Shoot! I'd play for nothing.

August 8, 2019 3:38 PM

Next season, on the 31st anniversary of the film, the Yankees and the White Sox will play a game at the site of the Field Of Dreams-inspired farm / baseball diamond, kind of. I doubt they're playing for nothing.
posted by MorgansAmoebas (8 comments total)

that's a big "kind of". //kind of cringes//

maybe the organizers should still get a B for for the concept?
posted by rude.boy at 4:09 PM on August 8, 2019

A few years back, some investors bought the farm and have been working to put a baseball complex on the site.

Landing that game is a RBFD for NE Iowa.
posted by Big Al 8000 at 4:28 PM on August 8, 2019

that's a big "kind of".

Not sure I understand why? Sounds like they're going to be playing within walking distance of the current half-ass restored movie set field. Though they need to build another stadium, probably for technical MLB rules compliance and also due to capacity concerns.

Anyway this is great and they should take it a step further - every MLB club should have to play at least one game per season at a minor league or college facility. The vibe is great at those places, and while it might mess up the ticket revenue calculation, the players would probably love it because they'd walk as gods among men in those small stadiums.
posted by Joey Buttafoucault at 4:49 PM on August 8, 2019 [7 favorites]

They had better wear true throwback uniforms and have James Earl Jones announce. Also, Costner for first pitch with Ray Liotta catching.
posted by bfranklin at 4:53 PM on August 8, 2019 [2 favorites]

Though they need to build another stadium, probably for technical MLB rules compliance and also due to capacity concerns

The movie set is apparently 300 feet to centerfield, 280 right and left, which would be hilarious, but a home run derby probably isn't what they want.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 5:16 PM on August 8, 2019 [2 favorites]

Shoot, I'd go see it. Even if it is the White Sox and the Yankees (although I understand why it's those teams that get to play there). I wonder how ticketing will work? I know there are folks that "collect ballparks" and will want to check another MLB park off their list...even if it only exists for just one night.

I hope that enough people say "I think I'll skip it...wtf else would I do in Iowa?" And there will be a pair of reasonably priced tickets for me to snap up.

I think it sounds dreamy. I really like this MLB-plays-in-non-MLB-parks trend.
posted by Gray Duck at 7:12 PM on August 8, 2019

And there will be a pair of reasonably priced tickets for me to snap up.

I couldn’t be more shocked if the cheapest ticket is less than 4 figures.
posted by sideshow at 9:23 PM on August 8, 2019 [1 favorite]

This is already causing controversy. In its initial announcement, MLB said the field used for the game would be temporary. But in a FAQ posted a day or so later, MLB said the park would stay and continue to be operated by the owners of the movie site.

Will the ballpark be used again?
The field will stay intact. Go The Distance Baseball, the company that operates the movie site, will consider other potential uses for it.

Go The Distance Baseball and neighbors of the movie site had been in a long running lawsuit over improper zoning of the site by the City of Dyersville so that Go The Distance Baseball could build a large complex of fields adjoining the movie site to host tournaments for traveling youth teams. In addition to what neighbors felt was improper rezoning, the neighbors contended they were never consulted by the owners of the field and the City of Dyersville over a large development that would affect their ability to continuing farming land around the site.

Though Go The Distance Baseball came out ahead in the end after all the suits were adjudicated, the field complex was never realized due to lack of funding. With this new field, fans of the movie site who love it for beautiful Iowa scenery are once again facing the commercialization of the Field of Dreams.
posted by Fukiyama at 5:04 PM on August 10, 2019 [1 favorite]