Major League Baseball’s “Field of Dreams” game has been delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic. The game was scheduled for August 13th in Dyersville, Iowa, the site of where the Field of Dreams movie was filmed in 1989. MLB has now rescheduled the Field of Dreams game for some time in 2021. The explanation for the delay is that the league doesn’t want MLB players and staff to take any additional risks with travel and play, outside of the regular baseball season.
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The Field of Dreams game would’ve been the first Major League Baseball game played in Iowa, with a temporary stadium planned for the event. Originally, the New York Yankees were set to take on the Chicago White Sox; after MLB condensed its 2020 season to just 62 games (instead of the usual 162), The St. Louis Cardinals replaced the Yankees in the Field of Dreams matchup. No word yet on which two teams will face-off in 2021.
Below you can find the list of FAQs about the Field of Dreams game, as provided by MLB.com:
“When it was first announced in 2019, the interest in MLB at Field of Dreams presented by GEICO was not all that dissimilar to the interest in Ray Kinsella’s farm-turned-field. But instead of hundreds of cars lining Lansing Road in Dyersville, Iowa, it was thousands upon thousands of fans tweeting, sharing and otherwise discussing the special event.
When and where is the game?
Thursday, Aug. 13, 2020, at a newly constructed ballpark near the “Field of Dreams” movie site in Dyersville, Iowa
Does this count as a regular-season game?
Yes.
Will fans be able to attend?
It is still to be determined whether any fans can attend the game due to the coronavirus pandemic. MLB.com will have further updates as the date of the game approaches.
Will the game be played on the same field that was used in the movie?
No. Not only is that field not up to typical Major League dimensions, but too many balls would get lost in the cornfield.
Where will the ballpark be located?
In the field beyond the northern perimeter of the movie field. In a nice homage to the game in the film, a pathway through the cornfield leads to the ballpark.
The right-field wall features windows to show the cornfields beyond the ballpark.
How large will the ballpark be?
It is large enough to hold 8,000 fans, but, again, it is still to be determined whether any fans will be able to attend.
What will the field look like?
The design of the park pays homage to Chicago’s Comiskey Park, which was home of the White Sox (and, for a time, “Shoeless” Joe) from 1910-90.
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.
Will this be the smallest facility to ever house an MLB regular-season game?
No, BB&T Ballpark at Historic Bowman Field in Williamsport, Pa., where the Little League Classic has been held, is the smallest. It has a capacity of 2,366.
Has MLB ever had a regular-season game in Iowa?
No, this will be the first. But the White Sox and Cubs did stage an exhibition in Fort Dodge, Iowa, in 1942, for the opening of Dodger Stadium (no, not that one). Hall of Famers Bob Feller, Cap Anson, Dave Bancroft, Fred Clarke, Red Faber and Dazzy Vance all hail from Iowa. Feller’s father, William, predated the movie idea by building his son a ballfield on the family farm in Van Meter.
