Bananas Owner Responds to Draft Backlash
Savannah Bananas owner Jesse Cole addressed criticism of the Banana Ball player draft in a nearly 17-minute video posted Friday.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Baseball
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Savannah Bananas owner Jesse Cole responded to backlash over the Banana Ball player draft in a nearly 17-minute video posted Friday. Cole said he received attacks on social media, text messages, phone calls, and death threats.
Why it matters
The organization introduced the draft system after a lack of competition among its teams in 2025, when one team posted the worst winning percentage in the history of professional baseball. Cole said the draft was meant to give every team a chance to make the playoffs during the final weekend of the season.
Jesse Cole's response video ran nearly 17 minutes. The 2025 season produced a team with the worst winning percentage in the history of professional baseball, prompting the draft system.
The players
Jesse Cole
Jesse Cole is the owner of the Savannah Bananas, the exhibition baseball team known for its entertainment-driven Banana Ball format.
Savannah Bananas
The Savannah Bananas are a barnstorming exhibition baseball team based in Savannah, Georgia, known for its theatrical, fan-focused approach to the sport.
The details
Cole delivered the response in a video posted on social media, saying he and his wife Emily reached out to every player who was not drafted. He also said the Savannah Bananas do not own any part of the Disney company and that Disney does not make the organization's business decisions.
Timeline
2025 season: teams lacked competition, and one posted the worst winning percentage in professional baseball history.
Final weekend of the season: every team had a chance to make the playoffs.
Friday: Cole posted the response video.
2027: the Bananas plan to bring back the Visitors team.
Season Trajectory
The Banana Ball draft marks a shift from the barnstorming model's fixed rosters toward a system designed to keep every team competitive across a season. The 2025 season, in which one team set a professional baseball record for the worst winning percentage, is the direct trigger for that change.
Fans following Banana Ball can track how the draft reshapes team rosters and whether every club contends for the playoffs on the final weekend. The 2027 return of the Visitors team would change which opponents appear on the schedule.
The takeaway
Competitive balance in exhibition sports depends on rosters being refreshed by mechanisms like drafts rather than left to chance. Readers following Banana Ball can watch the 2027 Visitors return as a test of whether the system works.
What happens next
The Bananas are planning to bring back the Visitors team in 2027 and are discussing a possible alumni game to recognize former players.
Further reading
Follow the latest in Baseball coverage for more on how exhibition and professional teams are reshaping the sport.
Source note: This article includes information reported by ABC 22 - WJCL Savannah.
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