Savannah Bananas bring baseball, coffee and community together at Atlanta Dunkin’ near Truist Park

The strains at a Dunkin’ near Truist Park seemed slightly completely different Saturday morning.

Instead of solely grabbing coffee and donuts, followers have been additionally getting autographs, selfies and dance strikes from gamers with the Savannah Bananas forward of the group’s weekend video games in metro Atlanta.

The occasion, held at the Dunkin’ on Powers Ferry Road near Truist Park, introduced together households from each the Atlanta and Savannah areas because the Bananas continued their rise from a coastal Georgia baseball sensation to a recognizable leisure model in sports activities.

From 9 to 11 am, gamers served orders, posed for photographs and handed out autographs whereas followers picked up Dunkin’ merchandise and reward playing cards.

For many households, the occasion highlighted why the Bananas’ mixture of baseball and leisure has resonated far past Savannah.

“Dealing with the fans, that’s probably my favorite part of all this,” participant Dakota Albritton instructed CBS News Atlanta throughout the occasion. “I always look back and put myself in the shoes of these little kids.”

Albritton stated the group’s reference to younger followers is a part of what makes the expertise particular.

“I always try to give them the interaction that I would have wanted at that age,” he stated.

The Bananas have constructed a nationwide following via their fast-paced, fan-focused model of baseball often called Banana Ball, however the group’s Georgia roots stay central to its id. That connection was particularly seen this weekend as followers from throughout metro Atlanta packed the Dunkin’ earlier than heading to the video games near Truist Park.

Albritton, who described himself as an area Georgia baseball participant rising up, stated taking part in near Atlanta carries private that means.

“Truist is cool. We played there last year,” he stated. “I think every kid that grew up in baseball around Georgia, that was kind of always their dream.”

Throughout the morning, kids sporting Bananas gear gathered round gamers for photographs and autographs whereas mother and father sipped coffee and watched the interactions unfold. The environment usually felt extra like a neighborhood block occasion than a conventional promotional occasion.

The collaboration additionally highlighted the rising crossover between sports activities, community engagement and main manufacturers like Dunkin’, as groups more and more search for methods to create experiences exterior the stadium.

For followers in each Savannah and Atlanta, Saturday’s occasion served as one other reminder that the Savannah Bananas are not only a semi-pro baseball group — they’ve develop into a statewide phenomenon constructed as a lot on connection and leisure as the sport itself.