Field of Dreams Game a cherished day for reporters, too
Mark Sheldon
@m_sheldonThis story was excerpted from Mark Sheldon's Reds Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
I¡¯ve had the good fortune to cover several different types of events for MLB.com over my 22 seasons. I¡¯ve been to festive Opening Days, postseasons, All-Star Games and a two-game series in Monterrey, Mexico.
I can now say I¡¯ve been to the Field of Dreams in Iowa, and it was sensational.
From the press box, I was mesmerized by the rolling fields of corn and the view. The stadium was intimate. A short distance away was the movie site. Going over there -- through the cornfield, of course -- was the kind of stuff I could never have imagined doing when I watched the movie in the theater (and loved it) when I was a teenager in 1989.
No, the second version of the MLB at Field of Dreams Game didn¡¯t have the same zest that the first one had. There was no appearance by Kevin Costner and no home runs were launched into the cornfield. It didn¡¯t matter to me, nor do I think it mattered to the nearly 8,000 people who attended the game.
For one day, the negativity over a difficult Reds (and Cubs) season took a backseat. I saw so many people just having a great time, watching baseball and talking about how much they love the game. Even on the way home while stopping for lunch in Indiana on Friday, I encountered an older gentleman wearing a shirt from the game and a Reds hat on his way back to Troy, Ohio. Still smiling, he told me it was one of the greatest things he got to do in his entire life.
I had the very good fortune of having my family able to make the trip and attend the game. I was also able to ¡°have a catch¡± with my 13-year-old son -- something we often do at home -- but it was extra special to get to do it on the infield where that magical film was made.
When we were done and I had to get back to work, I was floating for the rest of the day. I will never forget it and I¡¯m grateful for the opportunity to cover such a unique event.
Of course, the ¡°Field of Dreams¡± movie ended with Ray Kinsella (Costner) and his father playing catch. It¡¯s really the emotional touchstone of the film. Leave it to Joey Votto, who best explained why a game of catch can be meaningful.
¡°Well, the movie is built around relationships, [and] what either party wanted them to be. Their father and son relationship was kind of split, and I think all he wanted was to love and support his father and vice-versa,¡± Votto explained. ¡°Playing catch is different than any action in any other sport because you both share a ball -- you can go barehanded or with a glove -- but you have to do everything to support your partner. I have to throw the ball well, so you don¡¯t have to chase it down and we can continue this back-and-forth together. I have to catch the ball, so we don¡¯t pause the action.
¡°It¡¯s much more one than it is two separate parties doing something. Whenever I think about playing catch, I think about a bond between two people. In that movie, I think playing catch represented that.¡±
To get you caught up, here are some stories we had at MLB.com from Iowa: