(Photo / KVRR)
FARGO (KFGO/KVRR) – Banana Ball came to Fargo over the weekend, packing Newman Outdoor Field with more than 4,500 fans for a two game set between the Indianapolis Clowns and the Firefighters of the Banana Ball Championship League.
Clowns manager Errick Fox says the energy of the crowd gets the teams fired up.
“It was a pretty amazing feeling just to hear the crowd being excited. It gets us more excited,” Fox said. “We love being here.”
Fargo-Moorhead Redhawks staff called the operations side of Banana Ball impressive, and say they were happy to play a role in bringing the show to town.
“It’s just an amazing show, and we’re glad to be a part of it,” said Bob Roers, RedHawks director of business development. “It’s a lot of work, but I tell you what – we’ve got a lot of smiling faces.”
The Clowns and Firefighters split the two games, with the home team Clowns winning Friday and Firefighters winning in extra innings Saturday.
The Indianapolis Clowns originally formed in the 1930s as a prominent Negro League Baseball Club. They featured players that eventually played in Major League Baseball like Hank Aaron, and some of the first female professional players, including Toni Stone.
The Clowns operated as a barnstorming team and stopped in Fargo in 1973. They initially shut down in 1989. Banana Ball revived the Indianapolis Clowns identity this year as part of a partnership with the Negro League Baseball Museum.
Comments