Yankees, White Sox to meet in 'MLB at Field of Dreams™' in August 2020
Watch the Anticipated Construction of the Ballpark:
https://www.mlb.com/video/3d-rendering-of-field-of-dreams
Other Promos:
https://www.mlb.com/video/judge-at-field-of-dreams-nyy
https://www.mlb.com/video/mlb-at-field-of-dreams?t=most-popular
The Chicago White Sox and the New York Yankees will play a regular season game in Dyersville, Iowa at the site of the beloved 1989 baseball movie, Field of Dreams, on Thursday, August 13, 2020, Major League Baseball announced today. “MLB at _Field of Dreams_” will mark the first Major League game ever held at the fan-favorite movie location as well as in the State of Iowa.
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.
Commissioner Robert D. Manfred, Jr. said: “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. We look forward to celebrating the movie’s enduring message of how baseball brings people together at this special cornfield in Iowa.”
Jerry Reinsdorf, Chairman of the Chicago White Sox, said: “Field of Dreams is an iconic, generational baseball story built upon a deep love of the game that transcends even the most impossible of circumstances. The filmmakers tell a beautiful story that resonates to this day. It is an incredible honor for the White Sox franchise to be the home team against the Yankees in a special setting that will capture everyone’s imagination just like the movie does. It seems very fitting that 30 years after the film’s debut, MLB will build a ballfield in an Iowa cornfield where we will come to play a game so that baseball fans can create their own memories to be cherished for decades.”
Hal Steinbrenner, Managing General Partner of the New York Yankees, said: “The Yankees organization is proud to participate in such a unique celebration of baseball. Field of Dreams captures the pure essence of baseball, and it continues to bring generations of fans – and families – together to embrace its timeless roots. 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. I fully expect that this experience will exemplify why baseball remains a cherished American pastime.”
“Field of Dreams captures the uniqueness of Iowans’ can-do attitude, and there’s no better place to host our state’s very first Major League game than this legendary baseball field in Dyersville. As the famous movie quote goes, ‘Is this heaven?’ ‘No it’s Iowa,’” said Governor Kim Reynolds. “Iowa’s truly a land of opportunity, where you can work hard, dream big and anything can happen. I look forward to this historic event in 2020.”
“MLB at _Field of Dreams_” follows other recent special events that have taken groundbreaking Major League games to non-traditional domestic locales, including the Fort Bragg Game in 2016, MLB In Omaha at the NCAA’s Men’s College World Series in 2019 and the annual Little League Classic in Williamsport since 2017. The events at Fort Bragg and in Omaha were the first Major League games ever in North Carolina and Nebraska, respectively.
Field of Dreams stars Kevin Costner, Ray Liotta, James Earl Jones and Amy Madigan and was selected to the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress in 2017. The 1989 film tells the story of Iowa farmer Ray Kinsella, a husband and father who is tending to his cornfield when he hears a mysterious voice intone, “If you build it, he will come.” According to the American Film Institute (AFI), those words are the 39th top film quote of all-time. The White Sox and the Yankees are the two favorite Clubs of Ray’s father, John Kinsella, at different points of his life.
Since 1989, the Lansing Family Farm, which was used in the movie, has been a popular tourist attraction, now known as the “Field of Dreams Movie Site.” In 2011, the field was purchased by Denise Stillman and a group of investors with the goal of preserving the Field of Dreams and creating a special place for baseball fans, tournament players and families. Stillman began working with MLB in 2015, which has now culminated in this special game.
There are five Minor League Clubs in Iowa: the Triple-A Iowa Cubs and the Single-A Burlington Bees (affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels), the Cedar Rapids Kernels (Minnesota Twins), the Clinton LumberKings (Miami Marlins) and the Quad Cities River Bandits (Houston Astros). Current Major League figures with ties to Iowa include San Francisco Giants pitcher Tony Watson, Washington Nationals pitcher Jeremy Hellickson, St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Michael Wacha and Astros manager AJ Hinch. Hall of Famers who hail from and/or were born in Iowa include Bob Feller, Cap Anson, Dave Bancroft, Fred Clarke, Red Faber and Dazzy Vance. In 1875 – the final year of the National Association before the 1876 inception of the National League – Keokuk, Iowa fielded a club called the Westerns. Outside of organized baseball, a multiracial team called the All-Nations, based in both Des Moines and Kansas City, barnstormed periodically between 1912-1925. That club included Hall of Famers Cristóbal Torriente, José Méndez and Bullet Rogan.
Field of Dreams is now available on 4K UHD, Blu-ray, DVD and Digital.