A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN

One, two, three strikes,

- HALLIE MILSTEIN AND MARY ALICE RUSSELL

AND THE SAVANNAH BANANAS are out for the inning. Rushing back to the dugout, one yellow-clad player springs into a backflip, landing effortlessly on his feet, and accepts a pat on the back from his 10-foot-tall teammate (elevated by a pair of stilts). This isn't a typical baseball game.

Played in Georgia's Grayson Stadium, Banana Ball is everything you know about the sport turned on its head. Among the highlights are a two-hour time limit, a ban on bunting, and a whole lot of shenanigans.

"Baseball purists hate these games because they are totally different," notes Savanah Alaniz, who manages the Bananas' evergrowing online fan base.