NEW YORK CITY - Columbus State University baseball alum and current Savannah Bananas center fielder David (DR) Meadows recently was a guest on The Kelly Clarkson Show. Meadows and the Bananas' owner, Jesse Cole, sat down with Clarkson to discuss the passion story behind the team and the rules of Banana Ball.
The Savannah Bananas are a small team out of Georgia that have rewritten the rules of the game with the focus of fans-first entertainment. Clarkson began the show reacting to the Bananas' 'Since U Been Gone' Performance,' which spotlights Meadows as the lead singer during a sold-out game in Fenway Park.
Cole explained how he started the team with slow beginnings, and how it has gradually evolved over time, becoming the "Greatest Show in Sports." His goal was to create fun moments for fans that they will never forget, including players like Meadows who interact with fans during the game from going into the crowd, signing autographs and taking pictures.
Meadows talked about how the rules of the game are different than regular baseball rules, highlighting how they are more fun. Some rules he stated are there are no bunts, no walks, no pitching mound visits, a two-hour time limit and if a fan catches a foul ball, it's an out.
Click here to watch the show on YouTube.
Meadows has been playing with the Bananas since the summer of 2022 and has quickly rose to fame because of how entertaining he is during games. He enjoys the atmosphere that the team creates and it's ever-growing fan base.
"My favorite part of playing with the Bananas is definitely their fan base and the opportunity to just be myself as a player," Meadows stated. "We have a lot of different players from around the country who are unique and we just play well together as a group, but the fans that show up every day are awesome to be around. It's great making a kid's day because I was once that kid watching."
The Vidalia, Ga., native played three seasons for the Cougars, graduating with a bachelor's of business administration degree in marketing in May 2022. Meadows played in 121 total games for CSU and helped the team make two deep runs in the NCAA DII national tournament. He posted an overall .326 batting average, a .407 slugging percentage, and a .421 on-base percentage while tallying 157 hits. He legged out 24 doubles and three triples to go along with three home runs, 79 RBIs and 122 runs scored. The former starting third baseman for CSU recorded an impressive .939 fielding percentage throughout his career and was known as one of the best defenders in the nation.
