Savannah Bananas-Inspired Baseball Team Coming to Chicago

Some of my earliest sports memories involve minor league baseball. My dad took me to at least 100 Kane County Cougars games from the time I was a little kid to my teenage/college years. I'm not the biggest baseball fan, but I contend that baseball is the best sport for casuals looking to spend a day outside, in the company of friends, sights, and a few good beverages.

That's why I've been such a supporter of the Savannah Bananas, the exhibition team that has brought flamboyant performance art to the sport of baseball. I would've gone nuts if I had the opportunity to witness them play as a kid, and probably still would be captivated by a childlike zeal if I saw them as an adult. They're basically baseball's version of the Harlem Globetrotters.

Now, a Chicago team is using the Savannah Bananas as inspiration for their own team.

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Introducing the Chicago Snowballs:

This week, the Chicago Snowballs were unveiled. This new co-ed professional "sportstainment" baseball team is setting its sights on a spring 2026 launch. Per Fox 32 Chicago, the Snowballs intend to bring a "fast-paced, two-hour show" to audiences of all ages, intermixing traditional baseball with live entertainment, music, and circus-style performance.

The project is the brain-child of Cherie and Paul Travis, two siblings-turned-business-partners, who are presently forming a team featuring men and women playing together, and prioritizing equal pay. The Snowballs will also field two teams that will compete against each other throughout the season, per Fox 32 Chicago.

Tryouts are Coming Up Soon:

Tryouts are scheduled for January 5th through January 9th, with more than 260 applications already filed. The tryouts will look at participants' baseball and entertainment abilities. CEO Paul Travis told Fox 32 Chicago, "if you can play guitar, juggle, or ride a unicycle, bring it." It appears the founders are making these tryouts loose enough to span a wide variety of entertainment possibilities even they haven't considered.

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Training is then set to begin at the start of February, with a season opener planned for May 3rd, 2026 at Kerry Wood Field on Rockwell Street in Chicago. Sponsorships and partnerships with local community organizations are already in the works.

You can connect with the Chicago Snowballs via their website and their Twitter. I reached out to their PR team with crossed fingers I'll have an extended interview with a spokesperson sometime in the near future. For now, read more about the Chicago Snowballs' plans to impact the Chicagoland area on Fox 32 Chicago's website.