BILLINGS — Banana Ball is far different from your average baseball game.
Focused on entertainment, several of the players have a niche skill set. Party Animals outfielder John-Howard Bobo and Firefighters outfielder South Trimble showed off their skills to MTN Sports' Alec Bofinger.
WATCH to see some of the magic tricks Firefighters outfielder South Trimble used to fool MTN Sports' Alec Bofinger:
“Kevin Kiermaier, who was a center fielder for the (Tampa Bay) Rays, he always used to spin his glove on his finger," Bobo said. "So I saw a video of him doing that and was like I've got to learn how to do that.
“I was in high school and started doing it, wasn't ever really good at it. In college I was hurt my first couple years of Division I, so I was messing around and got really good at it. So now it's my thing, I can kind of spin anything."
Photos: Banana Ball World Tour visits Billings Night 1 | Night 2
The Firefighters have their own in-house magician in Trimble.
“In high school I went to see David Blaine in a show close to my house and it blew my mind away, so I started picking up cards and practicing and stuff," Trimble said. "It was a little hobby in high school and party trick in college. When I got to Banana Ball I really started to hone in on that and it's progressed to where it is now."
Trimble spent some time putting me through the ringer with his card tricks and fooled me time and again. He says he’s gotten better through the years and now wows fans with the same moves that dropped my jaw.
“A lot of practice to get the finger dexterity down to do the tricks. Countless times messing up, failing," Trimble said. "I've got a pretty good rate at getting tricks right now days, but there's still an occasional mess up. You have to just roll with the punches sometimes, but definitely it's taken a lot of hours outside the game itself just working on it back home and constantly trying to learn new stuff."
Again, these guys entertain both on and off the diamond and wrap up their three-game set at Dehler Park in Billings on Saturday night.
