When James Oglethorpe led the settling of Savannah, Georgia in 1733, he used a geometric shape for the layout—squares. Robert Johnson has the distinction of the first square being named after him; Johnson—South Carolina’s colonial governor—and Oglethorpe were friends. Savannah expanded to 24 squares; Johnson Square is the largest. Urban development caused the destruction of two squares.
Savannah’s squares, essentially, consist of eight blocks—four residential and four civic. But it is a square turned 45 degrees that occupies a firm footing in Savannah’s history, culture, and leisure—a diamond. Well, a baseball diamond. Grayson Stadium.
In the year that Grayson Stadium was constructed—1926—under the moniker of Municipal Stadium, Babe Ruth smashed home runs in his prime, Walter Johnson won his 400th game, and Mel Ott made his major league début.
Savannah native Colonel William Leon Grayson was the inspiration for the ballpark’s name. In his 1917 book A Standard History of Georgia and Georgians, Volume 5, Lucian Lamar Knight wrote, “Colonel Grayson represents a long line of military men, and while his own active field service was confined to a brief campaign during the Spanish-American War, he has for years been active in organizing and maintaining Georgia’s militia, and his work was the basis for a tribute from one of Georgia’s governors, who once said that no braver, more efficient or more reliable officer ever held a commission from the state than Colonel Grayson.”
Since its inauguration, Grayson Stadium has been home to several minor league teams:
- Savannah Indians (1926-1928, 1936-1942, 1946-1954)
- Savannah Athletics (1955)
- Savannah Redlegs (1956-1958)
- Savannah Reds (1959)
- Savannah White Sox (1962)
- Savannah Senators (1968-1969)
- Savannah Indians (1970)
- Savannah Braves (1971-1983)
- Savannah Cardinals (1984-1985)
- Savannah Sand Gnats (1996-2015)
When the Savannah Bananas of the Coastal Plain League took the field in 2016, the team’s first season, it carried the torch for baseball in the Hostess City of the South. A wood-bat collegiate summer league with 16 teams, the CPL takes its name from the Class D league that existed from 1937 to 1941 and 1946 to 1952; the CPL shelved its business during World War II. 2016 was the league’s 20th year.
“We had heard that the Sand Gnats were potentially leaving, so we came to Savannah a couple of times to see what a baseball game looked like here,” said the Bananas’ president, Jared Orton, before the 2016 season. “It’s a beautiful city with a majestic ballpark that’s full of baseball history. We can celebrate that with a new chapter of Savannah baseball.
“Obviously, we cannot use traditional names, for example, Indians. So, we narrowed down the possibilities to five and then sent them to Studio Simon for logo designs and colors. When we saw the Bananas logo and name together, it was a no-brainer. The name is easy to say, recognize, and market. So, we can build our brand identity around it.
“One of the things we’re planning is a historical timeline in Grayson Stadium’s concourse to honor baseball in Savannah, including the most famous players to ever have played here. Babe Ruth is one example.
“We’re focused on integrating the Bananas into Savannah’s culture. That’s been the most challenging and fun aspect about launching the team’s operations. We’re constantly meeting with business and community leaders to build and reinforce our relationships and friendships. Our goal is to make the Bananas games fun for the fans.”
A version of this article appeared on www.thesportspost.com on April 4, 2016.