Column: As a baseball lover, an evening at Banana Ball is worth it

DURHAM — I’ve always loved baseball. Well, since the first time I watched Elvis Andrus play, so same thing. 

When I watch baseball, the world slows down and I feel at home. 

It's always been a part of my life. As a born and raised Texan, I spent many weekends — and extra special school nights — watching The Express, the triple-A club right outside of Austin, Texas.

I'll consume baseball in any fashion. But even with my love of America’s pastime, I was still a bit apprehensive about covering the Banana Ball World Tour in Durham. To me, the combination of baseball and dancing were reserved for High School Musical 2.

But this weekend, for the first time since I began covering baseball, I truly felt like I could let loose and simply take it all in. That’s exactly what the players want. 

“It’s really what it's about," said Tanner "Tinder" Thomas, who plays for the Savannah Bananas' competitors, the Party Animals. "Being fans first and making their day, and then it makes our day too."

Starting with the Banana Baby hoisted at the beginning of every game Lion King-style, nothing about the experience screams traditional baseball game. The Bananas and Party Animals do everything you’re not supposed to do in baseball. They pimp hits, celebrate home runs shirtless, cook up wild trick plays and let their unruly energy fly. 

And that energy is infectious. 

When I walked into that stadium, I was just looking forward to talking ball, smelling the green grass of the Durham Bulls Athletic Park and seeing all the little kids light up. I did not think Banana Ball was going to make my day because, well, I already love baseball — I didn’t need to solve the problem the teams were created to address. 

Oh boy, was I wrong. 

My aha moment didn't occur watching a player doting on a kid, any hilarious dance or because there was a cowboy Party Animal — hat and all — from Texas. It was talking to Bronson “Bronny” Balholm, one of the catchers for the Party Animals. Well, to be completely honest, it was the combination of him and his mom, the biggest baseball fan in his family, that warmed my heart.  

Cathleen Balholm played catcher in high school and was a bat girl at Arizona State University. She wanted to play in college but didn’t have the opportunity to in the pre-Title IX world; so, she gave her love of the game to her son. Instead of the traditional father-son bonding that baseball brings, when Bronson was a kid, it was Cathleen tossing him balls in the backyard. 

“She’s my superhero,” Bronson said. 

So with Cathleen's baseball prowess, she called pitches for the Party Animals during the second inning of Friday’s contest. 

“He kept shaking me off,” Cathleen said with a laugh. “And I was like, 'What is this about, I’m your mother!'”

Cathleen is now one of my superheroes. A woman who loves the game, whatever form it comes in. 

After talking with the two of them, I started smiling. And I didn't stop smiling, even though a pitch hadn’t even been thrown yet. All I had done was talk to a player and his mom. But that feeling is the heart of Banana Ball. The Bananas and the Party Animals cater to everyone. 

The Bananas are not obsessed with the tradition and pomp that comes with baseball — entertainment comes first. That being said, the games are still competitive. 

“The funny thing is, everybody always asks about the competitiveness of the game because we're playing [the Party Animals] every time,” Bananas pitcher Ethan Skuija said. “But think about it like this: you're playing against your best friends every game. Honestly, it's probably going to be a lot more competitive.”

At its core, Banana Ball is about the enjoyment of sitting down in ballpark stands and having an unforgettable experience. 

This week, I will be back at Boshamer Stadium to cover the Tar Heels take on Coastal Carolina and will be perfectly content with the "slow" game. But at the same time, it’s good to let loose, be a little rowdy and enjoy some baseball glee every once and awhile.

So, as a die-hard baseball fan, thank you to Banana Ball for bringing the love of the game to so many. 

@gracegnugent

@dthsports | sports@dailytarheel.com