Former Boston College QB Doug Flutie Throws First Pitch at Savannah Bananas Game

Based in Savannah, Ga., the Savannah Bananas are an “exhibition barnstorming” baseball team that plays a spinoff version of baseball—called Banana Ball—which prioritizes showmanship, participation and quick-paced games.

The Bananas tour all over the country at sold-out venues. The team’s latest trip took them to Fenway Park in Boston, Mass., home of the Boston Red Sox, over the July 4 weekend.

Part of the allure of Savannah Bananas’ games are the local legends who show up to either participate or appear in some format during the event.

In addition to Flutie, BC’s only Heisman Trophy winner in program history, 2004 Red Sox World Series champion Johnny Damon took a live plate appearance and former Boston Red Sox and Montreal Expos pitcher Bill “Spaceman” Lee pitched a live at-bat.

Sunday afternoon wasn’t the first time Flutie stepped onto a pitcher’s mound, either.

Before arriving at BC, Flutie was an All-League player in football, basketball and baseball at Natick High School in Natick, Mass. in the mid-1970s. What’s more? 

In 2013, Flutie was chosen for a reality television series called “The Next Knuckler.” The reality TV show featured Tim Wakefield, arguably the greatest knuckleball pitcher of all-time who played for the Red Sox for 17 seasons, along with a group of former NCAA quarterbacks who competed for an invitation to spring training with the Arizona Diamondbacks with a chance to pitch in a live Major League Baseball game.

On Sunday, Flutie showcased some of the skills he learned over a decade ago from Wakefield with a slew of knuckleballs during the first inning of the Bananas’ second game of their Fenway series. 

After throwing the first pitch into the left dirt, Flutie insisted on keeping himself on the mound and eventually reached a 3-2 count. Flutie induced a pop fly into the stands behind home plate before the Firefighters’ batter he was facing knocked a fly ball to the Bananas’ third baseman, who made the play and rested the first batter of the game.

Kyle Jackson, a former Kent State baseball player and Savannah's third baseman, enthusiastically ran across the diamond after making the out with his outstretched glove so that everybody in the stands could see him and applaud. Flutie then ran off the mound and gave a handful of high fives to the rest of the Bananas’ infield as Fenway cheered on.

Flutie regularly attends Boston College football games every year and is a community favorite in the Boston sports world. Sunday’s event only added to the list of legendary activities he continues to partake in.