Sam Tinnesz Shows Why Banana Ball Is More Than Baseball

CHICAGO — I didn't know who Sam Tinnesz was when I first talked to him.

That probably isn't how most profiles of a successful singer and songwriter are supposed to begin.

But it's the truth.

I was in Chicago covering Banana Ball when I had a quick conversation with Tinnesz. I didn't pull out my phone. I didn't record it. Frankly, at the time, I didn't think I was having a conversation that would turn into a story.

Then I watched him perform.

And I started paying attention.

Tinnesz isn't simply another musician brought into a stadium to fill time between innings. Watching him perform with the Firefighters helped me understand something much bigger about what Banana Ball is becoming.

Banana Ball isn't just reinventing baseball. It's changing what going to a sporting event can feel like.

And Sam Tinnesz may be one of the best examples of it.

Who is Sam Tinnesz?

If the name Sam Tinnesz doesn't immediately ring a bell, there's a pretty good chance you've heard his work.

Tinnesz is a Nashville-based singer and songwriter whose music has appeared across television, movies, advertising, video games and sports.

He co-wrote Sum 41's alternative-radio No. 1 single “Dopamine” and collaborated with Kygo on “Don't Give Up On Love.”

His music has been associated with television shows including Grey's Anatomy and Riverdale and campaigns for brands including Jeep, Toyota, Target, Xbox, PlayStation, Pepsi and T-Mobile.

His work has also found its way into the sports world through the Olympics, MLB, UFC, NCAA and NHL.

He's collaborated or worked with artists ranging from Sum 41 and Kygo to BANNERS, Hinder, Armin van Buuren, Timmy Trumpet, Masked Wolf and Tommee Profitt.

Tinnesz and Profitt also teamed up on the cinematic concept album The Fall.

That's quite a résumé.

But none of that was what caught my attention in Chicago.

It was what happened when Tinnesz got in front of a Banana Ball crowd.

“Making people have a great time was the best”

I ended up speaking with Tinnesz twice during the Chicago events.

I asked him what the best part of his Banana Ball experience had been.

His answer was remarkably simple:

“Making people have a great time was the best.”

That sentence stuck with me.

Because if you wanted to summarize the entire Banana Ball philosophy in about eight words, you could do a lot worse than that.

Traditional professional sports are primarily built around competition.

Who won?

Who lost?

What was the score?

Who had the best statistics?

Banana Ball certainly has competition. The players want to win.

But the Savannah Bananas and the other teams competing in Banana Ball have added another measurement of success:

Did people have a great time?

That's exactly what Tinnesz was talking about.

A musician who feeds off a Banana Ball crowd

After watching him perform, I had another short conversation with Tinnesz.

I told him something I'd noticed.

“You feed off the energy of the crowd.”

His response:

“Yes, and I try to keep that energy as high as possible.”

Watch him perform and you'll understand exactly what he means.

There is an interesting feedback loop happening.

Tinnesz gives energy to the crowd.

The crowd sends it back.

He takes that energy and pushes it even higher.

Pretty soon thousands of people who supposedly came to watch a baseball game are participating in something that feels much closer to a concert.

Then baseball breaks out again.

That sounds chaotic.

It is.

And that's part of why it works.

“How can I not love this?”

I also asked Tinnesz whether he really loved doing this as much as it appeared.

His response might have been my favorite.

“How can I not love this? I am doing what I love to do.”

I believe him.

I've now watched him perform multiple times, and there is no mistaking his enthusiasm.

There are entertainers who perform at an audience.

Tinnesz performs with one.

That's an important distinction.

He isn't simply delivering songs.

He's helping control the emotional temperature of the stadium.

And that makes him unusually well suited for Banana Ball.

The Firefighters need their own identity

There's another reason I think Tinnesz matters.

Banana Ball is becoming much bigger than the Savannah Bananas.

The Firefighters are now part of the Banana Ball Championship League, alongside the Bananas and other emerging teams.

For that league to become everything its creators envision, those teams need individual identities.

A Firefighters game can't simply feel like “the Savannah Bananas without the Savannah Bananas.”

Fans need players they identify with.

Traditions they recognize.

Moments they anticipate.

And entertainers they associate with their team.

That's where someone like Sam Tinnesz becomes strategically important.

He can become part of what a Firefighters game feels like.

Banana Ball is competing with more than baseball

This is also where I think people misunderstand Banana Ball.

Its competition isn't merely Major League Baseball.

It's competing with everything you could do with three hours of your time and entertainment budget.

A concert.

A festival.

A movie.

Netflix.

YouTube.

TikTok.

A night out with friends.

That's a very different competitive landscape.

And if that's the competition, suddenly having an accomplished recording artist performing as part of the event makes a lot more sense.

Banana Ball is combining categories that traditionally existed separately.

Part baseball game.

Part concert.

Part comedy show.

Part dance party.

Part Disney.

Part social-media spectacle.

Put those together and you begin to understand why describing Banana Ball simply as “baseball” doesn't quite work.

It's not a concert. It's not just a game.

I've been trying to figure out the right way to describe the phenomenon after seeing it repeatedly.

The closest I've come is this:

It's an experience. And increasingly, it feels like a movement.

Sam Tinnesz makes that experience better.

I don't say that because I knew his résumé before meeting him.

I didn't.

In some ways, that's exactly why I feel comfortable saying it.

I discovered Tinnesz backward.

First I met the guy.

Then I watched the performer.

Then I learned about the career.

And by the time I understood just how accomplished he was, my opinion of what he was doing with the Firefighters had already been formed.

The guy can entertain.

Really entertain.

Come for the baseball—but watch everything else

If you're attending your first Savannah Bananas, Firefighters or Banana Ball game, absolutely watch the baseball.

Watch the crazy catches.

Watch the trick plays.

Watch the dancing.

Watch how the players interact with kids and fans.

But here's my advice:

Don't spend the entire night watching the field.

Look around the stadium.

Watch the crowd.

Watch the performers.

Pay attention to how music changes the energy in the building.

And if Sam Tinnesz is there performing with the Firefighters, watch what happens when he gets control of that crowd.

You might arrive wondering why a singer is such a big part of a baseball game.

A few songs later, you'll understand.

Because the real product Banana Ball is creating isn't simply a new version of baseball.

It's a great time.

And as Sam Tinnesz told me in Chicago, that's the best part.

Frequently asked questions

Who is Sam Tinnesz?

Sam Tinnesz is a Nashville-based singer and songwriter known for his solo music, songwriting and collaborations. His credits include co-writing Sum 41's “Dopamine” and collaborating with Kygo on “Don't Give Up On Love.” His music has also appeared extensively in television, advertising, sports and entertainment.

What does Sam Tinnesz do with the Firefighters?

Tinnesz performs as part of the entertainment surrounding Firefighters Banana Ball events, helping bring live music and concert-style energy into the overall fan experience.

Did Sam Tinnesz talk to Savannah Bananas On SI?

Yes. R. Kenner French spoke directly with Tinnesz twice during Banana Ball's Chicago events in 2026. Tinnesz discussed enjoying his role, entertaining fans and feeding off the energy of Banana Ball crowds.

What did Sam Tinnesz say about Banana Ball fans?

When French told Tinnesz that he appeared to feed off the crowd's energy, Tinnesz responded, “Yes, and I try to keep that energy as high as possible.”

Does Sam Tinnesz enjoy performing at Firefighters events?

He certainly says so. Asked about his experience, Tinnesz told Savannah Bananas On SI, “How can I not love this? I am doing what I love to do.”

Why does Banana Ball have musicians and entertainers?

Entertainment is fundamental to the Banana Ball experience. Music, dancing, fan interaction and other performances are integrated with the baseball rather than treated simply as breaks in the game.

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