Let’s take a quick break from the grind of the MLB regular season and step into a world where baseball meets pure spectacle, where flair matters more than fastballs, and laughs outweigh lineups. Welcome to the wild, electrifying universe of Banana Ball, the brainchild of the Savannah Bananas, baseball’s answer to the Harlem Globetrotters. This is baseball stripped down to its most entertaining core — dancing players and non-stop fan engagement.

But when the game is built on stunts and style, sometimes the spectacle doesn’t go quite as planned.

That was the case Thursday morning on CNN News Central, when Bananas’ star Robert Anthony Cruz went all in for a signature backflip during a live segment. But instead of sticking the landing, Cruz delivered a full-on faceplant in front of a national audience. Thankfully, it was his pride that took the biggest hit, and the show rolled on with footage of roaring crowds and the Bananas’ trademark chaos.

Now, in true Banana fashion, Cruz is owning the moment. “When you do a flip, you are looking for the ground while you’re rotating. I remember jumping back and seeing a bright light in my face, and the floor itself was very light. I kind of just lost where I was in the air and wound up under-rotating. Plus, my feet slipped. Next thing I know, I am on the floor, and I’m rattled. I was pretty confused.” The man himself shared his story on his Instagram handle.

“I have done tens of thousands of backflips in my life,” he further added.

Clearly, it was an accident, where somehow his feet slipped. Otherwise, for a man who is habituated to thousands of backflips, the flip in the CNN studio was a cakewalk. Fortunately, barring some stitches on the chin, there are no more injuries. And typical of the Banana’s style, Cruz is all hyped and excited to hit the field again and carry on his showmanship.

Cruz’s baseball journey to the Savannah Bananas began during his high school years at Arrowhead Christian Academy. A standout talent early on, Cruz developed into a legitimate MLB prospect thanks to his powerful bat, strong work ethic, and consistent performance on the field. But we might see him at his best donning the bright yellow jersey.

So, we do expect to see Cruz with more of his acrobatics on the field. We just don’t wish to witness such an accident, EVER!

It’s Bananas where showmanship is permitted

The golden rule of baseball is the prohibition of showmanship on the field. But Savannah Bananas say showmanship is entertainment.

The Savannah Bananas have completely changed the way fans experience baseball. With their wild rules and nonstop entertainment, they’ve taken fan engagement to a whole new level. One of the coolest twists? If a fan catches a foul ball, it’s an out, which means fans are locked in the entire game. On top of that, they can challenge umpire calls, keeping everyone on their toes.

Furthermore, throw in the dance routines, games, and fan contests between innings! No wonder people can’t get enough. Every night of the Bananas’ game feels like a party, and guess what, it’s working. The Bananas are selling out every stadium they visit, and there’s even a waitlist of over three million people for tickets.

For example, the Savannah Bananas brought their one-of-a-kind show to Busch Stadium for the first time, and it was absolutely jampacked. Over two nights, an incredible 44,000 fans showed up to be part of the fun. So, we would suggest, from the next time, when you think of a few teams in MLB that fetch the maximum crowds, think again.

In a world where people’s attention spans are shorter than ever, a fast-paced two-hour game hits the sweet spot. Fans get a full experience, feel like they’re part of the action, and leave wanting more, because something unexpected always happens. Cruz, too, showed that in the CNN studio…