A star pitcher at USC, he was cut after six years in the minors. Then Banana Ball came calling
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Chris Clarke had gone the traditional route, pitching for three years at USC after starring at Newbury Park High, then toiling for six more seasons in the Chicago Cubs minor league system after being a fourth-round draft pick in 2019.But his big league dream abruptly became a wake-up call last August when the Cubs released him a week before his wife gave birth to their first child.No more paychecks.
No more health insurance.So imagine how jarring it was for Clarke to take the mound in front of a record 102,000 fans in the Texas A&M football stadium Saturday, which had been converted to accommodate (sorry Dodgers) the most popular team in baseball: the Savannah Bananas.
“It was surreal,” Clarke said.“In fact, it was so incredible, I didn’t feel anything.
My body went numb.There was a moment in the third inning when everybody was screaming.
I couldn’t hear myself talk.” It was the most people ever crammed into Kyle Field, the nation’s fourth-largest college stadium, trailing only Michigan (107,601), Oregon (106,572) and Ohio State (102,780).Texas A&M is ROCKING hours before the Savannah Bananas and Texas Tailgaters start the game at 8pm ET pic.twitter.com/FoY7ydGuwNClarke pitched for the opposing team, the Texas Tailgaters, one of five squads created by Bananas founders Jesse and Emily Cole that serve as touring partners to face the yellow-clad star attraction.All six teams practice at a complex in Savannah.
The game in College Station attracted the largest crowd in the Bananas’ six-year history, and Clarke shined, striking out five in four innings.He also entertained, as all players in the Banana Ball Championship League are cheerfully required to do.
“The amount of joy it brings to fans and even people online, it’s really something,” Clarke said.“There definitely is a winner and a loser — which holds some weight — but for the most part, f...