Dugout Size-Up: Inside Banana Ball with Valerie Perez, Marshall Shill and Jared Donalson

Listen to some inside takes about what it means to be on The Firefighters and misconceptions of Banana Ball from retired firefighter and head coach Valerie Perez and players Jared Donalson and Marshall Shill.

Ryan Baker

Oct. 8, 2026

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The Firefighters baseball team played its first Banana Ball game in 2024 and has been building a fan base centered on honoring the fire service.

In this interview, Firehouse Magazine's Ryan Baker chats with head coach and retired firefighter Valerie Perez, Marshall Shill and Jared Donalson about what it means to wear The Firefighters' jersey.

The four also discuss misconceptions about Banana Ball, why people should tune in to the fastest-growing sport in the world and the atmosphere the team brings.

Finally, the players touch on the aspects they've learned about the fire service from their visits to fire stations and conversations they've had with firefighters.

About the Author

Ryan Baker

Associate Editor

Ryan Baker is a writer and associate editor with prior experiences in online and print production. Ryan is an associate editor for Firehouse with a master's degree in sciences of communication from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. He recently completed a year of teaching Intro to Public Speaking at UW-Whitewater, as part of his graduate program. Ryan acquired his bachelor's degree in journalism in 2023 from UW-Whitewater, and operates currently out of Minneapolis, MN. Baker, also writes freelances for the Ultimate Frisbee Association (UFA) in his free time, while also umpiring baseball for various ages across the Twin Cities Metro Area.

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