:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(772x336:774x338)/Lisa-Rinna-Harry-Hamlin-Hollywood-Reporter-SAG-AFTRA5th-Emmy-Nominees-Night-120625-bdad456f23ea4ffdaa7faf459bc0dc5f.jpg "Harry Hamlin Tells Wife Lisa Rinna That He Was ‘Forced to Smoke PCP’ in Jail in 1970")
The Clowns, which pay tribute to Indianapolis’ former Negro Leagues team, will play the Party Animals at Victory Field May 15-16, 2026.
INDIANAPOLIS — Banana Ball’s newest team is paying tribute to Indianapolis’ baseball history.
The Indianapolis Clowns were announced Thursday as one of two new teams to participate in the Banana Ball World Tour, the viral phenomenon launched by the Savannah Bananas.
Banana Ball owner Jesse Cole said he was “inspired” by the story of the Clowns, which played as part of the Negro Leagues from 1943-54. According to MLB, their barnstorming tours lasted into the 1960s.
“They were the first baseball team to put entertainment first and would go to great lengths to bring their style of baseball to fans all over the country,” Cole said.
Cole added that Banana Ball is partnering with the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum “to bring the Clowns to millions of fans all over the country and preserve their legacy.”
Several future major leaguers played for the Clowns, most notably Henry “Hank” Aaron, whose first professional contract was for $200 a month to play shortstop in Indianapolis. He went on to break Babe Ruth’s career homerun record in MLB.
The roster also featured, at one time, Hall of Fame pitcher Leroy “Satchel” Paige and “Goose” Tatum, who also toured with the Harlem Globetrotters. The Clowns also became the first team to sign a woman to a long-term contract to play competitively when they inked Toni Stone in 1953. Mami “Peanut” Johnson and Connie Morgan were also women who played for the Clowns.
The Clowns will make their debut Feb. 27, 2026 in Tallahassee, Florida against the Party Animals, one of two original Banana Ball teams. They’re scheduled to face the Bananas for the first time on March 27-28 at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California, home of MLB’s Los Angeles Angels.
Thursday night’s announcement of the new teams and the 2026 schedule featured a video on the history of the Indianapolis Clowns, along with an interview with Ryan Howard, the Clowns’ “Primetime Coach,” who won a World Series title with the Philadelphia Phillies.
The Indianapolis Clowns will “come home” on May 15-16 for a two-game series against the Party Animals at Victory Field. When the Savannah Bananas played at Victory Field in 2023, the crowds set records both nights.
They will also face the Bananas June 19-21 at Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati and will square off against Banana Ball’s other new team, the Loco Beach Coconuts, Sept. 11-13 at Legends Field in Lexington, Kentucky.
The Clowns’ full 2026 schedule, along with dates for the entire Banana Ball World Tour, can be found here. Tickets are available via lottery, with registration closing Oct. 31.
Indianapolis will be led on the field by manager Errick Fox, who joined the Savannah Bananas coaching staff in 2018.
“Banana Ball is all about energy, entertainment, flipping the script — and you know what? That’s exactly what the Negro Leagues brought to the game from day one. Flash. Innovation. Community and an unconditional love for the game. They were rockstars before the world called ballplayers that,” Howard said in a release announcing the new team.
