In the 1980s, Kevin Costner starred in one of the best baseball films of all-time -- the rare Hollywood product to emanate pure baseball energy. That movie, of course, was "Bull Durham." A year later, Costner returned to the diamond in "Field of Dreams." "Dreams," for those unaware, tells the classic tale of a corn farmer and his family hosting dozens of spirits after he inadvertently opens an interdimensional portal that connects our world with the spectral plane.
Baseball is nothing without its ghosts, and so it should come as surprise to no one that MLB intends to play a regular season next season on the field on which Dreams was played on. Here are some more details, courtesy of Sports Illustrated's Tom Verducci:
Under a backdrop of corn as high as an elephant's eye, the New York Yankees and Chicago White Sox will play a regular season game Aug. 13 next season on the diamond in Dyersville, Iowa, where the movie "Field of Dreams" was shot in 1988, multiple sources told SI. The game will be broadcast by Fox.
The brands have confirmed as much on Twitter:
See you in Iowa 8.13.20, @whitesox 👀 pic.twitter.com/ff5Q7Yt8ZL
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) August 8, 2019
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
Here's part of MLB's official release on the matter:
FOX will provide exclusive national coverage of "MLB at Field of Dreams," airing at 7:00 p.m. (ET)/6:00 p.m. (CT). The event will be considered a White Sox home date, with the Thursday game followed by a Friday off-day before the two Clubs resume their three-game series at Chicago's Guaranteed Rate Field on Saturday. Information on the limited ticket availability will be announced by MLB in the months ahead. "MLB at Field of Dreams" will be presented by GEICO and be a part of the GEICO Summer Series. Later this month, MLB will begin construction on a temporary 8,000-seat ballpark on the Dyersville site. A pathway through a cornfield will take fans to the ballpark, which will overlook the famous movie location. The right field wall will include windows to show the cornfields beyond the ballpark. Aspects of the ballpark's design will pay homage to Chicago's Comiskey Park, home of the White Sox from 1910-1990, including the shape of the outfield and bullpens beyond the center field fence.
Per Verducci's report, MLB intends to begin construction on an 8,000-seat ballpark at the site later this month. The plan is to keep the cornfield as the backdrop. Here's a look at some rendered art:
FIRST LOOK at @MLB venue for @Yankees-@whitesox game in Dyersville, Iowa, site of “Field of Dreams.” Pathway through cornfield will connect 8,000-seat temporary stadium with original film location. The 8/13/20 game will be a White Sox home game. 🌽⚽️ pic.twitter.com/iNHV2qTTy1
— Jeff Eisenband (@JeffEisenband) August 8, 2019
Under Rob Manfred's watch, MLB has pursued a number of special locations for games, ranging from foreign countries (London, Japan, Australia) to Fort Bragg, Williamsport, and now, apparently, Dyersville, Iowa. If you leverage your local government into building it, they will come -- unless they have the chance to play a one-off at a cornfield, anyway.