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Major League Baseball will be back in heaven tonight. Or is it Iowa?
The Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds will meet at a ballpark next to the filming location of the iconic 1989 movie “Field of Dreams,” where Ray Kinsella (played by Kevin Costner) built a baseball field in the middle of his cornfields at the direction of a mysterious voice that told him, “If you build it, they will come.”
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Costner made an appearance at last year’s inaugural game, where he led members of the Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees out of the corn and onto the field.
The 2021 game was a back-and-forth affair, with Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton going deep in a four-run ninth inning to put the Yankees in front by one. That joy was short-lived, however, as White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson homered into the darkened cornfields for a two-run walk-off.
This year’s version has a lot to live up to, and we’ll be there every step of the way to chronicle one of MLB’s coolest new innovations. Follow along with us right here.
A father-son moment
Before the first pitch, Reds greats Ken Griffey Sr. and Ken Griffey Jr. emerged from the cornfields in right to “have a catch,” followed by current Reds and Cubs. All walked together to the infield where they were met by Hall of Famers and former players from each squad. Cubs legend Ferguson Jenkins then threw out the first pitch to former Reds star Johnny Bench. — Jesse Rogers
Taking it all in
Before the game, Cubs and Reds players enjoyed a tour of the ballpark. There is a pathway through the cornfields that leads to the site where scenes from the 1989 sports drama were filmed.
The Reds’ mascots also took part in the sightseeing.
