You've probably heard of the most exciting and, dare we say, bananas team in baseball, the Savannah Bananas.

But now they have a new Banana Ball team making their debut around Texas.

We are talking about the Texas Tailgaters.

Taj Porter the catcher for the Texas Tailgaters joins us now.

Taj so great to chat with you.

Thank you.

Thank you for having me.

I'm really excited So for those who might not know, can you explain to us who exactly are the Texas Tailgaters and what differentiates y'all from all the other Banana Ball teams?

The Texas Tailgaters is the most brand new, exciting electric team in Banana Ball.

We have guys who are ex minor leaguers to college, to our head coach who spent 40 years in minor league baseball.

We are just our energy is unmatched.

We win over fans just simply by walking over the field and being ourselves.

We, we're just a big ball of energy to say the in the simplest way, indeed you all are.

It's amazing to see the videos coming out on TikTok.

I know people in Texas have been so excited and they've been taking such pride.

It's like, this is our team.

Finally, guys, and you're on this debut tour around Texas.

You hit up Frisco and soon you'll head up San Antonio.

And then of course, Austin.

How is the tour gone so far?

It's going great.

We just left Frisco.

We left with a split, so we lost the first game, won the second, but it was amazing.

Frisco was nice.

The fans are great.

We were able to put on two amazing shows and it was a great start to the tour.

I'm very excited to see how San Antonio and Austin go.

And, yeah, it's very high hopes for this tour.

And we've heard that y'all like to ride out in trucks, do line dances, and of course, wear the iconic cowboy hats during games.

What are some of your personal favorite tricks and antics that y'all have played out on the field?

Oh, we, obviously, coming out in trucks is one of our favorite things.

It's our intro.

Obviously we love the line dances and the cowboy hats and, you know, speaking myself, I never had a cowboy hat before, but, we got hooked up with our coach.

Joe Mikulik actually brought us to the Justin Boots and Hats facility in Frisco, and I actually went and got my.

It's a it's a, it's a coral one.

It's kind of orange.

So, you know, I had to go a little a little okay.

So I kind of like it.

So I had to head to get my very first one.

But, yeah, we just we are a very entertaining team.

We have outfielders that can backflip.

We have catchers that can backflip.

We can.

We've anything you can think of, we're liable to do.

We have our head coach wear chaps at third base.

We have our first base coach grilling while he's over there coaching and you know, anything you could think of.

Last week we had our second baseman playing in a hot dog costume.

So, you know, anything you can think of, we'll probably do it.

Okay.

It doesn't get more Texas than that, y'all.

I love to see all the Texas tropes that you guys have.

And that hat is actually kind of perfect for you because you used to play for the Party Animals, that classic pink look, and now you're playing for like, the new Kids in town.

So what is it like making that transition from the Party Animals to the Texas Tailgaters?

And I know I read you're not from Texas, but you're from Louisiana, so that's our neighbor.

We'll still take it.

Yep, yep.

We're, I'm I'm raised in Louisiana, raised around New Orleans area.

So I've been over in Texas multiple times.

But, yeah.

So a lot of our guys aren't necessarily from Texas, but we have, our main core, you know, our shortstop is, our head coach is.

You know what?

Everybody gets adopted here.

I'll say that like, it's it's a very, you know, it's the South.

We take everybody in.

So even all our people from other states, they, adapt really quick.

But moving over from the Party Animals to here, it was, it was a blessing.

You know, those are my guys over there.

I still love them.

But, like, being able to come over here and kind of lead this team and get it off the ground is, It's a blessing.

I love it, this brand, I, I know it's going to blow up very fast.

And we're going fans and, Texas obviously, you know, we love Texas sports.

Texas people here are very diehard about everything.

Their sports.

And, you know, just like Louisiana, even though, you know, Saints, we're struggling right now.

But it's okay.

It's it's nice to be able to represent Texas and and put on a good face and good show every time we come out.

I mean, after riding out onto the field in a, you know, cowboy hat and a truck, I think you guys are very much honorary Texans and playing in a hot dog costume.

You guys, we will adopt you that southern hospitality.

And it's really unique because in the Banana Ball universe, the only place with its own team is, of course, Savannah.

So like Texas made the cut.

So yeah.

Why do you think out of all the places in the United States Banana Ball could have chosen for it's like next big place?

Why do you think it was Texas?

I think it's just the stigma around Texas.

You know, they say everything's bigger in Texas.

Like, everything is just all my friends, people I know here, they're very strong willed.

And, you know, the demand for Banana Ball in Texas is extremely high.

And I think it was a perfect idea to kind of base us here because one, Texas is a huge state.

We can hit a bunch of different cities here, got a bunch of different fans.

But as like as well as just being in the state, it represents the South as a whole, as you know, just that kind of southern hospitality and just how we move and how we operate as our own.

I think Texas was the perfect spot for us to be.

Well, I know I'm biased, but we certainly seem to agree with that.

And in your debut tour around Texas, if you go online, all of the games are sold out.

Yeah.

What do you think about in your like, early days, how everyone is showing up and showing out?

What do you think of how people are trying so desperately to get to come see y'all play?

Yeah.

I mean, it's it's hats off, honestly, to Jesse and Emily Cole and what they've, developed here and what they've created.

It goes.

Hats off to Coach Mik and Viva and everybody that's kind of done it before us to set the set the stage, and for us to keep carrying the torch.

It's very it's an honor, honestly, to be able to play in front of a sold out crowd and not take it for granted every day because, you know, it's not always like that.

Not everybody gets that chance to do it.

But, it's a very warm feeling to know that people want to come support.

You want to come watch the show and have that much respect that, hey, what they're doing is really good for the kids, for everybody.

You know, for baseball in general.

It's it's a good feeling.

It's very warm feeling.

Yeah.

You guys have certainly reinvigorated the sport with all new demographics.

Of course, you know, your diehard baseball fans, but also like families and young women.

I know several female reporters who were like, I want to talk to the Texas Tailgaters.

I'm like, okay, get in line.

What are you looking forward to most when you come here to Austin?

That's a tough question.

I don't know, I've heard a lot of good things about Austin.

Really just the environment.

I want to kind of see what the fans are like there.

I've never played in that stadium before.

I played a little bit further out.

I played in San Marcos in college, but, I know that's not Austin Austin, but, yeah, I'm just excited to kind of see different parts of Texas and see what Austin has to offer.

And the food, the stadium, the fans, everything about it.

I've only heard good things, so I'm very excited for that.

Well, pro tip, I mean, a lot of you guys are already great dancers, but you got to go two-stepping.

You got to go out, maybe to Whitehorse, go out on the town.

I think you guys would kill.

And at the same time, I'm going to give you a pro tip.

You may know this already, but you know, if you want to like, fit in, talk about honorary Texan.

Just like flash, anyone?

This flash spawns, you'll get anywhere.

My free pro tip to y'all well, remember that please do so.

The Texas Tailgaters play the Party Animals at Dell Diamond in Round Rock on Friday the 19th and Saturday the 20th.

And then they head to Houston.

Taj Porter, thank you so much for chatting with me.

And we're looking forward to hosting y'all in Austin.

Thank you Laura.

Appreciate you.