It’s one of the most iconic baseball movies of all time. Even though I wouldn’t categorize it as a baseball movie as much as an American family masterpiece fitting into the baseball adjacent movie subgenre of sports movies. No matter how you qualify it though, Field of Dreams is an iconic movie. It’s a staple in nearly every baseball fan’s movie routine. You’ll see it played on TV more on the MLB Network than any other channel, so it makes sense that Major League Baseball is finally bringing a game to the iconic cornfields of Iowa.
Field of Dreams might not have the best baseball action of any baseball movie, but it resonates deeply with every baseball fan and explains better than any other movie why this sport resonates so much in this country. From the most famous line “If you build it, he will come” to the soliloquy delivered in the deep baritone voice of James Earl Jones explaining that baseball reminds us of all that is good with America. While the movie might miss the game action, it expresses why baseball is so loved better than any other baseball movie can.
The fact that the set was preserved, and the movie resonated with so many fans of the game, it just makes sense that the highest level of the game is finally hosting a game on the iconic site. Is it a gimmick? Yes. But it’s a great gimmick. Considering since the movie came out there has been a rush to build new stadiums, only 7 of the current 30 stadiums were built prior to the 1989 film, it’s a gimmick that ties baseball back to its roots. The movie itself ties back to the history of the game, paying homage to the barnstorming midwest roots prior to WWII. Hosting the game in a quiet Iowa cornfield gives you a sense of history that you can really only get in Wrigley or Fenway.
The teams MLB picked for the game, the Chicago White Sox and the New York Yankees were almost perfect. The movie, based of the book titled “Shoeless Joe” is heavily influenced by the 1919 White Sox. Add in the most successful team since the Black Sox scandal, and it’s a match made in heaven… no it’s Iowa. Major League Baseball knew this connection was important and tried their best to mirror the dimensions for the specially built stadium to those at old Kaminsky Stadium. MLB is keeping an eye on the details. The field from the set was better suited for a little league game than a big league game, so this was a nice touch once they decided to build the stadium.
There’s been a lot of change to the game since 1989, but keeping the two teams as American League opponents was a great touch. They could have easily made this an inter-league game, heck there’s one of those every night now. The only shame of it being two American League teams is the DH. Back in the Shoeless Joe days the movie references so much, there wasn’t even a thought in adding a designated hitter. With all the one-off rules added the past two years for COVID, making a single no DH rule for this game would have been a great touch. But that’s just nit-picking at details.
The field is fantastic. It’s emphasizing corn as much as possible. Obviously corn is a major part of Iowa, and a major part of Field of Dreams, so it’s great to see that they left the outfield beyond the wall a field of corn. It’s a gimmick. But like I said before, it’s not a bad thing either. The limited capacity made this a must get ticket – on Stub Hub the cheapest ticket is going for $1000. Clearly the fans don’t mind the gimmick.
This game was supposed to take place last year, but with the COVID shortened season it was naturally delayed. We’re finally in Field of Dreams week, the anticipation is likely to be better than the game itself. Even if that is the case, I’m excited for this game – and based on the ticket prices I’m not alone. We’ll see if the game delivers as much as the movie. Either way, it’s great to finally see a Major League game in Iowa and at one of the most iconic spots in all of baseball. It may have taken some Hollywood magic to put this place on the map, but after Thursday night I hope that this game can become an annual tradition.