Salem Memorial Ballpark hosted “Banana Ball” games between the Firefighters and Texas Tailgaters last weekend and a packed ballpark enjoyed a cross between baseball, the circus and a broadway show on Friday and Saturday evenings.
“It was an incredible weekend here at the ballpark,” said Salem Red Sox General Manager Allen Lawrence.
Banana Ball has become a national obsession, playing to sold out crowds at large venues. Salem was fortunate to get the troupe to come to Salem Memorial for two days of fun. Some of the staff from the Bananas arrived in Salem last Wednesday but the majority came on Thursday, with the players arriving Friday prior to the game.
“It was fascinating to watch them operate and see how efficient they are in getting everything set up,” said Lawrence. “Our Salem Red Sox staff did a tremendous job getting everything set up and prepared for 6,000 plus people to come into the ballpark on consecutive days.”
Making the event even more challenging was the fact that the Salem Fair was in town and taking up the parking lot with rides, animal shows, food vendors and the like. The Fair is also a big draw not only for Salemites, but people from all over southwest Virginia who look forward to a day enjoying the many features the Fair has to offer.
Photos by John Wacker
“Through some meetings with Salem City officials, we had a plan in place for parking and shuttles and received a lot of positive comments on how well that was organized,” said Lawrence. “The feedback from fans throughout the entire weekend was incredibly positive and, other than the hot weather, I think it was a near-perfect weekend.”
City officials are hoping the Bananas return. The games were enjoyable and the local staff did their usual fine job as host.
“Jesse Cole and the Bananas staff were very complimentary of their time in Salem,” said Lawrence. “It was so much fun and constant entertainment the entire weekend!”
