• Archive: Field of Nostalgia
This isn’t heaven; it’s capitalism. It also has limits.
Aug 13, 2021
I’ve been a Field of Dreams fan since 1989 when I first saw the film in a theater. I don’t know how many times I’ve re-watched it, but if I stumble onto a cable airing, I watch again. “Hey, Dad, you wanna have a catch?” gets me every time.
But nothing compares to that first time. I grew up on a farm, and I grew up around corn — not Iowa corn, but corn nonetheless. Back in 1989, I got the baseball stuff though I didn’t realize how badly the film had faltered in omitting the Negro Leagues from the story. I also understood the father-son stuff and the mysticism (I was an English major, after all). But it was the farm stuff that got me.
Ray and Annie’s financial uncertainty was something I understood, and I also understood the neighbors’ absolute disbelief at Ray’s decision to take out his crop and build a baseball field. My father had all the tools to do that to his hayfield — plow it, plane it, and lay in a baseball diamond — but I could not begin to imagine it. My English major self understood the poetry; the farm girl knew that poetry didn’t stand a chance when it came to money.
As it turns out, MLB’s decision to build a Field of Dreams Game shows the league understands that, too — but in the end, the game is more powerful.
★ ★ ★
Major League Baseball determined in 2015 to recreate the Field of Dream experience with construction beginning in 2019, but their plans were set back by COVID. Yesterday, it all came to pass.
FOX Sports: MLB @MLBONFOXThey built it, and now they are here ⚾️🌽 #MLBatFieldOfDreams 📺: TONIGHT, 6 PM ET on FOX
Note the careful nostalgia: The revision of the original movie poster, this time highlighting contemporary and diverse athletes rather than Kevin Costner. The moonlight, the corn, the symbols of baseball, the romance.
Then, notice the Fox label down in the bottom left-hand corner and the discrete Nike swooshes on Aaron Judge’s and Tim Anderson’s uniforms. During the game, the Yankees and White Sox wore throwback uniforms modeled on their 1919 predecessors. On one hand, the replicas are remarkable. On another, the Nike swoosh rather gives away the game. Come for the nostalgia; then, buy some merch.
Social media teemed with charming images from Dyersville, Iowa, and Maury Brown reported that the venture was a success even before the teams took the field.
The field seated 8,000. Here’s how MLB distributed tickets:
Shane Church 👨💻🦬 @shaneschurch
★ ★ ★
In what it called an “attempt to grow the game,” MLB stressed that the Field of Dreams Game was the first MLB regular-season game ever played in the state of Iowa. In fact, MLB intends to continue this series:
Tyler Kepner @TylerKepner
The League’s decision to focus its efforts on Iowa is not without irony.
First, Iowa has a rich MiLB history. In 2020 when MLB contracted the minor leagues, the state lost the Burlington Bees and the Clinton Lumberjacks. Maybe MLB isn’t really committed to affiliated baseball in Iowa.
Second, the Field of Dreams Game obviously, overlooks the irony of MLB’s decision to impose on Iowans a television blackout of six teams. One fan took advantage of the moment:
Jesse Gavin @JesseGavin1Digital billboard currently running in Dubuque on the route to Dyersville. #FieldOfDreamsGame
This isn’t about growing the game or access. It’s all about money driven by an exploitation of nostalgia.
★ ★ ★
The broadcast itself was masterful, from the players walking in from the cornfield to the gorgeous visuals and the walk-off ninth inning.
Source: MLBonFOX Twitter
The nostalgia, though, was everywhere as men (and only men, mostly older) discussed their emotional reactions to the film. There were no interviews with Amy Madigan or Gabby Hoffmann, who played key characters in the film. No women — actors, reporters, or fans — were asked to describe their reactions to either the movie or the game.
★ ★ ★
Nostalgia, though, has its limits because the present will only tolerate so much. The Yankees and White Sox teams that took the field are younger and more diverse than those players portrayed in the film. Moreover, it was absolutely fitting that the game ended with a walk-off by one of the game’s most exciting young stars, Tim Anderson.
Ok yup this is one of the coolest videos we've ever seen. @whitesox | @TimAnderson7
Jared Diamond writes of Tim Anderson, who’s never seen Field of Dreams, “He’s young, Black, supremely talented — and on a mission to prove the sport he calls ‘corny’ can still be cool.” (The profile is terrific.) Zach Crizer goes one step further:
A dynamic Black star who wouldn’t have been allowed to wear the uniforms that inspired the beautiful White Sox throwbacks, Anderson doesn’t need to connect to the movie that inspired this event. He just needed the stage.
The energy here, the swagger, the excitement. Baseball, like the world, is ever changing. The sooner MLB embraces this, the better.
★ ★ ★
I enjoyed the game. In fact, I hated to leave it to for a Road Rockies game that felt doomed before it started. (It was: 7-0 Giants. If there’s anything that can kill a baseball mood, it’s the Road Rockies.)
I’ve changed a lot since 1989. I still read a lot, and I still love baseball, and I can still irrigate with the best of them, but I’d like to think I’m smarter now, too, though I know there will always be more to learn. But I’m not nostalgic about what’s done. The good ol’ days aren’t nearly as awesome as some make them out to be. I want to see what’s next. It would be good if baseball did too and rather than invest in nostalgia or NFTs or Bitcoin ventures or collaborations with companies that profit from excluding others, I wish MLB would bank on fans and inclusion and truly growing the game
My family’s farm is winding down now, and it’s a strange time. In 1989, we were entering a period of stability though we didn’t know it. That’s ending, and the ghosts (mostly friendly) are everywhere. It’s fine. In both baseball and life, I’m ready for the next thing.
Share Rockies Pitch: A Newsletter about Baseball & Fandom
Down on the Farm
- Where to put Joshua Fuentes these days, who, despite having a DRS of 10 at third base finds himself back in Albuquerque? Right now, the Isotopies have put him in the outfield. (Is he trying to become more of a utility player while fixing his swing?)
- Case Williams is back with the Rockies.
- Elehuris Montero was part of the Nolan Arenado deal. He’s also making noise in Hartford.
- Drew Romo and Zac Veen made MLB Pipeline’s Prospect Team of the Week.
Old Friends
- DJ LeMahieu has come back to earth.
- Two words: Jake McGee. This is probably good for Tony Wolters and probably not good for Rockies fans.
J.P. Hoornstra @jphoornstraLet’s Get Social
The Diamondbacks’ social team made an unusual announcement last Friday:
Arizona Diamondbacks @DbacksSent from my iPhone at 12:07PM
On one hand, taking a weekend off during the baseball season seems like a bad idea. On the other, the D-backs are having a very bad year, and surely their social media feeds have been one big dumpster fire, so I’d say they’ve earned it. (And the social team gets an A+ for their handling of this one.)
What I’m Reading, Watching, and Listening To
- Mario deGenz’s “Is Charlie Blackmon’s Power Gone?” (Purple Row) — It’s a good question.
Drew Goodman’s “Rockies’ Trade Inaction” (The Drew Goodman Podcast) — This is an interesting conversation for a couple of reasons. First, both Goodman in this podcast and Thomas Harding in a separate article begin outlining a way forward for the Rockies in the near term. Second, in this Cory Sullivan announces that he’s interested in working in a front office and becoming a general manager. I won’t be surprised to see the Rockies give him a front office opportunity next year.
Wynn McDonald’s “Could Ted Lasso Fix the Rockies?” (Pitcher List) — I like Ted Lasso (though I think the first season was better than the second). I also like the Rockies. McDonald attempts to be clever here, but the piece fails because he fundamentally does not understand what’s happening with the Rockies.
Maury Brown’s “MLB Seeing Local TV Households Decline Dramatically Compared With Last Full Season” (Forbes) — Overall, the numbers are not good — and the Rockies’ TV numbers are no exception. What’s interesting is that often ratings improve as teams attempt to play winning baseball. What a concept.
Andy McCullough’s “Nick Castellanos’ Deep Drive: The Reds Outfielder Continues to Find the Rhyme for His Reason in First All-Star Season” (The Athletic) — I’m a fan of a good profile, and McCullough’s here is top notch. (Plus, I’d like to see the Rockies sign Castellanos in the offseason.)
Weekend Walk-off
Even without Nolan Arenado, the Rockies’ infield is still very, very good. This play, however, was next level:
MLB @MLBTeamwork makes the dream work! 😱
Watching Brendan Rodgers come into himself has been a joy this season. Here’s to many more.
Thanks for reading —
Renee
@307Renee