LINCOLN, Ill. (WAND) — A central Illinois man is part of the Savannah Bananas' Banana Ball league, serving as the hitting and first base coach for the Texas Tailgaters.
Andrew Bartman, known as Coach Bart, grew up in New Holland and graduated from Lincoln High School. He's spent his whole life in baseball before transitioning to Banana Ball.
"[I was a] college coach for 12 years, a director at USA Baseball, and this is the most fun I've ever had," Bartman said. "We have so many people [who] want to fight it until they come or until they watch it."
Bartman said he was initially hesitant about joining the league.
"I was like, I don't know. I was really reluctant at first," he said.
Banana Ball is a high-energy version of baseball in which music plays throughout the game. Bartman said the atmosphere sets it apart from traditional ballparks.
"The music doesn't stop during the game. People are engaged. If you've ever been to a ballpark before and it's dead, we don't ever have to worry about that because the juices are always flowing in Banana Ball," he said.
He also stressed that the games are real and unscripted.
"Yeah, between the lines, we absolutely want to win. That's the misconception is [that we're] the Harlem Globetrotters. The Bananas are not undefeated. They're actually in 2nd place behind the Tailgaters," he said.
During the midseason break, Bartman returned to Lincoln High to work with youth players on the field. He said his own childhood experiences watching Major League Baseball players motivated him, and he hopes it can do the same for them.
"If they really want to do it, they can do it. I saw Kevin Seitzer and Bill Sampen when I was a kid. Those guys were Major Leaguers and I thought maybe even though I'm from small town in central Illinois, New Holland, I can do something. And it's been a crazy ride," he said.
Bartman lives in North Carolina with his family now, but will be making the move to Savannah soon.
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