Chris Cronin’s Post

Started as a dream and now it's coming true. The Savannah Bananas are going to Fenway Park! As a kid, living south of Boston, I grew up dreaming of getting to play at Fenway. After becoming the honorary bat boy at five years old, the Red Sox became my favorite team and I went to countless games at Fenway Park with my Dad. As I developed as a baseball player and started hearing from D1 schools and professional scouts, I had the dream of getting the call and being drafted by the Red Sox. After an arm injury in college, that dream never came true, but now this one, that involves so many more people, is actually happening. Three years ago, when I wrote this idea down in my journal, I'm sure many people would have thought it was crazy. We were just a small college summer baseball team at the time. But I believed that if we went all-in on Banana Ball and started touring the country, we could create a fan base that would support a game at Fenway. After a one city world tour in 2021, followed by seven cities in 2022 and then 33 cities and playing in front of a half million fans in 2023, I knew we were ready. And fortunately, the Red Sox called me before I even reached out to them. That call is one that I will never forget. When I heard the words, "What do you think about bringing the Bananas to Fenway," I almost lost it. Now, on June 9th, The Savannah Bananas, the Party Animals and our cast and staff of over 200 will make our way to Fenway. Before the game, I will look out at the sold out crowd of over 35,000 fans and realize that anything is possible.

Welcome to Buckeye Buddies OSU! We are a nonprofit Student Organization at The Ohio State University that works with Special Olympics Ohio to play Unified Sports. Through our multi-week Unified football and basketball seasons, we partner with Special Olympics Athletes to play competitive games and forge lasting friendships that promote the power of inclusion. Follow our page to learn more about our mission!

My pregame speech in Cleveland focused more on the future than any talk I've given to our organization. After launching our first ever Banana Ball Youth Tournament in Cleveland with 900 kids, I knew going into our fourth MLB Stadium, we had a much bigger responsibility to these kids than ever before. Before the game, I wanted to leave the right message to our entire organization about the obligation we had with the next generation of Banana Ball players in the audience. What were they going to see from us? How were we going to make them feel? What fans first moments would we create for them? I believe 100% that these kids could be the future of Banana Ball. What they experienced from us would help shape their views on not only what the Bananas were all about but what Fans First was all about. We owed it to them to show the fun and joy we bring to the game but also the dedication that we bring to the fans. And not just the fans in general, but our focus on one fan at a time, and one kid at a time. As we always say, "Every game is someone's first game," but this night felt even more important because of what it could mean for the future. At the end of the night our goal was to leave Cleveland proud of the experience we provided. I'm proud to say we did that and then some and I'm so grateful for our team for always believing in who we are, what we stand for and delivering on that promise.

My pregame speech in Cleveland focused more on the future than any talk I've given to our organization. After launching our first ever Banana Ball Youth Tournament in Cleveland with 900 kids, I knew going into our fourth MLB Stadium, we had a much bigger responsibility to these kids than ever before. Before the game, I wanted to leave the right message to our entire organization about the obligation we had with the next generation of Banana Ball players in the audience. What were they going to see from us? How were we going to make them feel? What fans first moments would we create for them? I believe 100% that these kids could be the future of Banana Ball. What they experienced from us would help shape their views on not only what the Bananas were all about but what Fans First was all about. We owed it to them to show the fun and joy we bring to the game but also the dedication that we bring to the fans. And not just the fans in general, but our focus on one fan at a time, and one kid at a time. As we always say, "Every game is someone's first game," but this night felt even more important because of what it could mean for the future. At the end of the night our goal was to leave Cleveland proud of the experience we provided. I'm proud to say we did that and then some and I'm so grateful for our team for always believing in who we are, what we stand for and delivering on that promise.

🌟 It's almost here! 🎈 Bowling Green residents, get ready to mark your calendars! 📅 Registration for our 2024 Summer Youth Programs begins Monday! 🏊♀️⚾🎭 Whether it's exploring new sports, learning at Safety Town, or taking the stage in theater, we have the perfect summer planned for you. 👀 Preview the programs and plan your summer early: https://buff.ly/4b48CgY #BGSummerReady #CountdownBegins

As supporters of the The University of Memphis we wanted to ensure students were able to cheer on the team at the AutoZone Liberty Bowl this Friday. Students can claim SouthWorth-sponsored tickets now through December 29. Let's go Tigers! 🐅

It's hard to believe people had doubts about Deion Sanders' ability to do this job. He's the ultimate player's coach. Listen to this interaction between him and Colorado WR Jimmy Horn. #linkedinsports #inspiration #collegefootball