my push for a little bit.”
He played for an independent league team in Staten Island last summer. After the season ended, he wound up taking a desk job at Freedom Mortgage. The timing made sense. Sperone could make some money while helping out at home, as his dad went through cancer treatment.
But Sperone still had a wild card in his pocket.
Right after his indy ball season ended in September 2024, he got a DM on Instagram. Berry Aldridge, the director of recruiting for the Savannah Bananas, wanted to know if Sperone was interested in a tryout.
Aldridge had seen Sperone on tape. He liked that he threw strikes, wasn’t afraid to pitch to contact, and worked quickly — all traits vital for pitchers to play the “Banana Ball” way.
Banana Ball
Sperone jumped at the opportunity to audition. He remembered only having three to four days to get ready, but he thought it went well. He pitched two innings, striking out more guys than he said he usually does.
Perhaps most importantly, he said he had “some good celebrations.” For the uninitiated, fun is the name of the game in “Banana Ball.”
Trick plays, dances, skits and gags in between innings, superstar surprise guests — anything’s on the table when the Savannah Bananas take the field. Their shows blend elements of Major League Baseball, the Harlem Globetrotters and professional wrestling.
The Bananas’ mantra is putting the fan experience first. Their commitment to this mission and the creativity with which they execute it have turned the barnstorming organization into the most viral, coveted attraction in sports.
Heading into his tryout last fall, Sperone was well aware of the Bananas’ brand. He knew he had to show some personality.
“After I struck some guys out, I did really well in a dance segment,” said Sperone. The dance was a TikTok trend at the time. “I know I hit a really good ‘worm’ after I stuck out a guy. Then, I hit some stupid dance that I always do whenever I get put in a dance circle or something.”
After a few more strikeouts, Sperone ran out of ideas.
“I did a handstand after one just because I was like, ‘I got to do something,’ but it was fun. Up until now, it was the most fun I’ve ever had on a ball field.”
Between Sperone’s performance on the mound and his ability to cut loose, the Bananas saw something in him they liked.
Given the situation with his dad and the mortgage job he just landed, Sperone chose to keep the tryout under wraps and not get too ahead of himself.
“I knew there was a chance that I could be leaving once they called.”
Two months later, before the holidays, the call came.
Sperone won a spot on the Texas Tailgaters, one of three teams — along with the Party Animals and Firefighters — that tour the country playing the Bananas. He told his family he had the “opportunity of a lifetime.” They supported him completely.
Not only was Sperone’s baseball dream still alive, but it was about to take off.
The Tailgaters, in their inaugural 2025 season, were booked for four big league stadium shows on this year’s Banana Ball World Tour. One of the stops? Citizens Bank Park, for two sold-out dates this Saturday and Sunday.
“I can’t even put it into words,” Sperone said of his feelings.
Amid the excitement surrounding Sperone’s career, his family got more good news recently. In June, his father was given a clean bill of health, roughly a year after his cancer diagnosis.
Sperone’s parents will be among the group of 75 or so people on hand to watch Sperone pitch on Saturday. The 23-year-old expects the full-circle moment to be emotional.
“It's truly the best life I could be living.”
Sperone may not have made it to Citizens Bank Park via the traditional path of the minor league ranks. His journey is teaching him there’s more than one way to fulfill a dream.
“If you would have asked 6- or 10-year-old me why I wanted to get drafted and play in the MLB, it would have been to pitch or play in a sold-out MLB park in front of my closest friends and family.
“If I get to do that, especially in my hometown park that I was basically raised in, yeah, I’ve made it for sure.”