INDIANAPOLIS — As the second man up for the Indianapolis Clowns, Jackie Bradley Jr. walked up to the batter’s box and got a loud pop from the hometown crowd Saturday night.
The former World Series champion with the Boston Red Sox connected on the ball that dropped into left field. Bradley tried for a double but got tagged as he slid to second base against the Party Animals.
That out would cause stress in the traditional game of baseball, but Banana Ball is a game where fun is constant.
Minutes after his first appearance at the plate, the song “Billie Jean” by Michael Jackson hit the airwaves at Principal Park. Bradley, who was near the on-deck circle, swayed with the rhythm.
The 36-year-old Gold Glove winner is the latest star in a storied Clowns organization that was ingrained in the Negro Leagues and featured baseball icons like Hank Aaron and Satchel Paige. As well as Toni Stone, who was the first woman to play professional baseball full-time at a major level.
Bradley is the first former MLB player to play full-time to Banana Ball. During final contest of a two-game headlining series in Indianapolis, Bradley channeled the game’s history while he added entertainment flair.
“Just being able to pay homage,” Bradley said on joining the Clowns. “Knowing what the Indianapolis Clowns meant to all of us as an organization and making sure that I wanted to pay my respects to them to be a part of this, and I also get an opportunity to be young again.
“I get to hang out with a lot of young players and they’re keeping me young, keeping me invested and making sure my mind stays working pretty well.”
Bradley, who was an 11-season MLB vet, was the first overall pick in the inaugural Banana Ball draft in November. The 2018 World Series champion, 2018 Gold Glove winner and 2016 All-Star joined the Clowns in their first season back as a club in more than three decades.
The Clowns joined the Loco Beach Coconuts as new teams added to the Banana Ball World Tour in a team pool that features the Savannah Bananas, Firefighters, Party Animals and the Texas Tailgaters.
The history of the Clowns was a selling point for Bradley in joining the entertainment league.
The original Clowns were regarded as the Harlem Globetrotters of the Negro Leagues. Founded in the 1930s, the team were first known as the Ethiopian Clowns before they moved to Cincinnati and joined the Negro Leagues.
After two seasons, the Clowns moved to Indianapolis. Two years following the final Negro World Series in 1948, they won a league title in 1950. The club operated for several more decades before it disbanded in 1989.
Revived in 2025, the club chose Bradley with the first selection of the inaugural Banana Ball draft. Banana Ball CEO and founder Jesse Cole had a phone call with Bradley on the eve of draft day. It served as a learning course for the Clowns and set the stage for Bradley’s homage to their storied past.
“I told him about the history of the Clowns and what they stood for, what they’re about and what we’re trying to do what Banana Ball, and he said, ‘I’m in,’” Cole said. “I go, ‘You’re in, that quickly?’ He said, ’Yeah, this is everything that I want to be a part of,’ and so he’s made a huge impact.
“Obviously, we’ve had a lot of big-league players play with us throughout the years but to have one full-time with us, we’re getting a lot more calls now, people are interested. I think he’s definitely a trend-setter and pioneer to see what the future looks like.”
For a player that spent a decade in the major leagues, Bradley said the schedule was another reason why he joined Banana Ball. The six-team league hosts games on the weekends in a season that starts in late February and ends by early October.
Bradley values the week spent with his family. His oldest daughter, who regularly attends games, is a Banana Ball fanatic in a fanbase filled with them. Before the doors opened for Saturday’s extravaganza, fans lined up outside of Victory Field in the rain for a spectacle. A show that flips traditional baseball into a live entertainment show.
It’s a personality-driven game that blends in athleticism. Bradley has shown off his motor since he joined the Clowns. YouTube videos will show the Richmond, Virginia, native track down balls behind his back and between his legs in the outfield.
It’s a part of the spectacle, but the work to achieve those feats isn’t scripted. Banana Ball features trained entertainers that are professional athletes at heart.
“I think that’s what a lot of people don’t understand, they see all of us out here, they see the trick plays, and they think we just come out of the air with it,” Bradley said. “No, we work at this. That’s why we try to make it look as easy as possible, even though it’s very difficult but we put the work in to put on a good show for the fans.”
With rules designed to keep things fun and moving, the Banana Ball concept includes skits, dance breaks, juggling and highlight-reel plays. There is a two-hour playing limit and each inning is worth one point.
It puts a spin on America’s pastime.
“The way that we go about things is not the same, but that’s OK,” Bradley said. “Comparison is the thief of joy. It’s not about comparing one from the other. You can enjoy both.”
Clowns outfielder Joe Gray, a former MLB draftee, proclaimed Bradley was an inspiration. Before Banana Ball, they were teammates in Long Island playing independent baseball. They also occupied the same rooms when Bradley was a big-league player for the Brewers, while Gray was a minor league player for the organization.
Now, the two are rocking the same pinstripes for the Clowns.
“The biggest thing is understanding that we’re playing with someone as a brother that inspires us and we don’t have an excuse not to play hard or to put our hearts into because he is,” Cole said. “It’s a door opener … it’s nothing but an invitation to other guys (in MLB). We are baseball players, so pride is a big thing. Pride is 100% a big thing because the game is so hard, but you got somebody as decorated as him willing to drop his pride and come over … It’s a lot of dreams and love that comes with playing here because it’s such an intimate thing with the fans”
Bradley’s love for the game and title as the first former MLB player to commit full-time to Banana Ball is now intertwined with the history of the Clowns and its fanbase — a connection built on breaking barriers and having a good time. The former big leaguer wants to preserve the Clowns’ legacy.
“I don’t think we take it lightly,” Bradley said. “We know the people who came before us and it’s up to us to do our due diligence to remember them, to spread knowledge about them and continue on and hopefully push their legacy farther on past us.”
Marc Ray is a high school sports reporter at IndyStar. He can be reached at marc.ray@indystar.com, and on X, formerly Twitter, at @themarcszn.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Former MLB player Jackie Bradley Jr. an inspiration for Indianapolis Clowns