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If you've seen the Savannah Bananas (or, more likely, videos of them online), you already understand why pro baseball's entertainment-first model has taken off. The Bananas have packed major league stadiums across the country full of fans eager to see their trick catches and wild choreographed routines.
Now Chicago has latched onto the new business model its own “sportstainment” team, and it's making a stop at Northwestern Medicine Field on June 6.
Here's what to know:
The concept: The Chicago Snowballs are a newly launched co-ed professional baseball team that blends live baseball with music, comedy, and audience participation. Two squads split from a single roster and play each other.
How to see them: The Snowballs are headquartered in Chicago and play primarily across Chicagoland, but the team has dates at other venues across the Midwest this summer — including, on June 6, Northwestern Medicine Field in Geneva, home of the Kane County Cougars. First pitch is at 6:30PM.
The roster: Head coach Mike Napoleon — the all-time winningest high school baseball coach in Illinois history after 27 seasons at New Trier — came out of retirement to lead the team. What sets the Snowballs apart from similar squads is a co-ed roster, giving competitive female athletes a paid professional outlet.
General admission tickets for the Geneva game are $30, with kids (12 and younger) able to get in for $17 a pop. If you’ve been keen to see the Savannah Bananas but reluctant to pay the exorbitant ticket prices, this could be a great outing to consider.
You can get tickets here.
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