just baseball with bananas and bacon

How about a few dad jokes for this last game of
the CPL summer schedule?
A bit of corn-fed levity is always welcome!!!
Or maybe I should have said "Banana-fed"!
And who better to be telling these knee-slappers
to the boys of summer than their fatherly coach,
Tyler Gillum?

In the one above, he is addressing the All-Star pitcher, Kyle Luigs.
"Hey, Kyle, how do baseball players stay cool at games?"
"I don't know, Tyler. The Dipping Dots?"
"No, because of all the fans!"
Hahahaha hahaha!
The one here features the guys in their new jerseys for the Cancer Survivors night silent auction.
"Hey Schultz, which baseball player makes flapjacks?"
"Which one, Coach?"
"The batter!"

Special jerseys are featured here, too.
These were for the pre-4th of July game.
Tyler is addressing two All-Star Bananas,
Mike Williams and Gabe Howell.
"Y'all, what has 18 legs, spits uncontrollably, and
catches flies?"
"A spider?"
"No, Gabe, a baseball team!"

This is probably my favorite of the jokes posted
around the concessions areas.
Not that the pun is so funny, but because they are
wearing the kilts I love!
"Hey Logan, how long did the baseball player spend
in the library?"
Logan Foster replied, "I don't know, Coach, how long?"
"Five minutes. It was a short stop."
Get it?
That's funny because that's the position Logan plays!
Hahahaha! Hahaha!

I'm so glad that this was such a no-stress game!
Everyone seemed so much more relaxed, as this game's outcome was of no importance.
Here's a mother-daughter duo, Michelle and Taylor, visiting Mister Willie with a gift: a printed photo of the girl with him!
How very nice of them!

I don't know this woman's name, but she visits Willie
at every game, as does the above family.
A couple of weeks ago, the woman's husband won the
big prize from Byrd's Cookies: a huge jar of those sweet treats, with a different flavor every Wednesday, for a year - wow!!!
Last week, she brought Willie some sugar cookies.
This week, it was the Key Lime Coolers...
wish he had shared those with me!

I had managed to receive one of the "golden tickets"
in my game program only once, back in June.
When the clerk opened the sealed envelope, I won
a Savannah Bananas koozie and a large decal.
In July, I found three discarded envelopes post-game.
Those netted me two more decals, two bags of Scotch oatmeal cookies, and a bright red Byrd's t-shirt -
major coolness!

Let's see, what else was a bit different but still usual?
Oh! I actually bought raffle tickets!
I don't typically participate in the 50-50 raffles, but the fundraiser was for Shelter From The Rain.
They offer support and hope for single mothers.
Do I mention this because I won?
Oh, please!
I never win these things, and I did not tonight.
I like the cause and its name, though.

Let's see, what else was for fun?
Well, here's my favorite Man-Nana in action!
He was about midway up the stairs the Willie and
I usually take to get to his seat.
Bruce was in full-throat, rousing the crowd in
loud cheers for the Bananas!

Meanwhile, I was at the bottom of those steps, posing once more with Josephine Baker.
Jack, a very nice young man who serves as waiter by night and toddler teacher by day, was kind enough to take this shot for me.
Those gorgeous earrings she has now?
A fan gave those to her a few weeks ago!

Two moments tonight resulted in a few tears in my eyes and in those of Mister Willie Smith, Junior.
The first occurred about midway through the game, perhaps after Jesse Cole had delivered the last rose to a little girl.
He came by to congratulate Willie on making it to both the opening game and this final game, expressing hopes that he will be at Grayson Stadium next summer.

The Man in the Yellow Tux even grasped my hand and thanked me for making sure Willie got to the games!
How very gracious!
The other tearful moment came at night's end.
Jacob, my favorite banana-packin', cowbell-tinklin' cowboy - in fact, the only one of his kind - told us that he would not be at tomorrow's Semi-final.
His studies in psychology continue on Monday.
Good luck, my dear!
Thank you, and all the Bananas, for a lovely summer!