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2020 Field of Dreams game canceled

Field of Dreams Ballpark rendering

Next week’s Field of Dreams game at a custom-built ballpark in Dyersville, Iowa, has been canceled, and MLB says the plan is for the Chicago White Sox will host a 2021 game at the scenic movie site.

The game, set for August 13, originally scheduled the New York Yankees as the opponent but was later changed to the St. Louis Cardinals after MLB’s overhauled 60-game season was released.

“We made every effort to go ahead with a first-class event for the people of Iowa, admirers of the film and fans generally,” said MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred. “Unfortunately, we have come to the conclusion that it would not be prudent to ask clubs to step outside their normal routines, given the evolving public health challenges. We hope to host this event in Iowa in 2021.”

Just last week MLB was posting photos of the temporary 8,000-seat ballpark on the Dyersville site, so this is obviously a last-minute decision. MLB and many fans had high hopes for the game. A pathway through a cornfield will take fans to the ballpark, which will overlook the famous movie location. The right field wall will include windows to show the cornfields beyond the ballpark. Aspects of the ballpark’s design will pay homage to Chicago’s Comiskey Park, home of the White Sox from 1910-1990, including the shape of the outfield and bullpens beyond the center field fence.

Field of Dreams, the big-screen adaptation of the W.P. Kinsella novel Shoeless Joe, was released to acclaim in 1989 with a cast that included stars Kevin Costner, Ray Liotta, James Earl Jones, and Amy Madigan. It has remained popular with baseball and movie fans alike, and a field has been left intact at the production site, allowing it to become a sought-out tourist destination. Since 1989, the Lansing Family Farm, which was used in the movie, has been a popular tourist attraction, now known as the “Field of Dreams Movie Site.” In 2011, the field was purchased by Denise Stillman and a group of investors with the goal of preserving the Field of Dreams and creating a special place for baseball fans, tournament players and families. Stillman began working with MLB in 2015, culminating in plans for this special game.

Rendering courtesy MLB.

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