What i learned at a savannah bananas game

I write weekly about the strategies, habits, and tactics around cultivating the connections that matter to you.

I used to think baseball was about as exciting as watching grass grow. Nine innings of standing around, spitting, and occasionally swinging at a ball. Then I went to a Savannah Bananas game.

And yes, I'm about to draw relationship lessons from a baseball game. So just hang on for the cringe.

If you're not familiar, the Bananas started as a college summer league team in Georgia. Through brilliant marketing, rule changes that actually make sense, and some serious TikTok skills, they've become a global phenomenon. We're talking sold-out stadiums and a tickets that are harder to get than Taylor Swift.

Here's what I found wild: my entire family sat transfixed for four hours. Four hours. At a baseball game. The same kids who couldn’t sit through a single normal baseball inning without three snacks were glued to every pitch, every dance-off, every ridiculous celebration.

That got me thinking about what makes some relationships magnetic while others feel like work.

Rule one: challenge the status quo

The Bananas looked at traditional baseball and asked a simple question: why does this have to be so boring? They ditched the endless delays, the dead time between innings, the unspoken rule that fun is somehow unprofessional.

They created "Banana Ball" with rules designed around one thing: keeping people engaged. No walks, no bunts, fans can catch foul balls for outs. Games are capped at two hours max.

When was the last time you questioned the "rules" of how you interact with people? Why does networking have to happen at stuffy hotel ballrooms with terrible coffee? Why do client meetings have to start with five minutes of weather small talk?

The most memorable people I know have their own playbook. They host walking meetings instead of conference rooms. They send voice messages instead of emails. They remember your dog's name but skip the "how's business" script.

Rule two: focus on the experience

The Bananas could have thrown money at crazy props and fireworks. Instead, they invite three-year-olds onto the field to lead stadium-wide dance parties. They have players deliver foul balls on horseback. They hurl bananas from the top deck.

Now, don't get me wrong. Beyoncé putting on a multi-million-dollar spectacle with pyrotechnics and custom staging is an incredible experience too. Both approaches create magic, just differently. Beyoncé delivers flawless production value. The Bananas deliver spontaneous joy with a toddler teaching 45,000 people the "chicken dance."

It's not about the budget. It's about intentionally creating moments people remember.

Think about the last time someone made an ordinary interaction feel special. Maybe they brought you a book they thought you'd love. Maybe they suggested ice cream instead of coffee. Maybe they actually listened when you mentioned your kid's soccer game and followed up about it later.

The experience of being around you doesn't require a production budget. It requires intention.

Rule three: have actual fun together

Here's the thing that really stood out: every single person involved was genuinely enjoying themselves. The players, the umpires, the first base coach. You could tell this wasn't forced enthusiasm or corporate mandate fun. They were having a blast, and it was contagious. Have you ever seen a batter walk-on with a skit performed by his teammates?

Compare that to most professional interactions where everyone's performing some version of "serious business person." We've all been in those meetings where you can feel the life being sucked out of the room.

The best relationship builders I know have figured out how to genuinely enjoy their interactions with people. They're not putting on a show. They're not networking. They're just being human beings who happen to find other human beings interesting.

Your next move

So here's your homework: pick one relationship that feels stuck in the traditional playbook. Maybe it's a client who only ever talks shop. Maybe it's a colleague who defaults to email chains that could have been conversations.

What's one small rule you could break? One tiny way you could make the experience more interesting? One permission you could give yourself to actually enjoy the interaction? What do you have to lose, and what do you have to gain?

The Bananas turned boring baseball into sold out stadiums (and cruise ships?) by asking better questions and caring more about the experience than the tradition. Your relationships are no different.

Time to write your own rules.

Until next week, Zvi

P.S. If you ever see me doing the chicken dance at a business meeting… just know I’m testing out new relationship strategies.

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