Jackson, Tenn. – It’s a battle of the Billys when the Thrillsville (Marion, IL) Thrillbillies meet the Rockabillys on Monday, June 26, but the baseball will be bananas! During the Battle of the Billys Banana Ball style, many of our regular baseball rules are out the window, as the Battle of the Billys takes place on the most hilarious and fun-filled night in Jackson Baseball Stadium history. Every inning, there is unique and fun action on the field. Some of the fun and “Billys” rules include (but not limited to) the following:
- The farthest banana throw by a designated team player will decide the home team.
- For every walk, the walked batter will run until all nine players in the field “touch” the ball.
- If any foul ball in the stands is caught in the air by a spectator, the batter is out.
- In one inning, all players on the defensive team (30 or more!) will be on the field; there will be no foul balls, and everything will be in play.
- One batter will throw the ball up at home plate (no pitcher) and hit it (like in backyard baseball). If it is hit over the wall, it is an out.
- One player on each team will perform “rock-paper-scissors” to determine their at-bat fate.
- In the 3rd inning, the batter will run the bases backward– when the ball is hit, they will run to third, then second, to first, then home.
These are just a few of the action-packed, hilarious things that will occur that night.
Why all the fun? When the original Prospect League 2023 schedule was formatted, with the odd number of teams in the league (17), and after the Rockabillys and the Thrillbillies had announced season tickets and all partnership opportunities would be a 60-game season, the resultant schedule was 58 games—twenty-nine home games instead of 30. The operators of the Rockabillys and Thrillbillies got together, and on what would have been an off night after they played each other, brainstormed and came up with a game each half of the season that would be played, but not count in the stats or in the standings. Thus, the Battle of the Billys was born! A second game in the second half of the season will be played similarly when the Rockabillys play in Marion, Illinois.
“We know fans would love to see that famous traveling team play in Jackson, but they have not been available for an appearance. We thought we would have a great opportunity to create our own kind of fun with the Thrillbillies in what we hope to be an annual event. We think our fans are really going to enjoy this. It is a chance for our players to have a break from the every-game grind and have fun”, announced Dennis Bastien, Rockabillys President. “Both managers will set their own “fun challenges” that night.”
Thrillbillies Field Manager Ralph Santana also looks forward to cutting loose on the field. “We’ve added a lot of craziness to the fan experience in Thrillville,” Santana said. Getting the players and coaches involved in the nuttiness will be memorable. Once you peel the rules away, the real fun starts!”
Thrillbillies owner Rodney Cabaness says fans need to look at the team’s name to see where he stands on the topic. “We’re the Thrillville Thrillbillies, for crying out loud!” Cabaness said. “It’s an open invitation for our fans to have a blast. A bunch of us plan to travel with the team on June 26 and have big plans for when Jackson comes to Thrillville too! Big plans.”
Rockabillys Manager Matt Franco noted, “This will be a night to remember! It will be a great way to loosen our guys up, have a blast and truly entertain the fans. What a way to let Jackson area fans see another side of what we are about!”
TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW – THE FUN EVENT OF THE YEAR!
FUNTIME-GAMETIME AT 7:00 PM!
