Target Field will be packed all weekend for baseball. And that's with the Twins taking on the Brewers in Milwaukee. Instead, get ready for "Banana Ball."
It's become the wildly popular and entertaining brand of baseball that's drawn sellout crowds all over the U.S. That includes all this weekend in Minneapolis.
The games Friday, Saturday and Sunday are the Savanah Bananas against the Loco Beach Coconuts, who feature former Michigan standout Jordan Brewer. Both teams are in the Banana Ball Championship League (BBCL), an innovative, fast-paced professional baseball league featuring six competing teams playing a 60-game season across the U.S.
"I was always known as the team clown, the class clown," Brewer explains. "I was always jumping up, having fun, goofing off. I remember when I first decided to do this, literally my first coach I ever had texted me and he goes, 'you found your home.' That's it."
Appearing on the WCCO Morning News with Vineeta Sawkar, Brewer says they rehearse their dances and celebrations on a regular basis. But the baseball is very different. Banana Ball games feature unique rules, such as fans catching foul balls that actually count for outs, and batters being allowed to steal first base. They also include things like sending out an extra fielder for one play, or an automatic ejection for any player who bunts.
"We have rehearsal before the games and stuff, and we go over like our, just our celebrations," Brewer explains. "The baseball aspect of it, everything's 100% legit. There's no staging of any of that. The only thing that's staged is like the celebrations of like, we know what celebration we're going to do if we score here. And certain walk-ups we have."
Brewer says he is having fun playing the game he loves.
What to Know
Games: Friday and Saturday at 7:00 p.m., and Sunday at 3:00 p.m. There are plaza parties before each game (ticket required), with Friday and Saturday starting at 4:30, and Sunday at 10:00. Gates open 2 1/2 hours before each game.
Tickets: All three games are sold out but tickets are available on the secondary market. Expect to pay plenty, however. The lowest price via Ticket King for each game approaches $200 each. Click here for more information.
Traffic: Expect it to be extremely busy in downtown Minneapolis, with sold out crowds for each game. Plus, Saturday brings a Lynx game to Target Center, and there are also sold out performances of "Wicked" at the Orpheum.
They are encouraging fans to arrive early, and be prepared for delays. Metro Transit is also replacing METRO Blue Line trains with buses, so you'll need extra time for that as well.
Banana Ball Street Closures and Reroutes around Target Field
- Full closures: North 7th Street between 2nd Avenue and 5th Avenue, and Twins Way between North 7th Street and North 10th Street. These closures begin at 9:00 a.m. on Thursday, August 6 and are scheduled to end at 11:00 p.m. on Sunday, August 9.
- Temporary closure: North 5th Street will be used as an emergency vehicle detour from 1st Avenue to 6th Avenue during event hours as noted below:
- Friday, August 7: 1:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
- Saturday, August 8: 1:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
- Sunday, August 9: 9:00 m. – 6:00 p.m.
- ADA Drop Off will be located at Target Field Station and will only be accessible from 5th N.
