Going to a Savannah Bananas baseball game, the chances of seeing something you thought you’d never see are incredibly high. But usually the stunts involve player sketches, dancing umpires or just the wild rule changes that make up “banana ball.”
On Wednesday, the traveling baseball circus brought the Dayton Beach, Florida, crowd a surprise in the form of retired all-star and two-time World Series champion Johnny Damon.
Damon, 49, hasn’t played in the majors since 2012, but the 18-year vet looked fit on his way to the plate in Bananas yellow. So fit you might’ve convinced yourself he was about to do damage.
Then, he whiffed so bad on the first pitch.
Johnny Damon makes his debut for the Bananas in Daytona Beach last night😎 pic.twitter.com/D8RDvTnB73
— Savannah Bananas (@TheSavBananas) February 23, 2023
To be fair to Damon, it’s probably been awhile since he’s stepped in a box. He was a good sport just to show up. And to his credit, he had fun with it, doing a little dance — along with the umpire — before the first pitch.
He eventually did make soft contact on the next pitch, grounding out to the (left-handed?) third baseman. So at least he didn’t strike out. But it’s probably safe to say a return to baseball isn’t likely in his future.
That must’ve been a real treat for the fans in attendance.
