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It was his favorite dessert order whenever the family went out to eat, “so I think banana cream will always be very special to me,” Chen said.

“So now, I think I got the best seat in the house to watch this guy start and then take an at-bat. This is bananas. So I’m thrilled.”

Well into his 80s, Murdock lifted weights several times a week, walked on a treadmill daily and drank smoothies made of 20 different kinds of fruit and vegetables including pulverized banana peels.

This is the way things have always been, which is to say: totally bananas.

It began with the “First Peel,” a signature ceremony in which a young fan bites into a banana to declare whether it’s good or bad — setting the tone for the night.