Major League Baseball is building it, and the Yankees and White Sox will come. So, too, will 8,000 or more fans. MLB announced Thursday morning that the Yanks and Sox will play a regular-season game next August at the site of the famous movie “Field of Dreams.”
That site is Dyersville, Iowa, where in the movie Kevin Costner’s character dreams of playing with his father and other baseball legends who come to life. He follows the famous instruction, “If you build it, they will come.”
For baseball, it’s a marketing opportunity — think of the merchandise they might sell. It’s also a way to break up the dog days of August next season.
The #WhiteSox are excited to partner with @MLB to host the first-ever major-league game at the Field of Dreams in Iowa! This game will be against the New York Yankees on August 13, 2020. pic.twitter.com/hco3e6tCqu
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) August 8, 2019
The details
MLB will begin construction on a temporary 8,000-seat ballpark next Tuesday. That’s exactly one year from the game’s scheduled date. It’s also close to the 30-year anniversary of the movie’s release date.
The Yankees and White Sox will play at the Field of Dreams on a Thursday in a White Sox home game. Then they’ll take Friday off and return to Chicago to play the final two games of the series Saturday and Sunday.
Designers modeled the temporary stadium after old Comiskey Park, both in dimensions and feel.
It will be the first regular-season game MLB teams play in the state of Iowa. That’s another milestone after this year’s College World Series precursor was the first game played in Nebraska.
MLB also has hosted games at temporary stadiums in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, in conjunction with the Little League World Series.
If you build it, they will come.
The @Yankees and @whitesox to play an official MLB game at the Field of Dreams movie site on August 13, 2020.
The league will begin construction on a temporary 8,000-seat ballpark on the Dysersville site that neighbors the iconic movie set. pic.twitter.com/dctL3HLoOM
— Front Office Sports (@frntofficesport) August 8, 2019
The reaction
Players aren’t always thrilled about an extra stop on their itinerary. But Iowa is a short flight from Chicago, and many will enjoy being a part of history
“As a sport that is proud of its history linking generations, Major League Baseball is excited to bring a regular season game to the site of Field of Dreams,” Commissioner Rob Manfred said, according to an MLB.com release. “We look forward to celebrating the movie’s enduring message of how baseball brings people together at this special cornfield in Iowa.”
It’ll be the Yankees’ second straight year with a non-traditional road site. They played the Red Sox in the first MLB game in London.
“It’s a distinct honor for us to showcase our great game in such an iconic and intimate setting while promoting the movie’s legacy,” Yankees managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner said. “I fully expect that this experience will exemplify why baseball remains a cherished American pastime.”
Field of Dreams grossed $84 million at the box office. Secondary market tickets for these 8,000 seats should be south of that total, but not sure how much.
(And no, I don’t know when tickets go on sale or how to get you any, sorry.)https://t.co/sGzM5kum88
— Anthony Castrovince (@castrovince) August 8, 2019
