It will be built, and they will come.
The Yankees will play a game next season at the site of the Field of Dreams in Dyersville, Iowa, Major League Baseball announced Thursday. They will play the White Sox on Aug. 13, 2020 and MLB said it will build a temporary 8,000-seat ballpark at the movie site, with construction set to begin this month.
“The Yankees organization is proud to participate in such a unique celebration of baseball,” Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner said in a statement. “Field of Dreams captures the pure essence of baseball, and it continues to bring generations of fans — and families — together to embrace its timeless roots. It’s a distinct honor for us to showcase our great game in such an iconic and intimate setting while promoting the movie’s legacy. I fully expect that this experience will exemplify why baseball remains a cherished American pastime.”
It’s another landmark event for the Yankees, who participated in MLB’s first trip to London in late June.
The league announced the game with a video of Aaron Judge put into a scene of the “Field of Dreams” movie, running out on to the field and asking, “Hey, is this heaven?” before Kevin Costner’s character, Ray Kinsella, says, “No, it’s Iowa.”
“I had heard little whispers about it the entire year, but I hadn’t heard much about it lately,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “But you see the Aaron Judge commercial. I think it is great, these games that Major League Baseball is doing. I was with ESPN and “Sunday Night Baseball” at Fort Bragg and Williamsport. It’s a special thing that they do and they will do a great job of getting it ready. Obviously it is such an iconic movie to go there. I think it is something we will all start to look forward to next year.’’
The spectacle will be a White Sox home game. The teams will be off the following day and continue their series that Saturday in Chicago. Part of the Iowa ballpark design, including the outfield, will pay homage to Comiskey Park, the former home of the White Sox. Fans will be able to get to the ballpark on a pathway through a cornfield. MLB is still working out the specifics, but the league is planning to put tickets on sale to the general public.
“As a sport that is proud of its history linking generations, Major League Baseball is excited to bring a regular season game to the site of Field of Dreams,” commissioner Rob Manfred said in the statement. “We look forward to celebrating the movie’s enduring message of how baseball brings people together at this special cornfield in Iowa.”
— Additional reporting by George A. King III
