Last week, the Savannah Bananas and all fans of potassium descended upon the Disneyland Resort for Savannah Bananas Day. While pitcher Kelsie Whitmore was there to dazzle fans, just two years ago, she was close to walking away from the sport entirely. Now, she’s inspiring a whole new generation of athletes to follow their dreams and achieve things that seem impossible.
Daps Magic was given the chance to speak with Whitmore directly and film a quick interview before she headed off to snap photos with fans. Before I started the camera, I thanked Whitmore for what she has done for women in sports. I am a fan of Major League Baseball and have been closely following the formation of the Women’s Professional Baseball League, where Kelsie was the first overall draft pick. As I spoke to her, I could hear little girls cheering for her and hoping for their chance to speak to her, even for a moment.
I noted to Kelsie that so many female athletes have felt they were put into a box of the sports they were allowed to play or the leagues they were invited to join. She noted that she was close to walking away from the sport entirely until signing with the Savannah Bananas in 2025. Banana Ball had reinvigorated her love for the game and reminded her why she plays, for fun.
Looking at Whitmore’s social media, you can see how passionate she is about inspiring young girls to relentlessly pursue their dreams in all avenues. In a video posted by the Savannah Bananas last month, she shared that she’s also doing it for her younger self, a little girl who was told, “girls can’t play baseball.”
During our conversation, I asked her to share her favorite memory while playing Banana Ball. The answer? Pitching in front of a sold-out PetCo Park, where she grew up watching the San Diego Padres play. For Kelsie, it was a full-circle moment to go from watching the game in the stands to being the star of the show on the field.
I want to thank Disneyland Resort once again for hosting us for Savannah Bananas Day at Disneyland. With the invitation, we were able to film our interview with Kelsie Whitmore and get a front-row seat to her impact on the game. I also want to thank Kelsie Whitmore for her passion and courage to pursue her dreams, even when the odds were stacked against her. After our interview concluded, I filmed some content of her meeting with fans. I will truly never forget the smiles on young girls’ faces as they saw someone who looked like them be part of something so beloved. Even better, you could see a dream starting to form in their hearts. Someday, the world will have more professional baseball players whose story begins with that moment.
