When Field of Dreams was first released in 1989, few had any idea the legacy that it would leave on baseball and cinema as a whole. “If you build it, they will come” has become an iconic quote that is known even by people who don’t even know how many innings there are in a baseball game. Since the release of the movie, baseball has progressed into an era of launch angles, exit velocity, and spin rate, but one thing has remained constant… baseball itself.

Field of Dreams was brought to life in 2021 by Major League Baseball with the MLB at Field of Dreams™ Game. In this inaugural game, the New York Yankees took on the Chicago White Sox in what will be known as an all-time classic that lives up the movie lore. The game began with players from both teams emerging from the outfield corn, and Kevin Costner addressing the crowd. “Is this heaven?” he asked the Iowa fans before throwing out the first pitch.

The game itself is all a baseball loving fan could have asked for. Going into the top of the 9th, the White Sox led the Yankees 7-4 with NY coming to the plate. The script could not have been written better by a cast of movie writers. With the Yankees down to their last out, they did what they have done for the past 100+ years with the game on the line; Hit homers with their superstars. It was almost as if Mickey Mantle and Babe Ruth themselves were in Iowa when Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton homered to give the Yankees the lead. 

Just like any classic baseball tale, the story isn’t complete until all 27 outs are made. Tim Anderson stepped to the plate in the bottom of the 9th inning with a runner on. There could not have been a more perfect player to step to the plate in that situation. With such an incredible backdrop to that game, it’s hard to not look back with a deeper understanding of what that moment meant to baseball. The Yankees represent baseball’s past. They are the winningest organization in all of American sports with a history that runs deeper than the NYC subways. Anderson represents baseball’s future. His personality and passion for the game is what will carry baseball to a new generation of fans. Bat flips, diving defensive plays, and enthusiasm for playing baseball are what the sport needs to continue as America’s pastime. In an ending fit for the big screen, Tim Anderson would hit a walk off home run to give the White Sox a 9-8 victory. 

MLB returns to the Field of Dreams on August 11th where the Cubs will take on the Reds. These two teams are a fitting sequel, being two of the oldest franchises in MLB. With upgrades and renovations planned for the Field of Dreams in the coming years, it is possible we may be witnessing the infancy of a baseball tradition that will last generations. One day, Field of Dreams might not be known as a movie, but as an actual place where baseball is played once a year in a situation where wins and losses are irrelevant. When fans see their heroes emerge from the corn to take the field, they can feel at ease, knowing that the only thing that matters in the world for the next 9 innings is what is happening on the baseball diamond.

Available now, you have the opportunity to collect and earn Stadium Series Collectibles & Digital Commemorative Tickets honoring the nostalgic game in Dyersville, Iowa, next to the historic filming site of the beloved 1989 Universal Pictures baseball movie, Field of Dreams. Learn more