On Thursday, the Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds will meet in Dyersville, Iowa, for the second edition of Major League Baseball’s Field of Dreams game. The game is a living tribute to the iconic 1989 film “Field of Dreams” starring Kevin Costner, James Earl Jones, Amy Madigan and the late Ray Liotta, which was in part an exploration of baseball nostalgia.
While opinions vary on the film’s effectiveness, it cannot be disputed that it is one of the most talked about and recognizable baseball movies ever made (it was also nominated for an Oscar in the best film). The film hinges on the decision made by Costner’s farmer character to cut a baseball diamond out of his cornfield, at great personal risk and expense, all because a mysterious whispering voice told him:
This field will be visited by the ghosts of long-gone baseball players and a lost presence in the life of Costner’s character. But enough spoilers.
The dimensions of the film field itself, now a prominent tourist destination in Iowa, are not such that a major league game could be played, but a nearby field built for last year’s inaugural FoD game between the New York Yankees. and the Chicago White Sox certainly captured the essence of things. Folks, there was a lot of corn.
Now let’s set the stage for the second edition of the Field of Dreams game by detailing the essential things you need to know.
How to watch the game Field of Dreams
Where: Dyersville, Iowa | When: 7:15 PM ET on Thursday, August 11th TV Channel: Fox | Live Stream: fuboTV (try it for free) Odds: TBD
Now to know a few things about the 2022 edition.
1. The Reds and Cubs will wear throwback uniforms
Since the movie Field of Dreams is based heavily on the Deadball era of over a century ago, the two competing teams will be suitably outfitted. Here he says they will look great. First, the Cubs:
And:
This is a little mashup that works really well. The jersey and pants are from the Cubs’ 1929 campaign, and the hat is from the 1914 season.
Now for the reds:
This set featured prominently during the 1914-20 period, and you can consider the Reds batting helmet an early favorite for “best” when it comes to FoD 2022 game uniforms.
MLB has been inclined to have microphone conversations with players in the dugout and even on the field while play continues, and that was unsurprisingly the case Thursday night. The lucky/affected players for this game will be Reds first baseman Joey Votto and Cubs outfielder Ian Happ. At some point in the game, they will vibrate the two-way microphone. Given Votto’s engaging presence and sense of humor, he might be ideal for this sort of thing.
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3. The stadium will be the star
Just like last year, the specially built FoD Stadium will be the story of the night. As noted above, the field in the film is not suitable for MLB competition, but the one used captures the same essence thanks to such grace notes as the manual marker and the 159 acres of stalks of 10-foot corn. Adding to the ambiance is the seven-foot-tall fine-mesh green chain-link fence that makes it look like, yes, they’re playing in the middle of an Iowa cornfield.
Additionally, each team will have a throwback logo carved into the corn just beyond the right field wall. Respect:
4. It will be difficult to beat last year’s edition
The first FoD game, unlike this year’s model, involved contenders and eventual playoff teams. Also, White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson delivered one of the most memorable closing acts of the season against the Yankees:
Additionally, MLB notes that last year’s game “delivered nearly six million viewers and marked the most-watched regular season baseball game on any network since 1998.”
With the Reds and Cubs near the bottom of the National League Central standings and at most competing for draft position in 2023, the stakes are obviously much lower. That said, the site and visuals are the real stars of the FoD game, and they’ll be back on top form.