Is This Heaven? No, It's Iowa

Some of Major League Baseball's ideas are either very dumb or simply don't work.  And sometimes they hit a home run.  Thursday night's game at the Field of Dreams was the latter.  Much like the beloved movie, everything about the night was perfect.

That's the common consensus among fans from all across the game.  Not a single negative word was said about anything involved with the event (even from Yankee fans who didn't particularly like the ending).  From the players walking out of the cornfield to the 1919-style uniforms to the manual scoreboard in right field, every single element hit all the right marks. 

It was a ratings hit, too, drawing nearly six million viewers, making it FOX's highest-rated regular-season broadcast since 2005.  Is it any surprise, then, that MLB has already committed to returning in 2022?  The Field of Dreams game sure has the makings of an annual event, so some of the novelty will likely wear off over time.  But that does nothing to take away from the magical night that was the first one.

These two teams were originally supposed to play at the Field of Dreams in 2020, but those plans, of course, had to change because of the pandemic.  Since the Yankees and White Sox didn't play each other last season, it became an interleague game between the White Sox and Cardinals instead.  When it became clear that fans wouldn't be able to attend, however, the 2020 edition was cancelled entirely, which was the right call.  Because playing this game in front of no fans would've completely defeated the purpose.

And they were absolutely the right two teams, too.  When they first announced plans for the Field of Dreams game, you knew the White Sox had to be the home team.  There was no other choice!  They're the team that the freakin' movie was about!  So, since the first team was obvious, it was really a matter of who the White Sox would play.

Yankee haters can complain all they want about the fact that the Yankees are "always" picked for these special events, but there's a reason for that.  They're the biggest draw and most recognizable name in baseball.  That's why they went to London two years ago (more on that later).  Beyond that, though, MLB wanted to make sure they got a good game, so picking the Yankees meant they'd have at least one good team.  As it turns out, they got two good teams, and the game itself was a classic!

Moving forward, of course, it can't be Yankees-White Sox every year.  Even that would get stale.  I'd even venture to say it can't be the White Sox every year, even though they'll always be the natural choice.  It might not even be the White Sox next year if they want to keep the same general date (although, they host the Red Sox in late May, so that would also be an intriguing option if the date is flexible).

I have a feeling the Field of Dreams game will become MLB's version of the Winter Classic...the game that everybody wants to play in.  Of course, the difference is that it wouldn't be in their home city.  Both teams would be headed to Iowa.  It'll be similar to the now-annual Little League Classic, which will for the first time not feature either the Pirates or Phillies this season (it's Indians-Angels).

If you want to talk about MLB special event home runs, the Little League Classic is another one.  You can tell how much it means to the Little Leaguers, especially the international kids who might see only one live Major League game in their lifetime--that one!  And you can tell the Major Leaguers love it too!  They get a chance to act like kids for a few hours, which is sometimes exactly what they need five months into a long season!

Thursday night's game was the same thing.  The players knew they were taking part in something special, and they soaked up the experience.  Even if the Field of Dreams game does become an annual event (and why wouldn't it?), there's still only one first time.  And they were the lucky ones who got to play in that game!

This was the second time in three seasons that the Yankees got to take part in something special.  They, of course, played the two-game London Series against the Red Sox in July of 2019.  MLB is planning on going back to London as soon as they're able too, but, much like the NFL London games, I have a feeling those are gonna lose their luster.  I'm not sure the Field of Dreams games will.

Because it was much more than just a baseball game.  It was an experience.  It made you feel everything you thought while watching the movie.  It's why Field of Dreams is still so beloved more than 30 years later.  It's that magic of your dream coming true.  It's the simple idea of just playing catch with your dad and all it represents.

When I first found out they weren't using the actual movie set for the game, I was a little disappointed.  But the fact that they didn't actually made it so much better!  Because, as Joe Buck said during the broadcast, you had kids playing catch on one field while a Major League game was taking place on the other.  Grown men and kids all playing a kid's game in basically the same place at the same time.  And, who knows?  Maybe some of those kids will become Major Leaguers themselves one day.

One of my favorite scenes in the movie is when Shoeless Joe asks Ray, "Is this Heaven?" and Ray responds, "No.  It's Iowa."  Well, with all due respect to Kevin Costner, it's both.  Because if that Iowa cornfield isn't Heaven for anyone who loves baseball, I'm not sure what is.