<< English entry below >>
日本の野球界のレジェンド、杉谷拳士さんがサバンナ・バナナーズにフルタイムで加入
サバンナ・バナナーズが、日本の野球界で人気のタレント、杉谷拳士さんが、チームにフルタイムで加入すると発表しました。
杉谷さん本人も、多くの人に見られた投稿で、このニュースを認めています。
35歳での現役復帰で、バナナーズにドラフトで指名されたことがきっかけです。
杉谷さんは、最終的な目標として、日本のファンに最高レベルのエンターテインメントを届けたいと書いています。
今の仕事も続けるため、これからは、実質的に2倍の努力をすることになります。「夢に年齢制限はない」と語りました。
The Japanese baseball legend is joining the Bananas full time! 🍌 https://t.co/vSs6iOXJ8U
— Banana Ball (@BananaBall_) October 29, 2026
Kenshi Suguiya DRAFTED to the Savannah Bananas!
バナナボールとは?(新しいファンのための簡単ガイド)
バナナボールは、サバンナ・バナナーズが生み出した、スピード感のあるエンターテインメント重視の野球です。
創設者のジェシー・コールさんは、いつも鮮やかな黄色のタキシードを着ていることで知られています。
よく、野球版のハーレム・グローブトロッターズにたとえられます。
試合は真剣勝負で、台本が決まっているわけではありませんが、いちばん大切にしているのは、ファンを一瞬も退屈させないことです。
従来の野球との主な違いは、次のとおりです：
- 2時間の厳格な時間制限があり、1時間50分を過ぎると、新しいイニングには入りません。
- 勝敗は、総得点ではなく、ポイントで決まります。イニングごとに、多く点を取ったチームが、そのイニングの勝者となって1ポイントを得ます(最終回だけは、1点1点がすべて加算されます)。
- フォアボールがありません。ボール4つになると、打者は走り出し、守備側は、全員の野手がボールに触れるまで、プレーが再開できません。
- バントは禁止です(した場合は、自動的に退場)。打席から足を出すことも禁止です。
- ファウルボールを、ファンがノーバウンドで捕ると、アウトが1つ記録されます。
- ダンスタイム、トリックプレー、竹馬、バク宙、振り付けのあるパフォーマンス(代表的な「3-2-2」など)、観客の参加が盛りだくさんです。
もともとは、実験的なエキシビションゲームから始まり、今では、6チームによるバナナボール・チャンピオンシップ・リーグに成長しました。
アメリカ各地の大きなスタジアムを満員にしていて、海外にも広がりつつあります。合言葉は、「Fans First. Entertain Always.(ファンを第一に。いつも楽しませる)」です。
How the Savannah Bananas Built a Bigger Following Than 29 MLB Teams | The Job Interview
(ここに動画を埋め込み)
Kenshi Sugiya: Savannah Bananas LEGEND
Kenshi Sugiya: Savannah Bananas LEGEND
杉谷拳士さんの経歴
杉谷拳士さんは、1991年2月4日に東京で生まれました。
帝京高校から、2008年のNPBドラフト6位で、北海道日本ハムファイターズに指名されています。
2011年にデビューし、2022年までの12シーズンを、ずっとファイターズで過ごしました。
スイッチヒッターのユーティリティープレーヤーとして、内野と外野を守りました。
NPB通算成績は、777試合で、打率.212、288安打、16本塁打、104打点、50盗塁です。レギュラーに定着したことはありませんでしたが、控えとして貢献しました。
2015年には打率.295を記録するなど、活躍した時期もあります。
2016年の日本一にも、メンバーとして貢献しています。
オーストラリアン・ベースボールリーグでも、ブリスベン・バンディッツで、短期間プレーしました。
杉谷さんは、純粋なグラウンドでの成績よりも、エンターテインメントの才能と個性で、はるかに有名になりました。
ダンスで人気になり、ファイターズで踊った「きつねダンス」は、数百万回再生されました。
ファイターズを離れたあとも、ベンチやグラウンドの外での明るさで、人気を集めました。
2022年シーズンを最後に引退してからは、第二のキャリアを成功させています。テレビやラジオなどの出演、YouTuber(熱スギヤch)、そして実業家としての活動です(ZENSHIN CONNECT株式会社を設立)。
これまでにも、サバンナ・バナナーズにゲスト出演して、ダンスや登場曲での入場パフォーマンスで、ファンを沸かせてきました。
バナナーズは、杉谷さんを、エンターテインメントの意味で、何度も「日本の野球のレジェンド」と呼んでいます。
まさに、バナナボールにぴったりの存在です。
【杉谷】魂のきつねダンス【踊りすぎや】
デイブ・ココと、横浜でのバナナボールの夢
横浜を拠点に、スポーツとエンターテインメントについて発信しているデイブ・ココ(ベイスターズに関するコンテンツや、Kocohama.comで知られています)は、いつか、本格的なバナナボールの試合を横浜で開催してほしいという思いをはっきりと語っています。
杉谷さんがフルタイムのバナナーズの一員となり、リーグも2027年にメキシコとカナダに広がる予定です。
黄色いユニフォームの熱気あふれるショーを、横浜スタジアムに呼ぶという発想は、自然な次のステップに感じられます。
杉谷さんの歩みや、広がるバナナボールの人気を追ってきた多くの日本のファンにとって、そう思えるはずです。
横浜で本物の試合が開かれれば、地元の観客が、ダンス、ファンが捕るアウト、2時間の濃密な試合、そして純粋なショーマンシップを、生で体験できます。
まさに、日本の野球文化と、バナナーズの「ファン・ファースト」のモデルをつなぐ架け橋です。
杉谷さんも、ココのようなファンも、それを応援しているようです。
杉谷さんのフルタイム移籍は、話題づくりだけの契約ではありません。
日本で最もエンターテインメント性の高い元選手の1人が、まさにその才能のためにつくられたリーグに、意図をもってはまったのです。
最終的には、そのショーを日本に持ち帰ることも視野に入れています。
それが横浜になるのか、いつになるのかは、まだわかりません。
それでも、今回の発表をめぐる盛り上がりが、期待の大きさを物語っています。
Kenshi Sugiya RETURNS to the Savannah Bananas!
English ————————————-
Japanese Baseball Legend Kenshi Sugiya Goes Full-Time with the Savannah Bananas
The Savannah Bananas announced that Japanese baseball personality Kenshi Sugiya is joining the team full-time, and Sugiya himself confirmed the news in a widely viewed post: at age 35 he is returning to active play after being drafted by the Bananas.
He wrote that his goal is eventually to bring the highest level of entertainment to fans in Japan, while keeping his current work—meaning he will essentially work twice as hard.
“There is no age limit on dreams,” he said.
Japanese Baseball Legend Kenshi Sugiya Goes Full-Time with the Savannah Bananas
The Savannah Bananas announced that Japanese baseball personality Kenshi Sugiya is joining the team full-time, and Sugiya himself confirmed the news in a widely viewed post: at age 35 he is returning to active play after being drafted by the Bananas. He wrote that his goal is eventually to bring the highest level of entertainment to fans in Japan, while keeping his current work—meaning he will essentially work twice as hard. “There is no age limit on dreams,” he said.
The Japanese baseball legend is joining the Bananas full time! 🍌 https://t.co/vSs6iOXJ8U
— Banana Ball (@BananaBall_) October 29, 2026
Kenshi Suguiya DRAFTED to the Savannah Bananas!
What Is Banana Ball? (A Quick Guide for New Fans)
Banana Ball is a fast-paced, entertainment-first version of baseball created by the Savannah Bananas (founded by Jesse Cole, who is rarely seen without a bright yellow tuxedo). It is often compared to the Harlem Globetrotters of baseball: the games are competitive and not fully scripted, but the priority is nonstop fan engagement.
Key differences from traditional baseball include:
A strict two-hour time limit (no new inning starts after 1 hour 50 minutes).
Games are decided by points, not total runs: the team that scores more runs in an inning wins that inning and gets one point (except the final inning, where every run counts).
No walks: on ball four the batter sprints while the defense must touch the ball with every fielder before it becomes live.
No bunting (automatic ejection) and no stepping out of the batter’s box.
Fans who catch a foul ball on the fly record an out.
Frequent dance breaks, trick plays, stilts, backflips, choreographed routines (including the signature “3-2-2”), and heavy crowd participation.
The format began as experimental exhibition games and has grown into the six-team Banana Ball Championship League that sells out major stadiums across the U.S. (and is expanding internationally). The motto is simple: “Fans First. Entertain Always.”
How the Savannah Bananas Built a Bigger Following Than 29 MLB Teams | The Job Interview
Kenshi Sugiya: Savannah Bananas LEGEND
Kenshi Sugiya’s Career Summary
Born February 4, 1991, in Tokyo, Kenshi Sugiya (杉谷拳士) was drafted by the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters in the sixth round of the 2008 NPB draft out of Teikyo High School. He debuted in 2011 and spent his entire 12-season professional career with the Fighters (through 2022), primarily as a switch-hitting utility infielder/outfielder.
Career NPB numbers: .212 batting average, 288 hits, 16 home runs, 104 RBI, and 50 stolen bases across 777 games. He was never a full-time regular but contributed in a utility role, had moments of stronger production (including a .295 season in 2015), and was part of the 2016 Japan Series championship team. He also played briefly in the Australian Baseball League with the Brisbane Bandits.
Sugiya became far better known for his entertainment skills and personality than for pure on-field production. He was a popular figure for dance routines (including a viral “What Does the Fox Say?” / fox dance video with the Fighters that has millions of views) and off-field energy. After retiring following the 2022 season, he launched a successful second career as a broadcaster, YouTuber (熱スギヤch), and businessman (he founded ZENSHIN CONNECT Co., Ltd.). He has made previous guest appearances with the Savannah Bananas, performing dances and walk-ups that resonated with fans. The Bananas have repeatedly called him a Japanese baseball legend in the entertainment sense—precisely the profile that fits Banana Ball.
【杉谷】魂のきつねダンス【踊りすぎや】
Dave Koco and the Dream of Banana Ball in Yokohama
Yokohama-based sports and entertainment commentator Dave Koco (associated with local BayStars content and Kocohama.com) has expressed a clear desire to see a full, authentic Banana Ball game staged in Yokohama one day. With Sugiya now a full-time Banana and the league already expanding into Mexico and Canada for 2027, the idea of bringing the yellow-clad, high-energy spectacle to Yokohama Stadium feels like a natural next step for many Japanese fans who have followed Sugiya’s journey and the growing Banana Ball phenomenon. A real game in Yokohama would let local crowds experience the dances, fan-catch outs, two-hour intensity, and pure showmanship firsthand—exactly the kind of bridge between Japanese baseball culture and the Bananas’ “fans-first” model that both Sugiya and enthusiasts like Koco seem to be rooting for.
Sugiya’s full-time move is more than a novelty signing. It is a deliberate fit of one of Japan’s most entertainment-oriented former players into the league built for exactly that skill set, with an eye toward eventually delivering the show back home. Whether or when that includes Yokohama remains to be seen, but the energy around the announcement shows the appetite is already there.
Kenshi Sugiya RETURNS to the Savannah Bananas!
Kenshi Suguiya DRAFTED to the Savannah Bananas!
Banana Ball (A Quick Guide for New Fans)
Banana Ball is a fast-paced, entertainment-first version of baseball created by the Savannah Bananas (founded by Jesse Cole, who is rarely seen without a bright yellow tuxedo).
It is often compared to the Harlem Globetrotters of baseball: the games are competitive and not fully scripted, but the priority is nonstop fan engagement.
Key differences from traditional baseball include:
- A strict two-hour time limit (no new inning starts after 1 hour 50 minutes).
- Games are decided by points, not total runs: the team that scores more runs in an inning wins that inning and gets one point (except the final inning, where every run counts).
- No walks: on ball four the batter sprints while the defense must touch the ball with every fielder before it becomes live.
- No bunting (automatic ejection) and no stepping out of the batter’s box.
- Fans who catch a foul ball on the fly record an out.
- Frequent dance breaks, trick plays, stilts, backflips, choreographed routines (including the signature “3-2-2”), and heavy crowd participation.
The format began as experimental exhibition games and has grown into the six-team Banana Ball Championship League that sells out major stadiums across the U.S. (and is expanding internationally).
The motto is simple: “Fans First. Entertain Always.”
How the Savannah Bananas Built a Bigger Following Than 29 MLB Teams | The Job Interview
Kenshi Sugiya: Savannah Bananas LEGEND
Kenshi Sugiya’s Career Summary
Born February 4, 1991, in Tokyo, Kenshi Sugiya (杉谷拳士) was drafted by the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters in the sixth round of the 2008 NPB draft out of Teikyo High School.
He debuted in 2011 and spent his entire 12-season professional career with the Fighters (through 2022), primarily as a switch-hitting utility infielder/outfielder.
Career NPB numbers: .212 batting average, 288 hits, 16 home runs, 104 RBI, and 50 stolen bases across 777 games. He was never a full-time regular but contributed in a utility role, had moments of stronger production (including a .295 season in 2015), and was part of the 2016 Japan Series championship team.
He also played briefly in the Australian Baseball League with the Brisbane Bandits.
Sugiya became far better known for his entertainment skills and personality than for pure on-field production.
He was a popular figure for dance routines (including a viral “What Does the Fox Say?” / fox dance video with the Fighters that has millions of views) and off-field energy.
After retiring following the 2022 season, he launched a successful second career as a broadcaster, YouTuber (熱スギヤch), and businessman (he founded ZENSHIN CONNECT Co., Ltd.).
He has made previous guest appearances with the Savannah Bananas, performing dances and walk-ups that resonated with fans.
The Bananas have repeatedly called him a Japanese baseball legend in the entertainment sense—precisely the profile that fits Banana Ball.
【杉谷】魂のきつねダンス【踊りすぎや】
Dave Koco and the Dream of Banana Ball in Yokohama
Yokohama-based sports and entertainment commentator Dave Koco (associated with local BayStars content and Kocohama.com) has expressed a clear desire to see a full, authentic Banana Ball game staged in Yokohama one day.
With Sugiya now a full-time Banana and the league already expanding into Mexico and Canada for 2027, the idea of bringing the yellow-clad, high-energy spectacle to Yokohama Stadium feels like a natural next step for many Japanese fans who have followed Sugiya’s journey and the growing Banana Ball phenomenon.
A real game in Yokohama would let local crowds experience the dances, fan-catch outs, two-hour intensity, and pure showmanship firsthand—exactly the kind of bridge between Japanese baseball culture and the Bananas’ “fans-first” model that both Sugiya and enthusiasts like Koco seem to be rooting for.
Sugiya’s full-time move is more than a novelty signing.
It is a deliberate fit of one of Japan’s most entertainment-oriented former players into the league built for exactly that skill set, with an eye toward eventually delivering the show back home.
Whether or when that includes Yokohama remains to be seen, but the energy around the announcement shows the appetite is already there.
Kenshi Sugiya RETURNS to the Savannah Bananas!
