Baseball Takeover: Behind the Scenes of Banana Ball

Summary

Podcast Summary

The Ten News – Baseball Takeover: Behind the Scenes of Banana Ball

Episode Date: April 17, 2026
Hosts: Pamela Kirkland, Ryan Willard, Cap, Owen
Special Guest: Dane Tofflin, player for the Loco Beach Coconuts

Episode Overview

This episode of The Ten News is a “baseball takeover,” diving into the start of the 2026 MLB season, robot umpires, and—most excitingly—a behind-the-scenes look at Banana Ball with a player from the viral sensation Loco Beach Coconuts. The hosts and guest discuss the changes in traditional baseball, the wild world of Banana Ball, and deliver fun facts, memorable baseball moments, and even trivia—all designed for curious kids and their families.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Baseball Rivalries and New Season Energy

• The episode opens with playful banter about fandom between the Atlanta Braves and New York Yankees.
• Banana Ball is immediately introduced as a standout, “cooler” alternative to classic teams (00:23).

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2. MLB’s Automated Ball Strike Challenge System (ABS)

[00:55–03:25]

• Debut in 2026: The ABS system was officially introduced for MLB’s regular season on Opening Day 2026 after years of testing in the minors and at special events.
• How it Works:
  • 12 cameras track each pitch’s location vs. the batter’s personalized strike zone (all players were re-measured for accuracy).
  • Only the batter, pitcher, or catcher may challenge a call by tapping their head within 15 seconds; results are displayed instantly in the stadium.
  • Teams get two challenges per game and keep them if successful.
• Potential Impact:
  “Players have argued about balls and strikes forever. So the new challenge system might seem small, but it could literally change the game.” — Pamela Kirkland [03:16]

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3. Community Spotlight: Young Fans Share Their Baseball Love

[03:25–04:00]

• Listener Jude writes in about playing catcher for his 11-year-old majors team and loving fantasy baseball.

  “I also love analyzing it with my two time winning fantasy baseball team.” — Jude (read by Pamela Kirkland) [03:43]

• Hosts celebrate the diversity of baseball fandom, player vs. fantasy focus.

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4. All About Banana Ball: Interview with Dane Tofflin

[04:10–12:01]
Setting: The hosts’ family saw the Savannah Bananas play in San Diego, making them fans of both the Bananas and the Loco Beach Coconuts.

Dane Tofflin on His Unconventional Baseball Journey

• Faced challenges breaking into professional baseball after college and the pandemic.
• Received a surprise tryout invitation via Instagram, was drafted by the Coconuts after impressing at tryouts.

  “I’m on Instagram and I check my messages and I get a message from Barry Aldridge … He said, I had a great season. You know, we'd love to have you come out for a tryout.” — Dane Tofflin [05:44]

Defining Banana Ball

• “Baseball with sideline entertainment, a lot more fan engagement, nonstop music and trick plays, and a lot of dancing.” — Dane Tofflin [06:34]
• Choreographed dances, player walkouts, interactive celebrations, and a hard two-hour time limit.

Tryouts: Baseball vs. Performance

• “At the tryout, so for me personally, it was all baseball… they did a thing before we even started, like, hey, can you show us a dance move? And I was like, no, I don’t have any.” — Dane Tofflin [07:23–07:35]
• Dane joined for baseball skills, learned the fun side after joining.

Memorable Celebrations

• Dane’s “full-body wave” celebration with plans to add a Canadian flag, highlighting both personal flair and pride in being the only Canadian on the team [08:09].

Is Banana Ball Rigged?

• Flat-out denial: “Our games are not rigged at all. The only thing that is choreographed is the dances and when they're gonna happen. Other than that, it is sped up baseball.” — Dane Tofflin [08:47–08:55]
• Describes the chaotic race to finish games in two hours, especially exciting in the untimed ninth inning.

Lessons Learned and Advice to Kids

• “Don't let the judgment of others stop you from doing something. You don't know if you'll like it until you try.” — Dane Tofflin [10:53]
• Shared how he went from a baseball purist to championing Banana Ball, urging kids to keep an open mind.

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5. The Zany Side of Professional Baseball

[12:22–16:01]
Hosts recount the most bizarre moments in MLB history:

• 1989 Earthquake World Series: Game postponed for 10 days due to a 6.9 earthquake in San Francisco [12:27–13:08].
• Double Foul Ball Incident: Richie Ashburn hit the same fan twice in one game; they later became friends [13:08–13:49].
• Bee Swarms: Delays at Reds games in both 2019 and 1976 due to bee swarms [13:49–14:25].
• The Longest MLB Game: 25 innings over two days in 1984 [14:25–15:13].
• Toronto’s Loony Dog Night: Blue Jays fans set a record by eating over 100,000 hot dogs in one game and more than 800,000 in a season [15:13–16:01].

  “That is so many hot dogs…” — Pamela [15:48]

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6. Trivia Time: Know Your Bananas!

[16:18–17:26]

• Trivia on the senior citizen dance team’s name: Answer is A) The Banana Nanas!
• Fun Banana Ball fact: There are also the Man Nanas (dad bod cheerleaders) and Banana Splits (youth dance).

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7. Listener Feedback & LEGO Bonding

[19:33–20:34]

• Listener Alice writes, “This is my favorite podcast ever. I can never understand what the grownups are talking about and this podcast makes it fun and enjoyable to listen to. … I would love an episode about space and aliens. Ooh, 10 out of 10 love this podcast.”
• Ryan shares his recent LEGO builds (Gameboy, Mini Orchids) and asks for audience input on his next project.

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Notable Quotes

• On the ABS System:
  “Players have argued about balls and strikes forever. So the new challenge system might seem small, but it could literally change the game.” — Pamela Kirkland [03:16]
• On Banana Ball’s Uniqueness:
  “It is totally different than baseball, but it's its own thing. There's a reason it's called banana ball. It's its own sport.” — Dane Tofflin [09:29]
• On Trying New Things:
  “Don’t let the judgment of others stop you from doing something. You don’t know if you’ll like it until you try.” — Dane Tofflin [10:53]
• On Banana Ball Fandom:
  “I was never really the biggest baseball fan, but I am definitely a banana ball fan.” — Owen [12:02]

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Memorable Moments & Timestamps

• [00:55] – Start of ABS system overview
• [04:27] – Introduction to the Savannah Bananas & Banana Ball
• [05:00] – Dane Tofflin tells his baseball story
• [06:34] – Dane defines Banana Ball (entertainment + game)
• [07:36] – Performance vs. baseball skills at tryouts
• [08:47] – Addressing the “Is Banana Ball Rigged?” question
• [10:53] – Dane’s advice to kids about trying new things
• [12:22] – MLB’s wackiest moments (earthquake, bees, hot dogs)
• [16:18] – Banana Ball trivia: The Banana Nanas
• [19:33] – Listener Alice’s enthusiastic feedback

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Flow & Tone

The show flows briskly and enthusiastically, interweaving informative segments, community contributions, humor, and inspiring messages. The language is friendly, energetic, and inclusive, making complex baseball topics accessible and engaging for kids and adults alike.

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Summary Takeaway

This episode of The Ten News offers a fun, comprehensive look at baseball’s changing landscape—both high-tech (robots!) and high-fun (Banana Ball!). It shares playful banter, deep dives into new rules, a lively interview with a Banana Ball player, crazy MLB history, listener shoutouts, and trivia—all with warmth, curiosity, and a lot of laughter. Whether you’re a baseball purist, a Banana Ball fan, or brand new to the sport, you’ll find something to smile about.

Transcript

[A]

Actually, Ry, the Braves are gonna win.

[B]

I'm pretty sure the Yankees will win.

[A]

Well, the Braves are just a better

[B]

team and sure, but the Yankees are better.

[A]

But the Atlanta Braves are the best.

[B]

The New York Yankees are number one.

[C]

Pam, Ryan, can we pause for a minute?

[A]

Of course.

[B]

What's up, Cap?

[C]

I can tell you are both very passionate about this, so let's do a baseball deep dive.

[A]

Yes, absolutely.

[C]

And for the record, the banana ball teams are way cooler than your teams.

[D]

What?

[C]

Excuse me.

[B]

I don't even know if it's fair to compare the local beach coconuts and the Savannah bananas to the Yanks and the Braves.

[A]

They're definitely in a league of their own. I'm Pamela Kirkland.

[B]

And I'm Ryan Willard. It's Friday, April 17th.

[A]

This is A10 News. Deep Dive.

[E]

10. 9. 8. 7. 6. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.

[A]

The 2026 baseball season is finally underway, and I couldn't be happier about it.

[B]

Except for the fact that robots are trying to take over the game.

[A]

It's not exactly robots, but I see what you're saying. We had a tenor write in and ask us about the new automated Ball Strike Challenge system, which could help settle a baseball argument that's as old as the game itself.

[B]

So here are five things you need to know about the kind of sort of robot umpires.

[A]

Number one. The automated Ball Strike Challenge system is also known as the ABS Challenge system. It made its regular season MLB debut on opening day of the 2026 season. The ABS Challenge system is set up so players can challenge a ball or strike that the umpire calls.

[B]

The ABS Challenge system didn't come out of nowhere. It's been tested and used in minor league games since 2021. Major League Baseball tested it during spring training this year, and it was even used in the 2025 All Star Game.

[A]

Number three. The ABS Challenge system monitors the exact location of each pitch relative to the batter strike zone. 12 special cameras monitor where each pitch crosses home plate. It's not 100% accurate, but it's close. The system requires exact inputs for each batter's height to create their specific strike zone. All MLB players were remeasured before the season began.

[B]

Number four. The system is pretty simple. Only the batter, pitcher and catcher are allowed to challenge a call. So after a pitch, the umpire calls a ball or a strike. And if one of those three players disagrees, they can challenge the call by

[A]

tapping their head about 15 seconds after the challenge. The correct call is displayed in the stadium and for viewers at home. So it should Move pretty fast and not disrupt the game or make them too much longer.

[B]

And number five, each team starts the game with two challenges. So if a player challenges a call and it's successful, they keep the challenge and they can use it again. But if the umpire made the right call and the player's challenge is unsuccessful, their challenge is lost. Players have argued about balls and strikes forever.

[C]

You're out.

[A]

So the new challenge system might seem small, but it could literally change the game.

[B]

Gosh, I love the game. And we actually asked some tenors what their favorite part of the game is.

[A]

We got an email from a tenner named Jude who said, longtime listener here, my favorite part of baseball is playing it. I play catcher for our 11 year old majors team under USA Prime Tampa. I also love analyzing it with my two time winning fantasy baseball team.

[B]

Wow. Jude plays catcher. That is so cool. I love playing but I'm more of a fantasy baseball player now myself. Congrats though on winning twice and good luck in both your seasons.

[A]

Hey, Ry, do you see what I

[B]

see Are Owen and Cap talking to Dane Tofflin, a member of the Loco Beach Coconuts right now?

[A]

I think so.

[B]

The Savannah Bananas are one of the craziest things to happen to baseball. There's like dancing and backflips and crazy rules.

[A]

Oh, it's not your normal baseball game. It's a whole new thing. It's banana ball. You wanna listen in?

[B]

Of course I do.

[C]

All right, tenors, some of you may know from us being way too excited about it that we took a Kaplan family trip to San Diego to see the Savannah Bananas. And while we were there, I think we had a new favorite team.

[D]

I definitely would say the Loco Beach Coconuts were amazing.

[C]

And so to help us learn more about banana ball and about the different teams, we're so excited to have Dane with us today. Dane, welcome to the 10News.

[E]

Awesome. Thank you guys. Glad to be here.

[D]

All right, Dane, how did you become a player for the Loco beach coconut?

[E]

So my story is probably a little bit longer than most. So I graduated college in 2019. I went to Indiana State and then after that, as everyone knows Covid hit. I didn't really have anywhere to play. So I actually one year played in the semi pro league in Canada and then tried to make my way down into the pioneer league. Did that for three years. Had a couple really good seasons. My last year being my best in Rocky Mountain and I was kind of getting ready. I'm at that age where like if you don't get picked up by an MLB team. You're kind of just keeping playing indie ball if you wanted to. But as most people know, the money's not great in any ball. So I was kind of just like, I went to the backyard and just started contemplating like what I was going to do with my life next. And I'm on Instagram and I check my messages and I get a message from Barry Aldridge and he lines up all the players for the tryouts and stuff. And he does a lot more than that too, for fans first entertainment. But he said, I had a great season. You know, we'd love to have you come out for a tryout. So I went down to the first tryout in Nashville and did well. And then so I got invited to the draft that they had, which was on YouTube, which was really cool. And yeah, I ended up getting picked by the Loco Beach Coconuts in their first year.

[C]

Nice. And so how would you describe banana ball to somebody who's. Who's never seen it?

[E]

It is baseball with sideline entertainment, a lot more fan engagement, non stop music and trick plays, and a lot of dancing. There's so much that goes into it. Like we have choreographed dances. We do certain things. When you walk off an inning, when some people have like a choreographed walkout for the game, there's a lot.

[A]

It's just.

[E]

It's kind of like baseball. Just a lot more add in and faster, obviously with the clock on it. Two hours every game.

[D]

What would you say the balance for auditions was? Do you think it was majority baseball or majority just like dances and stuff like that?

[E]

Yeah. So at the tryout, so for me personally, it was all baseball. So like I went into the tryout and they did a thing before we even started, like, hey, can you show us a dance move? And I was like, no, I don't have any.

[C]

So.

[E]

So mine was I basically just got picked up for the baseball part and then kind of just like falling into figuring out how to do all the stuff on the sidelines too. Trying to make myself available for as much stuff as possible. And because no one wants to be that the guy that doesn't want to do anything. So I'm trying to embrace it and do as much as I can because I. It truly is the best job in the world. I love it.

[D]

You thought you're mostly picked up for the baseball. Would you say since then you've picked up any like signature moves or celebrations?

[E]

Yeah, so I kind of do this like, it's like a full body wave where I like, I point I don't know if you guys saw me when I hit my double, but I'll like, point at the dugout and do like a full body wave that I'm kind of trying to make that my thing because I do that for my intro before the game too. And I'm going to start holding a little Canadian flag while I do that as well. I'm trying to throw it out there more that I'm Canadian and the only Canadian in it.

[C]

Nice. Nice. All right. I don't know how much you can tell us this, but does the headlining team always win?

[E]

You're asking if the games are rigged?

[C]

Maybe I didn't use that word.

[E]

So that's funny because actually a lot of people ask that and I was actually just watching. Our games are not rigged at all.

[C]

Okay?

[E]

The only thing that is choreographed is the dances and when they're gonna happen. Other than that, it is sped up baseball. So when those games start getting sped up, like when they get close to that two hour mark, if there's like choreographed stuff that we can't fit in, it just gets thrown out the window. Like, it just doesn't happen. And we start playing like the world's fastest innings. Because they want to get to the ninth innings. Because the ninth inning, the timers off, right? Let's just score as many runs as you can. And that's where the games can get really, really exciting.

[C]

All right, that answered a big question for us. So what's something that you've learned from being part of the Coconuts that surprised you, aside from your newfound dancing talent?

[E]

That was a tough one. That I actually looked good in orange and mint. That was something I did not know before. It was not a part of my closet before. But yeah, honestly, like, everything has just been kind of a learning curve with just banana ball in general. I wouldn't say I learned anything more from Loco beach than anyone else. Like, it's just like everyone's in the same situation. It doesn't matter who you're talking to if they're on the bananas or coconuts or party animals. Like, everyone is here to do well. And obviously the fans first. Like, make a lot of fans and entertain. And a lot of the guys, we talk about it too. Like, we love playing in the really big stadium. Like, don't get me wrong, Petco was. That was the coolest thing I've ever done in my life. But these smaller stadiums, when you go to them and there's only 5,000 fans, you get to make, I guess, a more. More of an impact on people because you get to see more people. It is totally different than baseball, but it's its own thing. There's a reason it's called banana ball. It's its own sport.

[C]

So the performance part was new for you. And I'm curious, what advice would you give to kids who love sports but might feel nervous to try something new?

[E]

That's a great question. I'm going to say what I have written down, then explain why I wrote it. So what I have written down is don't let the judgment of others stop you from doing something. You don't know if you'll like it until you try. And so for me, the reason I wrote that down was when I played like independent baseball, I was totally a baseball purist. Like when I saw banana balls, like, that is so crazy. Like, I would never do that. Like it's ruining the game, blah, blah, blah. And then I do it and I'm like, this is so much fun. Like it's not baseball, it's banana ball. And so like when people say like, it's ruining baseball like I did years before, like, that was my mindset. It's not because it's not baseball, it's banana ball. It is totally different and it's totally awesome. I love it and I'm very grateful to be here. And I can't thank Barry enough for sending that message and I can't thank Jesse and his family enough for creating this because without them and without the fans too, like, I wouldn't be here doing this. So I'm. I'm just very blessed to be here.

[A]

Great.

[C]

Well, thank you for joining us today here at the ten news.

[E]

Awesome. Thank you guys for having me.

[D]

I was never really the biggest baseball fan, but I am definitely a banana ball fan.

[B]

Alright. That dude Dane is super cool. I can't believe Owen and cap got to hang out with him.

[A]

Those Savannah bananas and the loco beach coconut games sound pretty crazy.

[B]

Yeah, they do. But there has been a lot of wacky stuff in major league baseball.

[A]

Oh yeah, I know. Let's do five really crazy things that have happened at a major league baseball game. First up, the 1989 World Series was the Oakland A's against the San Francisco Giants. Game 3 was in San Fran at Candlestick park. And less than 30 minutes before the first pitch, a crazy earthquake hit. A 6.9 magnitude earthquake shook the stadium and the city of San Francisco.

[E]

Well, folks, that's the greatest open in the history of television, bar none.

[A]

The game was postponed and the world Series didn't resume until 10 days later and the Oakland A's would win four games to zero.

[B]

In 1957, the Philadelphia Phillies played the New York Giants. Hall of Famer Richie Ashburn hit a foul ball into the stands and it hit a fan named Alice Roth right in the face and broke her nose. They paused the game as they attended to her and they put Alice on a stretcher to carry her off. And then gameplay started again. And then Richie Ashburn hit another foul ball and it hit Alice Roth again, this time breaking a bone in her knee. The good news out of that is that Roth was okay and Richie Ashburn visited her in the hospital and they became friends. And Roth's son would eventually become a bat boy for the ry.

[A]

That one hurt just hearing about it. Alright. On third in 2019, when the Reds played the Giants in Cincinnati at Great American Ballpark, there was a 20 minute game delay because of bees. No Ryan, just bees. The swarm of bees set up shop near home plate and then eventually went into the stands. Oddly enough, it's not the first time it's happened at a Reds Giants game. It's in 1976. A swarm of about 5 to 10,000 hit the San Francisco dugout and forced a 35 minute delay.

[B]

Okay, that's not much better. It's still freaky. Freaky though. Alright, this next one wasn't exactly a delay, but it was the longest MLB game ever. In 1984, the Chicago White Sox played the Milwaukee Brewers. The game started on May 8 and they played 17 innings and the score was tied at 3 3. They stopped the game at 1am because of an old American League rule.

[A]

They restarted the game the next day and in the 21st inning the brewers hit a three run homer. But the White Sox managed to tie it back up in the same inning. And finally in the 25th inning, Harold Baynes hit a walk off dinger to win the game for Chicago. The game lasted 25 innings over two days and was eight hours and six minutes of play.

[B]

And last but certainly not least, the looniest of them all, hot dogs. Here the Toronto Blue Jays celebrate Loony Dog Night, where hot dogs cost a single loony, which is a Canadian $1 coin. But this year they only charged 77 cents per hot dog in honor of their 1977 inaugural season. Well, fans went crazy and set a new record when they ate more than 100,202 hot dogs in a single game.

[A]

That is so many hot dogs though Blue Jays fans set the record in 2025 by eating 826,308 loony dogs in one full season.

[B]

Yeah, that whole list was all bonkers. I think maybe I should try a coconut banana ball game instead.

[A]

And last but certainly not least, let's go to our trivia master, Owen.

[B]

What is going on here?

[D]

Trivia on the 10. I cannot stop talking about banana ball. So obviously I'm putting in the trivia. The Savannah Bananas are known for their dancing and they have a few different dance teams. But what is the name of their senior citizen dance team? Is it A, the Banana Nanas? B, the Banana Grandpas? C, the Banan? Ugh, I'm too old to dance. Or D, the Banana Bread? Ready, dancer? Alright, tenors, did you guess it? The answer is A. The senior citizen dance team is known as the Banana Nanas. And some might say they have the best moves in the game. There's also the Man Nanas who are the dad Bod cheerleading squad and the Banana Splits who are the youth dance team. To be honest, I love them all.

[E]

One banana, three banana, two banana, one All Bananas playing in the bright warm sun.

[A]

And that was our baseball and banana ball deep dive. What do you think, Ry? Should we hit a loco beach coconuts game?

[B]

Um, yeah, but I'm pretty sure the Savannah Bananas are the best. Coconuts Bananas.

[A]

Well, before we get tickets, we should probably give 10 new snaps out.

[B]

But first, here's a quick note for the grownups.

[C]

Hey 10 News listeners. As the school year starts wrapping up, a lot of families, especially homeschool families, are thinking about how to finish strong and maybe even keep learning going into the summer. And that's where IXL comes in. IXCEL is an award winning learning platform with interactive practice in math, language arts, science and social studies from pre K all the way through 12th grade. It's designed to fit right into your routine, whether you're wrapping up end of year projects or just trying to keep your brain sharp over the summer break. And it's super flexible. You can practice a little each day, review tricky topics or even get ahead for next year. No pressure. So whether you're finishing strong or trying to beat the summer slide, IEXCEL makes it easy to keep learning going. So make an impact on your child's learning and get IXL now. And TenU's listeners can get an exclusive 20% off IXL membership when they sign up [e-mail] 10 Visit Iexcel.com 10 to get the most effective learning program out there at the best price for over 100 years.

[B]

The world has been captivated by Hollywood.

[E]

The stuff that dreams are made of.

[B]

Where stars are born, Raiden Bond shovel away. But just beneath the stardust lie a million more fascinating stories that, when sewn together, form an incredible history. The Secret History of Hollywood. Available now Wherever you get podcasts, it's time for 10 news snaps.

[A]

A tenor named Alice left us a comment on Spotify and said, this is my favorite podcast ever. I can never understand what the grown ups are talking about and this podcast makes it fun and enjoyable to listen to. Aw, thanks Alice. We're so glad that you enjoy it. She also said shout out to Ryan. I love Lego too. I built a landline phone, a camera, a bunny, Dobby from Harry Potter and the Night Bus. What Legos have you built? Also, I would love an episode about space and aliens. Ooh, 10 out of 10 love this podcast. Wow. Thanks again. And yeah, we'll look into that suggestion about a space and aliens. Deep dive. Thank you for the suggestion.

[B]

Whoa. Those are some epic builds, Alice. I haven't even made any of those sets. I am very impressed. I recently built the Lego Nintendo Game Boy, the Botanical Mini orchids, and I'm either going to build the Tuxedo Cat or a big Mario Kart set. Alison Tenors, what should I build next? What do you think?

[A]

And two extra notes for the grown ups. You can now get ad free versions of our episodes when you join the Tenors Club on our website.

[B]

And if you want to Help support the 10News, you can make a tax deductible donation at the link in our show notes. The whole team thanks you for your support.

[A]

The 10News is a co production of Small but Mighty Media and Next Chapter Podcasts and part of the Airwave Podcast Network.

[B]

The 10News Creative team is gonna play banana ball in the office, so don't tell Cap and includes Tracy, Nada Crooks, Adam the Great Bambino, Bernard, Brian Not Ryan Douglas the Duke of Earl, Davis and Carson not so Harry Potter. Big thanks to Owen not slowing down for anybody and a huge thanks to Dane Tofflin for stopping by.

[A]

Our production director is Jeremiah Tittle and our executive producers are Donald Albright. Albright Albright and Sherry takes the leads. Kaplan, Sam.