“Field of Dreams” 2022
The Cubs win 4–2 as the ghosts return through the corn fields
The Cubs win 4–2 as the ghosts return through the corn fields
Here are your ground rule doubles and glorious home runs clanging off the foul pole ahead of this evening’s Field of Dreams game in Dyersville, Iowa:
The Story
In recognition of the impact the 1989 baseball film Field of Dreams, Major League Baseball (MLB) have brilliantly decided to continue with their recent tradition of playing a regular season game at the site of the Kevin Costner starring baseball film that isn’t remotely about baseball.
Not really.
My Story
Despite the typically American Dream quality connection to their all consuming “past time” of baseball, Field of Dreams isn’t really a film about baseball. You may be aware of the quotes and memes that have soaked through our collective consciousness since 1989: “If you build it, he will come” and “Go the Distance” being the most overused, and if you haven’t seen this beautifully cheesy three decades old film, here’s a spoiler free appetiser:
Iowa farmer “Ray Kinsella” (Kevin Costner) lives with both his family and the ghosts of a past he cannot reconcile or put to rest. With his business failing and a stupendous offer to buy his farmland on the table that will allow his family to live in relative comfort forever, he instead flattens his cornfields to build a baseball diamond and fully operational baseball field. Ray hears Godlike voices he cannot ignore and following the building of the baseball field he and his family only begin to see visions, apparitions and the ghosts of a baseball past that need the redemption he seeks too. Through the Iowa cornfields come the ghostly apparitions of future cinematic greats such as Ray Liotta, James Earl Jones whilst Burt Lancaster cameos and indeed moonlights appropriately as “Dr Moonlight Graham”.
“Is this heaven?” is yet another iconic quote from a film of lost and bewildered souls trying to handle varying degrees of deep personal loss, regret, anger, resentment and who are crying out for the love and stability of a life without all of the above baggage and so much more. As the title suggests, the film is also about dreams and being an idealistic daydreamer, family is central to everything and when all else fails, you ask the young ghostly figure behind home plate if he wants to play catch. 15 minutes into Field of Dreams something happens that makes my eyes begin leaking water and by the film’s final, eminently quotable line of “Hey Dad. You wanna have a catch?”, I’m gone, and I’m not coming back any time soon.
Field of Dreams isn’t about baseball! It’s about life, loss, dreams, love, determination, melancholy, depression, regret and trying to come to terms with the early death of a parent. A father/son story, the film rips my soul apart like no other and whilst of course it’s “only a film”, it’s my film for my Dad and it’s not about baseball!
My Dad in a Field of Dreams
and why I can’t watch a silly baseball film about baseball that isn’t about baseballmedium.com
Joey Votto thinking of his late father as he prepares to play in Field of Dreams game
NEW YORK - In the last scene of the "Field of Dreams" film, after Kevin Costner's character, Roy Kinsella, brings his…eu.usatoday.com
Their Story
Last night, in Dyersville, Iowa, the Cincinnati Reds and Chicago Cubs faced off in the purpose built field not far from the cinematic house and original baseball diamond that still remains for the vast flock of yearly tourists for a film some of us, even those of us who struggle with it being too close to home plate, pay homage to the ghosts of a cinematic past as well as the sporting heroes of today. In truth, both the Reds and the Cubs suck this year and won’t be competing come October for “The Show” or the World Series or, as I prefer to call it, “The Big Dance”. The Cincinnati Reds were designated the home team for this neutral venue trip back in time and their eventual loss sees their season record drop to a miserable 44 wins and 67 losses. Despite their 4–2 triumph, the Chicago Cubs are only fairing marginally better over the season with a current record now standing at 46 wins and 65 losses. As I said, these teams suck this season, but this game wasn’t about the losing seasons both teams are enduring but rather the MLB (ably assisted by Fox Television) who built it, and yet again, the people came.
Even a mad Englishman in the wee small hours of the morning.
First pitch was 12.25am local time here in the UK and by 2am and the beginning of the 4th Inning, I was in need of some restful sleep after a hectic day under the beating sun of yet another of our sporadic and beautiful heatwaves. By the beginning of the 4th, the Cubs were threatening to add to their already 3–0 advantage after scoring all 3 runs in their first inning and, in the vernacular of the great game, the “Top of the First”. Reds starting pitcher Nick Lodolo hit Patrick Wisdom and gifted him first base before a merry-go-round of line drives and deep doubles from Seiya Suzuki “batted in” Wisdom before Nico Hoerner did likewise for Suzuki and the big hitting Ian Happ likewise for Hoerner. Nelson Velazquez added a fourth run as the Cubs cashed in on yet another threatening inning in the “Top of the Fourth” and with the gift of both hindsight and the need for some sleep, it was clear the game was already up and indeed over.
Despite the constant baseball “traffic” of having runners on base and threatening to score in kind, the Cincinnati Reds didn’t score their consolation 2 runs until the 7th inning and well after Cubs starting pitcher Drew Smyly had compiled 6 strike outs in just the opening 3 innings. The Reds had 2 men on base threatening to score in each of the first 3 innings of the game, but beautiful curve balls often struck out the final batter of the inning leaving runners “stranded on base” and unable to score in response. Smyly would end up with both the win and 9 total strike outs, Lodolo the loss, and a game that surprisingly did not see a single home run.
But as a LA Dodgers fan I wasn’t really watching for the baseball. I had no dog in the fight and nor is Field of Dreams about the actual baseball.
Not really.
More it is for the families that flock to a regular season game on the site of a 1989 film that has generated a life and a legacy of its own. Even this cynical old Englishman, and the very dictionary definition of “cynical”, can look past the grift for the beauty. The Field of Dreams game is for the iconic music from the film, the snippets of the film scattered in amongst the excellent TV coverage from Fox and a welcoming return from the advertisements that break up the beautiful game itself. It’s for the memories, the making of new ones, the melancholy for those of us old enough to look back on 1989, a time capsule for today’s generation. But not of a game of win at all costs or the superstars of a modern age. But of a dreamer hearing Godlike voices to build a baseball field so he can finally, finally, come to terms with the early death of a Father whom he just wants to have a simple game of catch with, and to dispel some of the hurt, anger and aimless mis-direction of a life that will always have a void that simply cannot be filled.
But that’s enough about me and I hope you have your own story to go with this legend.
Through the corn fields came a vast array of young children all playing “catch” with each other on the outfield, and soon enough the players, legends of the past, Hall of Famers too, accompanied the playing officials to join them, emerging through the corn fields to line the baseball diamond for the singing of “The Star Spangled Banner”. A fly past of jets buzzed the stadium at the crescendo of the American anthem and this game, this regular season game of two failing and underwhelming teams, suddenly had a feel of an October play-off game or, to mix the American sports, a football Super Bowl.
Thus is Field of Dreams.
So were the old fashioned and time reflective uniforms (the Cubs uniform of 1919 looked completely at odds with their current garb) and Fox joined in by dressing akin to the characters of the film, especially so Hall of Fame legend Johnny Bench who colour commentated for an inning and had chosen to honour the James Earl Jones character of “Terence Mann” with his time period dress. Joey Votto, the pugnacious, attacking slugger for the Reds was “miked up” for the TV spectacle and regaled us as the audience with his personal tales of playing catch with his Father and how even at the twilight of an incredible career this game, this Field of Dreams game, was one of THE highlights of his career as well as a touching way of thinking about his Father who sadly passed away over a decade ago.
For a brief moment in time his words were my words.
Thus is Field of Dreams.
And so was Ken Griffey Senior striding through the corn fields with his son and namesake Junior before Son turned to Dad and said the immortal line that kills me every time “Hey Dad. You wanna have a catch?”.
Then Ken Griffey Senior dropped the catch from his son and Junior fell about with uproarious laughter!
Thus is Field of Dreams!
Thanks for reading. Please see the link above to my twisted eulogy to my Father and the film about baseball that isn’t about baseball, or the three most recently published articles below:
Powis Castle, Wales
A sunshine filled Special Edition!medium.com
Whittington Castle
The must see remains of a 12th Century time capsulemedium.com
The medieval ruins of Clun Castle
A walk in the sunshine along the English/Welsh bordermedium.com