Virginia Tech baseball alum Tanner Thomas is set for success with the Savannah Bananas franchise.
Think Harlem Globetrotters with a dash of old-style carnival mixed in, and you’ll get an idea of what a typical Savannah Bananas game would entail.
Tanner Thomas, an outfielder for the Bananas’ rival team, “The Party Animals,” loves every aspect of playing for this viral Georgia-based baseball sensation.
“We’re selling out stadiums and just having a blast,” Thomas said. “The games are only two hours long, and you’ve got guys doing the worm, catching in their pocket, their hat, behind the back, under the leg, doing a spin move and back flipping.”
Before he was dancing in viral TikToks or walking up to bat with a live python wrapped around his shoulders, Thomas played as a corner outfielder for Virginia Tech.
The Jacksonville, Florida native transferred to Tech in 2019 after two seasons at Tallahassee Community College. From the moment he stepped on campus, Thomas was captivated.
“The atmosphere at Tech is so welcoming,” Thomas said. “They say, ‘This is home,’ and even though I’m a Florida boy, the atmosphere, the colors, the campus and the people all felt like home to me. As soon as I saw the campus, I knew I had to go there.”
Thomas fit right in Tech’s supportive environment. The early morning workouts, extended practices and frequent tournament travel, though a demanding schedule, forged strong bonds among the players. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Thomas and his teammates used the time off the field to grow even closer, building lifelong friendships.
Well-liked for spreading positivity and keeping baseball fun, Thomas was chosen by his teammates as a senior representative for the team’s leadership committee.
“I feel like I left my No. 23 better than what it was,” Thomas replied, when asked about his legacy at Tech. “I wasn’t the greatest ball player out there, but I always played hard, connected with the guys and I helped Virginia Tech baseball get on the map social media wise.”
In between his college seasons, Thomas played on the summer minor league Savannah Bananas team in Georgia before the franchise evolved into the two teams that are currently dominating social media.
Disappointed after not being drafted, he was initially uncertain about his post-graduation plans in 2021. But due to his dad’s urging, Thomas revitalized his passion for baseball, taking an opportunity to try out for the Bananas.
It was not a typical tryout.
Players from one big group were selected to be either a Party Animal or a Banana. Costumes were encouraged, so Thomas showed his personality by dressing up as a giant pizza slice. This tactic worked.
“I was still sharp baseball wise, and I must have made an impression,” Thomas laughed. “I guess they liked me and thought of me as a party animal, so I was on the Party Animals.”
Since joining the Party Animals in 2022, Thomas has been shamelessly playing and performing in front of thousands of fans a night with teammates he considers family. He got to be a part of the second-ever Banana Ball World Tour in 2023, bringing “The Greatest Show in Sports” to 33 cities and 20 states.
For Thomas, one of the most rewarding parts of being a Banana is seeing the “fans first” mission play out in every single game. It starts with playing “Banana Ball”, a unique form of baseball with special rule that ensure fans have a fun experience.
“It can usually be difficult for fans to interact with players, but with us being fans first, we eliminate that,” Thomas said. “We sign autographs before and after the game, and if I’m not playing for an inning, then I’ll go up in the stands and sit with a family and do whatever I can to make a kid’s day.”
Recently hitting his first home run of the 2024 season, Thomas attributes his success as a Party Animal to the skills he developed during his time as a Hokie.
“We were really big on slowing the game down at Tech, so those cues I learned there have helped me to slow Banana Ball down,” Thomas said. “And some of the drills that I implement every day, such as hitting drills and defensive drills, all comes from Virginia Tech.”
With over 500K followers on TikTok, he’s not only living out his baseball dreams, but is changing the game on social media as well. Thomas keeps baseball fun and exciting for viewers through trends, dances and absurd stunts like walk-ups while holding a flapping duck.
The next few months are going to be bananas for him. For the first time ever, the 2024 Banana Ball World Tour is taking Banana Ball to six Major League Baseball stadiums, which kicked off March 9 at Houston’s Minute Maid Park.
“We sold out Minute Maid,” said Thomas, shaking his head in awe. “That’s over 40K people watching us play a Banana Ball game. It’s so unreal, what we’re doing.”
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