Savannah Bananas bring tricks, flips to Pittsburgh's PNC Park

Alex “Ziggy” Ziegler, a Butler native and bat trickster for the Savannah Bananas, choked up when he walked out onto the field at PNC Park on Friday.

For those who don’t know, the Savannah Bananas are an exhibition baseball team known for Banana Ball — a fast-paced, entertainment-driven twist on the traditional game.

The team also frequently goes viral on social media, usually on its TikTok page @thesavbananas.

@thesavbananas

Friday’s Banana Ball game brought both subtle and obvious nods to the city of Pittsburgh and its history, from Mac Miller tunes, to the Pirates’ pierogies, to the “YMCA.”

The game culminated in the Bananas’ biggest giveaway in its history, $50,000 in cash displayed in a “Deal or No Deal”-esque silver briefcase that was awarded to a fan after a play by none other than viral YouTuber Mr. Beast. Another fan who caught the foul ball from that play was then awarded $10,000.

In between plays, the Bananas were constantly moving, dancing and having fun — exuding an energy that permeated PNC Park and seemed to never cease for the entire two-hour action-packed matchup with the Texas Tailgaters, another Banana Ball team.

The dancing is underway here in PNC Park @TheSavBananas @TribLIVE pic.twitter.com/ezt9rm7JAx

— Megan Swift (@mgswift7) August 29, 2025

More dancing ! @TheSavBananas @TribLIVE pic.twitter.com/3y3K4WVxSG

— Megan Swift (@mgswift7) August 29, 2025

Playing viral classics like Taylor Swift anthems, “APT.” by Rosé and Bruno Mars, and Wiz Khalifa’s “Black and Yellow,” as well as newer social media hits like the “Nothing Beats a Jet2 Holiday” TikTok trend, the Bananas kept fans on the edge of their seats. Some even performed numerous back flips.

Also a first baseman for the Bananas, Ziegler, 31, is on his fourth year with the team, and he’s “just living the dream.”

“I cried — I definitely teared up — and it’s probably going to happen several more times tonight because this is a blessing,” he said. “Obviously, it was always my goal to be a professional baseball player or in entertainment; now I’m here in my element doing both in front of all my friends and family, and it’s awesome.”

Friday marks Ziegler’s first time playing in the ballpark that fostered his love for the sport. A Buccos fan for life, he threw out a ceremonial first pitch for the team last year.

“This is huge,” he said. “It doesn’t feel real. I’m really excited.”

Ziegler played baseball at Butler High School and then Pennsylvania Western University’s California campus. The Bananas recruited him through social media after taking notice of his bat tricks, specifically his optical illusion bat spin before swinging.

“That’s the one that got me to Banana Ball, and I’ll never stop doing it until the day I die,” he said. “They DMed me on Instagram: ‘You gotta come do this live.’ I haven’t played baseball in seven years, and they’re, like, ‘you gotta do it live.’ … I’ve been here ever since.”

As the bat trickster, he performs stunts during the games, including standing bats on his nose. On Friday, he also balanced a giant bat — and a whole, full-sized ladder — on his nose, too. Yes, a whole ladder.

Pittsburgh’s own Alex “Ziggy” Ziegler balances a whole ladder on his head — a far cry from the baseball bats he usually balances @TheSavBananas @TribLIVE pic.twitter.com/HEvIZ15pO4

— Megan Swift (@mgswift7) August 29, 2025

Despite getting his start on social media, Ziegler called himself the “worst dancer” on the team, but he enjoys doing the popular move called “the grapevine.”

“That’s always a favorite one because that’s easy,” he said. “I have rhythm with that one — you can put it to any song.”

And forget about the TikTok dances.

“I don’t do the TikTok dances,” Ziegler told TribLive, laughing. “I make TikToks, but I don’t do the dances. I’m 31 years old — I’m the old guy on the team.”

Both Ziegler and Ryan Cox, the other Western Pennsylvania native on the Bananas, knew about 1,000 people each in the crowd packed into PNC Park.

Both nights of Banana Ball were sold out in PNC Park — amassing 40,000 fans each.

“It’s almost hard to put into words how nervous, yet happy, I am to be able to put on the show in front of them and allow my teammates to show how cool they are,” said Cox, 30, of Aliquippa.

He graduated from Hopewell Area School District and plays shortstop for the Bananas. He’s known as the “Glove Magician” on social media.

Playing on the ball field at PNC Park for the first time this weekend is making his childhood dreams come true, he told TribLive. He also previously played for the Washington Wild Things.

“It’s just been very surreal to be field level,” Cox said. “A lot of times, I’ve been up in the stands and watching the guys down here, dreaming of putting that uniform on or playing for the city. So being able to take ground balls where my favorite player Jack Wilson stood, and seeing skyline from field level. … We’ve had the blessing to go to a lot of these ballparks — this has been my favorite for a long time.

“But I think the guys are starting to collect this as their favorite, too.”

Cox, who’s been a Banana since 2022, said he even tried to put a ball over the famed Clemente Wall, to no avail.

During Friday’s game, his walk-up song was a mashup of Mac Miller tunes. Cox went around the city to film the intro for it — at well-known locations like Frick Park Market and Blue Slide Park, the namesake for Mac Miller’s debut studio album.

“I think the stadium’s going to erupt when they hear the music,” he said. “It’s going to be pretty special.”

And erupt, it did.

Ryan Cox, who went to Hopewell High School, put together a Mac Miller mashup as his walk-up song tonight.

He spoke with @TribLIVE earlier about how he filmed in iconic spots around Pittsburgh for the occasion @TheSavBananas pic.twitter.com/t03xOAkzEP

— Megan Swift (@mgswift7) August 29, 2025

Cox played Friday with his signature dyed hairdo, but for Pittsburgh, he knew he had to make it something special. He approached the mound with bleached hair featuring a colored Steelers logo (on both sides).

“I had to get ready for football season,” he said. “It was either going to be this, the Pirates logo or the bridges.”

Performing with the Savannah Bananas to a sold-out crowd in his hometown is a far cry from a few years ago, when Cox barely had any social media followers.

“When I started social media, especially TikTok, I had no following,” he said. “It was just trying to get the baseball community together.”