White Sox and Yankees put on a show at ‘Field of Dreams’ game in Iowa

How people prepared for historic MLB ‘Field Of Dreams’ game

MLB at Field of Dreams

Dyersville, Iowa, a town of just over 4,000 people, could see its population more than triple when the long-anticipated MLB Field of Dreams game between the Chicago White Sox and the New York Yankees is finally played.

Construction began on a Major League Baseball regulation field and stadium in August 2019 with a maximum capacity of 8,000 to host the first-ever regular-season Major League Baseball game in Iowa. Due to the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic, the MLB at Field of Dreams presented by GEICO has been postponed to 2021, with an official date of Thursday, August 12.

Dyersville’s claim to fame means the small town has long been a tourist attraction. However, according to Mayor James Heavens, this game may be its biggest tourist boom to date, although officials have been unsure of just how many people to prepare for.

“We don’t know quite what to expect,” Heavens said. “We’re going to have twice as many people just in the stands as [those who] live in town.”

To prepare, volunteers have spent the week setting up for the official watch party in the town square and restaurants have shipped in extra food. Vendor tents have popped up. Extra security has been brought in and existing security amped up. The town’s three hotels were all quickly booked, meaning surrounding cities are also carrying the weight of housing tourists for the week.

“Everyone has their lawn mowed and their flag out, and we fixed all the potholes in town, just trying to put our best foot forward,” Heavens said. “It’s showtime and I think we’re ready to go.”

The three-time All-Star right fielder, Aaron Judge said “It was the first time people had their headphones out, and they were just glued to the windows, checking out the scenery.”

“We have a lot of guys from different countries who really haven’t seen the country like this, or guys from big cities who really haven’t seen open fields and stuff like this, so it was pretty cool driving in and seeing everybody in town kind of standing on the side of the roads with signs and cheering us on.”

“As a kid, you dream of the chance to play Major League Baseball and you watch certain movies or heroes in comic books and fairytales, and getting a chance to actually be at the Field of Dreams and play a game here and have family and friends here and getting a chance to represent the Yankees here, never in my life did I think I’d ever experience this,” he said.

The TV crew in charge of relaying this incredible game to the masses has been spinning thoughts for months — years, really. The opportunities are endless for FOX’s baseball production staff, which will broadcast Thursday’s Field of Dreams game between the New York Yankees and Chicago White Sox live from this storied Dyersville cornfield.

There are chances for FOX to go beyond the box score with every baseball broadcast, weaving in timely tales and picturesque shots that capture the environment as much as the score and count. But what’s upcoming is a different level of intensity. A game — centered on a movie several generations can quote on-demand — offers an opportunity to deliver an exclusive broadcast oozing nostalgia and film creativity.

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