By Bill Sniffin, publisher
Almost 30 years ago, my teenage son Michael pitched to me from the mound at the Field of Dreams near Dyersville, Iowa. It was a thrill.
I left there with a nice shirt, some baseballs, and a special cup that when you put hot coffee into it, the baseball players would magically appear from out of a cornfield.
Our family lived in a tiny town called Wadena about an hour’s drive north of Dyersville. We used to stop there on our way to the historic city of Dubuque along the Mississippi River. Those are great memories.
Before becoming famous as home of the baseball field used in the movie, Dyersville was famous for its huge Basilica, which is a giant church looming high over the surrounding cornfields.
To folks unfamiliar with the movie Field of Dreams, none of this makes any sense and you can leave now, if you wish.
But to baseball fans like myself, that movie is one of my all-time favorites.
And that movie and that baseball field are big news because of a big game occurring there Thursday evening.
Major League Baseball will host the Field of Dreams Game, featuring a matchup between the New York Yankees and the Chicago White Sox , where “Field of Dreams” was filmed.
According to the Fox Network, which is airing the game, here’s everything you need to know about the magical festivities set to take place Thursday in Iowa:
What is the Field of Dreams” – Field of Dreams” is a classic 1989 baseball flick featuring Kevin Costner, “Shoeless” Joe Jackson, the old-school Black Sox and Iowa corn fields.
In the film, Costner’s character, Ray Kinsella, begins to see ghosts in the cornfields and hear a voice, telling him, “If you build it, he will come.”
Ray’s journey brings him face-to-face with former White Sox players and the ghost of his father. In the end, he accomplishes his mission to build a baseball field in the rural area, attracting cars full of fans who come to watch the mythical baseball players showcase their skills on the enchanted field.
Fast-forward to 2021, and the iconic movie is still relevant today, as 8,000 fans will watch the Yankees and White Sox surrounded by the Iowa cornfields.
What time is the game? How can I watch? – The game will take place at 6:15 p.m. Thursday on FOX.
I will be watching. I hope you will, too!
