MLB Field Of Dreams Game In Jeopardy For Next Season
There's a good chance the Field of Dreams game will not return in 2023, because of construction at the Iowa site according to The Des Moines Register. This news came from Fox Sports baseball analyst Frank Thomas, who is part of the group that owns the field in Dyersville, Iowa.
After the inaugural Field of Dreams game between the Yankees and White Sox in 2021, and this year’s edition between the Cubs and Reds, fans may have to wait to see another Major League game in Dyersville, Iowa.
“It’s a lot going on,” Thomas said. “They don’t want to come back if the stadium’s not prepared.”
The Hall of Famer's company is planning to build a youth sports complex near the stadium, with construction slated to start later this year. That construction, however, will prevent the stadium from being used in 2023. Thomas did indicate that regular-season games could return in subsequent years.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - JULY 07: Former Chicago White Sox player Frank Thomas prior to the game between the Chicago White Sox and the Chicago Cubs at Guaranteed Rate Field on July 07, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images)
Thomas and real-estate developer Rick Heidner bought the Field of Dreams site last year. At the time, they made plans for improvements to the stadium that plays host to the Field of Dreams game.
These plans included the sprawling youth sports complex which is expected to feature fields, dormitories for visiting teams and even an on-site boutique hotel.
First Field of Dreams game was a massive success
Major League Baseball couldn't have hoped for a better first Field of Dreams Game. The 2021 Yankees-White Sox matchup became the most watched MLB regular-season game in 16 years.
It was a bright spot for the league which has been struggling to gain traction with audiences.
The Field of Dreams game looked like it was becoming MLB's version of the NHL's Winter Classic, an annual, marquee event designed to celebrate the history of the sport.
For the last few years, Major League Baseball has been holding an annual Little League Classic in Williamsportk, Pennsylvania to coincide with the Little League World Series. The league is also planning the return of the London Series in 2023, 2024 and 2026.
Neither of those had the level of success upon debut that the Field of Dreams game had.
It remains to be seen if the league can recapture the magic of its first foray into the Iowa cornfields, but even if the Cubs-Reds edition falls flat it's something that would be worth doing again.