Philadelphia (WPVI) – The Phillies may not be in town this weekend, but the bats won't rest here.
Savannah Bananas and Texas Tailgaters took over Citizen Bank Park in two sold-out matches Saturday and Sunday.
For a player on the team, it's a homecoming.
“It's going to be surreal,” said Joe Sperone.
Since he was 6 years old, Sperone from Broomall loves baseball. His skills earned him a seat on the West Chester University and the Staten Island Ferry Eagles. Last year, he quit his office job to pursue his passion.
“Since I was young, the dream of playing in the sold-out Major League Baseball Stadium (especially Citizen Bank Park) has been a dream,” Sperone said.
Now, at the age of 23, this dream will come true this weekend.
Sperone will take the mound of Citizen Bank Park with a pitcher from Texas tailgate.
Banana balls are a mixture of baseball and dancing that can wear what they call “the greatest performance in sport.”
But it was also a proud moment for Smiley (Sperone) parents, especially his father, who was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer last year. Now, instead of sitting in the stands cheering for the Phillies, they are going to cheer for their son.
An estimated 45,000 fans will be present, including 10 families of Cherry Hill Challenger Baseball, which brings the baseball experience to kids with special needs.
“Go, Savannah Banana,” 8-year-old Clark shouted.
They were surprised at Duncan and the team's tickets Friday night.
“One of the best parts of this work is to give back to the community, connect with fans, and connect with fans,” Speron said.
Both nights sold out, but the number of tickets available on the secondary market is limited.
If you can't do it, you can still watch all the fun on ESPN, ESPN+ and Disney+ on Saturdays at 7pm.
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