Dakota Albritton

Dakota Albritton was born to Cecil and Lisa Albritton[https://schs.schleyk12.org/o/middle-and-high-school/article/1708083 Schley Middle / High School - Alumni Spotlight: ''Dakota Albritton '19] and grew up in Ellaville, Georgia, where he attended Schley Middle High School. He was In a 2025 interview with reporter Tyler Boronski, Albritton said: "Growing up I played baseball my entire life and that was something me and my parents genuinely loved to do every weekend."{{YouTube|id=gsKCBleZHWo|title=Reluctant Tryout to Fan Favorite: Dakota "Stilts" Albritton's Savannah Bananas Journey }} Albritton helped lead his team to a state title game appearance during his senior year.

When he was 10 years old, Albritton received a pair of stilts as a Christmas present. "[As] a kid, I always had weird talents. I got a pair of stilts for Christmas, and the first time I hopped on them, I ran across my yard and back."{{cite web |last=Rudy|first=Brett |date=June 9, 2024 |title=The Savannah Bananas Peel into Fenway Park |url=https://baseballismy.life/savannah-bananas-peel-into-fenway-park/ |website= |location= |publisher=Baseball Life |access-date=April 25, 2025}}

After high school, Albritton did several odd jobs building swimming pools, pipe-fitting in a paper mill, repairing vacuum pumps and working in construction.{{cite web |last=Stahl |first=Leslie |date=September 15, 2023 |title=Savannah Bananas became hottest sports ticket in Syracuse. How big can they get? |url=https://www.syracuse.com/sports/2023/09/savannah-bananas-became-hottest-sports-ticket-in-syracuse-how-big-can-they-get.html |website=www.syracuse.com |location= |publisher= |access-date=April 25, 2025}}{{YouTube|id=nUWb3-x8pvg|title=The Story of Dakota "Stilts" Albritton | The Tallest Man in Sports }}

== Savannah Bananas ==

In an April 2025 interview with 60 Minutes, Albritton told news correspondent Lesley Stahl his mother had set up a baseball tryout with the Savannah Bananas baseball team and told them he could walk on stilts.{{cite web |last=Stahl |first=Leslie |date=April 13, 2025 |title=Savannah Bananas bring new life to baseball, dancing and playing by their own rules |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/savannah-bananas-bring-new-life-to-baseball-60-minutes-transcript/ |website=www.cbsnews.com |location= |publisher=60 Minutes |access-date=April 25, 2025}} "Why’d you do that?", Albritton replied, "I haven’t played ball in two years." His mother told him that the tryout announcement said to "bring your weirdest talent". "[We were] looking for the most talented and entertaining players in the world," co-owner of the Savannah Bananas, Jesse Cole said, regarding the tryouts.

{{Blockquote

|text= He had played high school baseball. Not the highest level. And he probably wasn't gonna make the team. He said, "I brought my stilts. Do you want me to wear 'em?" And I said, "Nuh-uh. Unless you can hit in 'em."

|author=Jesse Cole

}}

According to Director of Baseball Operations, Adam Virant, the entire tryouts just "stopped." Cole later said in an interview: "We had a meeting. The coaches said: 'We can't put him on the team.' I go, 'He hits on stilts!'"{{YouTube|id=M4557u_k9E4|title=How Dakota "Stilts" Albritton became a mainstay in Bananaland }} Albritton signed on with the Savannah Bananas in 2021 when he was 20 years old.[https://www.wjcl.com/article/bring-out-the-stilts-savannah-banana-player-goes-viral/35896848 Bring out the stilts! Savannah Banana player goes viral. Zimmer, Amy. WJCL News. March 22, 2021.] He plays the field, bats and pitches all while on stilts.{{cite web |last=Taylor |first=Alan |date=June 5, 2023 |title=The Savannah Bananas Take Banana Ball on Tour |url= https://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2023/06/photos-savannah-bananas-banana-ball/674292/ |website=www.bostonglobe.com |location= |publisher=The Boston Globe |access-date=April 26, 2025}} "I’m swinging a 33-inch 30-ounce baseball bat," explains Albritton, "That means the pitcher has to throw it from my knees to my numbers, and my real knees, not the stilt knees."

The Savannah Bananas has been called the "Greatest Show in Sports", with a social media following in the millions and a waiting list for tickets over one million;{{cite web |last=Warner |first=Kara |date=July 21, 2023 |title='Bigger Than Baseball': Savannah Bananas Take World by Storm Thanks to Couple Who Risked Everything |url= https://people.com/savannah-bananas-baseball-couple-who-risked-everything-exclusive-7563579 |website= |location= |publisher= |access-date=April 26, 2025}} and Albritton has remained a fan favorite.{{cite web |last=Wharton |first=David |date=May 16, 2022 |title=Meet the Savannah Bananas, who’ve captivated fans and MLB. ‘We exist to make baseball fun’ |url= https://www.latimes.com/sports/story/2022-05-16/savannah-bananas-baseball-revolution-mlb-rules |website= |location= |publisher= |access-date=April 26, 2025}} "You truly don't know how many fans you actually have. There's a lot of little ones that really look up to you."{{cite web |last=Healy |first=Emma |date=August 18, 2023 |title=They Had Their Dreams of Playing in the Majors. Now, They're Playing for the Bananas |url= https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/08/18/sports/banana-ball-professional-baseball-players/ |website=www.bostonglobe.com |location= |publisher=The Boston Globe |access-date=April 26, 2025}}

{{reflist}}

• [https://thesavannahbananas.com/ The Savannah Bananas]
• [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUWb3-x8pvg The Story of Dakota "Stilts" Albritton | The Tallest Man in Sports]
• [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5RkB7_qNh8 ESPN: How the Savannah Bananas Have Become the Greatest Show in Baseball]
• [https://schs.schleyk12.org/o/middle-and-high-school/article/1708083 Schley Middle / High School - Alumni Spotlight: Dakota Albritton]

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Category:Baseball players from Georgia (U.S. state)

Category:Sports entertainment

Category:People from Schley County, Georgia