With July 4th just around the corner, it’s hard not to think about the traditions that still feel woven into American life — fireworks, cookouts, ballgames, etc.

And while much of the sports world is fixed on the World Cup at the moment, there’s still something uniquely American about baseball. Not just the sport itself, but the rhythm around it: summer nights, families in the stands, and local teams that give people something to root for.

That’s part of what makes the Savannah Bananas such a fascinating modern example. They’ve taken America’s pastime and turned it into a joyful, family-friendly spectacle built around entertainment, connection, and, increasingly, faith.

With events like Sandlot Revival, people within the Savannah Bananas organization are showing that the ballpark can be more than a place to watch a game. It can be a place to worship, laugh, and belong.

As America prepares to celebrate its 250th birthday next weekend, baseball offers a timely reminder: the best parts of American life do more than entertain us. They give us a reason to show up.

A group of kids spends one unforgettable summer chasing baseballs, legends, and the kind of trouble only childhood can make feel harmless. The Sandlot has endured as a cult classic because it understands baseball as more than a sport. On that old patch of dirt, friendships take shape, confidence grows, and the neighborhood starts to feel like its own little world. Few films capture the warmth of America’s pastime with this much charm.

WHERE TO WATCH →

42 follows Hall of Fame player Jackie Robinson as he breaks Major League Baseball’s color barrier and carries a burden that was never just about the game. The film reminds us that baseball has always held a mirror to American life, including the parts we’d rather not see. It’s a story of courage, dignity, and the faith it takes to keep showing up when the cost is high.

WHERE TO WATCH →

Baseball has a long history of carrying faith stories.

Maybe it’s the long season, the failure built into every at-bat, or the way a team can start to feel like a family. Whatever the reason, the sport has given filmmakers a natural setting for stories about perseverance, redemption, and belief. From The Rookie to Field of Dreams, the game often becomes more than a backdrop. It becomes the place where character is tested.

That same idea is taking shape off-screen through Sandlot Revival.

Started by Coach RAC, whose real name is RobertAnthony Cruz, Sandlot Revival began as a Bible study among Banana Ball players and has grown into a traveling series of worship nights, testimonies, and community gatherings. It's not a formal Savannah Bananas program, but a grassroots effort led by people connected to the team.

That distinction is important. Part of what makes Sandlot Revival compelling is its personal feel. It didn't begin as a campaign or an extension of the show. It started with players simply opening Scripture together, praying for teammates, and finding that the same encouragement they experienced privately could serve others publicly.

It also fits what the Bananas have already built: a live experience that feels joyful, welcoming, and genuinely family-friendly. Sandlot Revival adds another layer to that story. It invites people to see the ballpark not only as a place for entertainment, but as a place where worship, testimony, and faith can take root.

That makes it a fitting spotlight this week. Not because baseball needs to be turned into a sermon, but because the game still has a way of creating space for stories of faith to be seen, shared, and lived out.

The results are in! 67% of you voted for Atticus Finch, "To Kill a Mockingbird" in last week’s poll: Which movie dad would you want in your corner?

This week’s Funding Watch highlights The Original, a film in development about Carl Stotz, the founder of Little League Baseball.

The project brings this week’s baseball theme back to its roots — neighborhood kids, local fields, and the belief that a simple game could become something much bigger than the scoreboard.

The film traces the story of how Stotz’s idea grew from three teams in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, into one of the most recognizable youth sports traditions in the world. It’s a story about community, imagination, and the kind of legacy that begins when someone decides that children deserve a real game of their own.

The team is currently inviting people to become “Friends of The Original” by joining the film’s community and following its development.

_{*Plumb News is not affiliated with “The Original” and does not receive compensation for featuring it. We’re just highlighting it because we believe projects like this deserve support.}

"And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together..." – Hebrews 10:24-25 (ESV)

Hebrews doesn't treat gathering as optional. It's just one of the ways faith becomes visible in our daily lives: through encouragement, service, and the choice to keep making time for one another.

That's part of why traditions stay with us. A holiday weekend, a family cookout, or a local ballgame can remind us what a community is supposed to feel like. Not because the setting is grand, but because the act itself is simple: people pause, make time, and choose to be present together.

Baseball may be the thread running through this week's issue, but the point reaches beyond the game. The best traditions do more than entertain us. They call us back to one another, and sometimes that simple act of returning is where faithfulness begins.

Until next time,

THE PLUMB NEWS TEAM