The Windup: Starkville | Coach RAC of the Savannah Bananas talks about what makes Banana Ball so much fun

Date: August 27, 2025
Hosts: Jayson Stark & Doug Glanville (The Athletic)
Guest: Robert Anthony Cruz ("Coach Rack,” Savannah Bananas)

Episode Overview

This episode of Starkville dives into the world of the Savannah Bananas and the phenomenon of “Banana Ball” with Coach Rack (Robert Anthony Cruz), one of the team’s star players and personalities. The conversation covers the unique fusion of entertainment and baseball that makes Banana Ball so compelling, the creative process behind the team’s antics, lessons Major League Baseball (MLB) might draw from the Bananas’ approach, and Cruz’s personal journey from released MLB prospect to viral sensation and social media force. Stark and Glanville also discuss the new Relief Pitcher of the Year award, “Strange but True” moments, and classic trivia.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Relief Pitcher of the Year Award Announcement (02:16–08:39)

• Jayson Stark reveals the Baseball Writers' Association of America will begin awarding a Relief Pitcher of the Year starting in 2026, a campaign he has championed for years.
  • "If you're the greatest anything of all time and you never even came close to winning one of these awards, it just feels like we failed." (04:50, A)
  • Doug and Jayson discuss the evolving importance of relief pitchers and the need for recognition beyond the closer role (e.g., "the Andrew Millers of the baseball world").

2. Bananas Vibes: Turning Baseball into a Party (09:30–12:19)

Guest Segment Begins

• Coach Rack describes the Bananas as a group of friends with diverse creative skills, blending serious baseball with “ridiculous side quests.”
  • "We have these meetings called OTT sessions where we throw out over the top ideas and nothing's off limits." (11:20, B)
• Integrating talents: Players with backgrounds in gymnastics, singing, etc., find ways to incorporate personal flair into the entertainment.

3. Lessons for MLB: Fan-First Innovation (12:19–16:17)

• Coach Rack shares wisdom from Ozzie Guillen, who celebrated the Bananas for reviving old stadium energy:
  • "He was like, thank you so much for bringing, like, the fun into the sport. He's like, this is the most alive that I've seen the stadium since we won the World Series." (13:13, B)
• Key Principle: Build the product around what the fans want. The Bananas actively remove dead spaces from the game experience, contrasting with MLB’s traditional approach.

4. Where the Line Is: What Not to Copy (15:08–16:17)

• Baseball has its own traditions and space for socializing; Banana Ball is a spectacle from start to finish, but both have a place.
  • "Baseball, I feel like, is a sport where you can go with your family to the ballpark and hang out and talk, watch the game, eat a hot dog." (15:14, B)

5. Banana Ball's Evolution & Rule Innovation (16:17–18:37)

• Players actively shape and critique evolving rules.
  • Coach Rack explains and praises the "ball four sprint rule," raising strategy and excitement for both fans and players.
  • "When a batter walks...you're sprinting. The ball's live. Every single defender has to touch the ball before they can tag you out." (16:56, B)
  • This increases offensive dynamics, pressures pitchers to throw strikes, and makes every walk a potential double.

6. The (Rack) Flip—Signature Moments & Skills (19:00–20:24)

• Rack explains how backflips (a.k.a. "Rack flips") became a team trademark, inspired by a teammate and his own gymnastics background.
  • Success rate: "I think I've missed two, and I've caught, like, 35 or 36.” (19:44, B)
• On whether missed flips are scored as errors: "Trick play missed." (20:17, B)

7. Coach Rack’s Unlikely Journey (20:24–31:26)

• Initially dreamed of being an Olympic gymnast, switched to baseball at age 9.
• The emotional roller coaster: viral signing video with the Nationals, being released, finding new purpose and audience via social media.
  • "Maybe someone out there could find some encouragement through my failure." (25:35, B)
• Serendipity: Hits a home run at Nationals Park for the Bananas on the third anniversary of signing with the Nationals, with his dad in attendance—set up by owner Jesse Cole.
  • "Round the bases at Nats park three years to the day of me getting signed by them. It's incredible." (31:22, B)

8. Showmanship, Social Media & Letting the Kids Play (32:20–37:19)

• On his viral, celebratory home run at Camden Yards, doing flips with teammates (“pure childish joy”).
  • "In that moment... we're all just like such kids on the Bananas. We can't believe we get to play in these stadiums..." (34:17, B)
• View on showmanship: Supportive of emotion and celebration at the professional level, with mutual respect as key.
  • "If you're going to celebrate big, you have to be humble enough to lose and see the other team celebrate big." (35:10, B)
  • "If you lost and you can't handle losing and you can't handle the other team celebrating so that you feel like you have to take matters into your own hands and get violent. Like, I don't think that that is a real picture of strength." (36:09, B)

9. How Banana Ball Players Are Evaluated (23:01–24:35)

• Bananas consider baseball skill, entertainment ability, fan interaction, and social media impact when keeping or promoting players.

10. Life Perspective, Fulfillment, and Contentment (37:19–38:57)

• Despite newfound fame and viral moments, Cruz’s sense of fulfillment hasn't changed:
  • "My day to day life is exactly as fulfilling as it was five years ago... I feel just as happy, joyful, and content now as I did then." (37:37, B)
• Emphasizes enjoying the journey, not just “breakthrough” moments.

11. Favorite Career Moments & Future Goals (38:57–43:06)

• Nationals Park home run is his highlight, but playing (and homering) in sold-out MLB parks and NFL stadiums is surreal.

  • "Every seat is packed... just a different kind of feeling. I'm getting to experience a lot of, like, firsts." (40:35, B)

• Future ambitions: Be the most impactful voice in youth sports, helping parents and children build healthy bonds through athletics.

  • "I want parents to be able to have good relationships with their kids through youth sports. I want that to be a positive thing." (41:36, B)

12. Where to Follow Coach Rack & Bananas (43:18–43:59)

• Coach Rack: @CoachRack on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.

• Upcoming Banana Ball tour includes PNC Park, Petco Park, Yankee Stadium, T-Mobile Park, and Minute Maid.

  • "So that's what we got coming up for this year. Then we're announcing our tour for next year, I believe that's going to be on ESPN." (43:29, B)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On creativity and culture:
  "We have these meetings called OTT sessions where we throw out over the top ideas and nothing's off limits." (11:20, B)

• MLB’s challenge:
  "If you're the greatest anything of all time and you never even came close to winning one of these awards, it just feels like we failed." (04:50, A)

• On balancing fun and baseball tradition:
  "Banana ball is like you're being entertained, start to finish. Baseball, it's like you're almost making up some of your own entertainment along the way." (15:11, B)

• On showmanship:
  "If you do something cool, like get excited, man. That's my opinion." (36:05, B)

• On contentment:
  "If you don't feel fulfilled in the journey getting there, once you get there, you still won't be fulfilled." (38:10, B)

Key Timestamps

• 02:16 – Stark introduces Relief Pitcher of the Year award
• 09:30 – Coach Rack joins and describes Bananas’ vibe
• 11:20 – “OTT Sessions” and the Bananas creative process
• 13:13 – Ozzie Guillen on Banana Ball: “most alive” stadium since WS
• 15:11 – What Banana Ball and MLB should (and shouldn't) learn from each other
• 16:56 – Explanation of the "ball four sprint rule"
• 19:44 – Rack’s backflips and their success rate
• 25:05 – The viral Nationals signing, release, and TikTok story
• 31:22 – Home run at Nationals Park on the 3-year anniversary
• 34:17 – Joy and celebration on the field
• 35:10 – Philosophy on celebration and sportsmanship
• 37:37 – Fulfillment and life lessons from his journey
• 41:36 – Future goals: “most impactful voice in youth sports”
• 43:18 – Where to follow Coach Rack and upcoming events

Supplemental Segments

• Strange But True: Homers by Mike Yastremski off Merrill Kelly in back-to-back months, with both players switching teams. Only two other similar instances found in MLB history (46:01–54:04).
• Listener Trivia: “Which franchises have had multiple pitchers win multiple Cy Youngs for their team?” (54:34–62:40)

Tone & Takeaways

• The episode blends infectious enthusiasm for baseball’s present and future with reverence for tradition.
• Coach Rack’s humility and authenticity, paired with creative energy, embody the Bananas’ disruptive yet loving approach to the sport.
• Listeners get not just entertainment stories but also reflections on personal growth, contentment, and the evolving landscape of baseball at all levels.

This summary captures the heart, key moments, and “only in baseball” mix of fun and philosophy that make this episode—and Banana Ball—so unique.