TEXARKANA MAGAZINE
B aseball has been a constant for more than a century of American history, and people have set their calendars using opening day as a guide. We have our favorite players and favorite teams, we collect baseball cards and autographs, and old, well-oiled baseball gloves are often passed down from father to son with as much reverence as any sacred family heirloom. It is hard to imagine after all this time, there could be anything new under the sun when it comes to baseball, but thanks to the antics of teams like The Savannah Bananas, based out of Savannah, Georgia, it is literally a whole new ball game! Banana Ball is baseball with a twist, and every game changer is meant to entertain the fans with an experience they will never forget. Banana Ball includes pre- game parades, choreographed dances, legendary walk ups, team celebrations running through the stands, and players in yellow kilts. There is a senior citizen dance team called the Banana Nanas, and a Dad Bod Cheerleading Squad called the Man-Nanas. But most impressive of all, and what really takes Banana Ball to the next level is Texarkana’s very own dancing umpire, Vincent Chapman, who can be found behind home plate for every thrilling game. “I had a dancing umpire video go viral in 2015 on Facebook and it got over 12 million views,” explained Chapman. “It ended up on Ellen DeGeneres’ website. Someone saw it there and sent it to the Bananas. They reached out to me through messenger in December
2021.” What was supposed to be a tryout quickly revealed itself as a sure thing, and the opportunity became the chance of a lifetime for this fun-loving umpire who has been on the ball field since early childhood. “I was supposed to try out in February 2022, but I was really the only umpire there and had signed a contract before I ever went, so I was pretty confident. I had a few Zoom meetings with the owner, and I fell in love with the ‘fans first’ culture he was trying to build. I knew I’d be a perfect fit because I love to entertain people and umpire.” For everyone involved, it was a match made in Heaven. Chapman grew up playing baseball from little league through high school ball at Queen City, and like many before and after him, he has had a love for the game since day one. “I love that baseball has the most life lessons you can learn from a sport,” he said. “In baseball, you are wide open. If you strike out, everybody knows it. If you don’t practice, it’s going to show. Building character comes from realizing you are on a team, and it’s not all about you. You are going to make mistakes, but how you learn from those mistakes is what makes you a better person and player. Baseball to me is the most valuable sport you can play to learn life lessons. Every position is important and there’s a position for almost everybody if they are willing to practice.” Chapman began umpiring at 15 years old in Atlanta, Texas, while he was still a student athlete. “I was a freshman going into my
34
SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs