After playing baseball through his childhood in St. Louis and finishing with a stellar senior year at Southeast Missouri State, Noah Niznik had aspirations of being drafted into the major leagues by the Cardinals.
When that dream didn’t come true, Niznik considered going the independent route or becoming a coach — but an organization called the Savannah Bananas, a viral banana ball team, had other plans for him. The Bananas sent him a message on Instagram inviting him to try out.
At the time, he was a little skeptical.
“You know, at first, I thought it was fake, just because it was on Instagram messages. But then I saw another person from the organization followed me as well. So I [was] starting to think there's some truth to it,” Niznik recalls.
From there he submitted an application, complete with a video choreographed by his girlfriend, followed by a trip to Dallas for a private tryout. The path eventually led to him wearing the signature, bright yellow Savannah Banana team uniform.
The Savannah Bananas play "Banana Ball,” with rules that encourage base-stealing and high scoring. A Savannah Bananas game typically features flair in the way of pyrotechnics, dancing, skits and comedy mixed in with traditional baseball. Niznik’s biggest supporter, his mom, saw the spectacle online and thought it would be perfect for him.
“She pretty much gave me no other option besides to do it,” he said. “Even before I graduated, she would always be sending me videos of them. … So she definitely was pushing heavy for it.”
Niznik grew up playing catch with his mom in the backyard. He experienced his first Cardinals game at the previous Busch Stadium. Although it was traditional baseball that shaped his early life, through Banana Ball, he has found a whole new perspective on how the game affects its young fans.
When they approach Niznik for a signature, it’s a moment that makes all the effort worth it.
“It's kind of like the energy around here. It's contagious,” he said. “You know, once you get that first experience of it, you just love getting to make all these kids' days.”
On Friday and Saturday, St. Louis fans will get to see Niznik do his signature “stanky leg” dance with the rest of the Savannah Bananas at Busch Stadium for two sold-out games, making one of his biggest dreams come true.
“You know, it's surreal. I mean, it really doesn't feel real yet. I think once you know, I step foot in the stadium – on that field – I think it'll probably hit. But it's just exciting. There's really no other way to put it. It's really just a dream come true.”
To hear more about the rules of banana ball, Niznik’s journey with the Savannah Bananas, and how the entertainment aspects of the game come into play, listen to St. Louis on the Air on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or click the play button below.
“St. Louis on the Air” brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. The show is produced by Miya Norfleet, Emily Woodbury, Danny Wicentowski, Elaine Cha and Alex Heuer. Darrious Varner is our production assistant. The audio engineer is Aaron Doerr.
