2022 MLB Field of Dreams Game: Four things to know with Cubs, Reds set to meet in Iowa

Thursday , Chicago Cubs And the Cincinnati Reds They will meet in Dyersville, Iowa, for the second edition of Major League Baseball’s Dream Field game. The game is a living homage to the popular 1989 movie “field of dreamsStarring Kevin Costner, James Earl Jones, Amy Madigan, and the late Ray Liotta, it was partly an exploration of baseball nostalgia.

Although opinions differ on how effective the film was, it is indisputable that it is one of the most discussed and featured baseball films of all time (it was also a nominee for the Academy Award for Best Picture). The movie hinges on the decision made by the Costner farmer’s character to carve a baseball diamond out of a cornfield – at great personal risk and at a cost – all because of a mysterious whisperer’s voice telling him:

This field will be visited by the ghosts of longtime baseball players and by a lost presence in Costner’s character’s life. But enough spoilers.

The dimensions of the movie’s field itself — now a prominent Iowa tourist destination — can’t be played for a major league game, but a nearby field set up for last year’s inaugural FoD game between New York Yankees And the Chicago White Sox It definitely captured the essence of things. Folks, there was a lot of corn.

Now, let’s set the scene for Field of Dreams 2nd Edition by playing the basic things to know.

How to watch Field of Dreams

where: Dyersville, Iowa | When: 7:15 PM ET on Thursday, August 11th
TV channel: Fox | Live broadcast: fuboTV (try for free)
Prospect: to be announced later on

Now for a few things to know about the 2022 edition.

1. The Reds and the Cubs will wear the Throwback Uniform

Given that Field of Dreams was heavily inspired by the Deadball Era over a century ago, the two rival teams will be suitably equipped. It says here that it will look very good. First, the cubs:

And the:

This type of blending works very well. The shirt and pants are from the 1929 Cubs Banner campaign, and the hat is from the 1914 season.

Now for the reds:

This group featured prominently during the 1914-20 period, and you can consider the Reds’ batting helmet an early favorite for the “best thing to happen” when it comes to the 2022 FoD uniform.

MLB tended to hold mic talks with players in dugout and even on the field while the game was in progress, and it’s no surprise that this was the case Thursday night. The lucky/damaged players in this game are Reds 1st player Joe Votto and Cubs defender Ian Hap. They will shake the two-way microphone at some point during the match. With Votto’s attractive and humorous presence, he might be a perfect fit for this sort of thing.

3. The stadium will be the star

Like last year, the custom-designed FoD football stadium will be the story of the night. As noted above, the field from the film isn’t suitable for an MLB competition, but the field being used captures the same essence thanks to notes of grace such as a hand-made scoreboard and 159 acres of surrounding 10-foot-high corn stalks. What adds to the ambiance is the seven-foot-high green chain link fence that makes it look like, yes, they’re playing in the middle of an Iowa cornfield.

Also, each team will have a bounce logo etched into the corn behind the right field wall. consideration:

4. It will be difficult to top last year’s edition

The first FoD game, unlike this year’s model, featured contenders and eventual playoffs. Also, White Sox Shortstop Tim Anderson delivered one of the most memorable closing acts of the season against the Yankees:

Additionally, MLB notes that last year’s game “brought nearly six million viewers and constituted the most-watched singles baseball game of the regular season on any network since 1998.”

Given that both the Reds and the Cubs are nearing the bottom of the National Central League standings and vying for the most for a spot in 2023, the stakes are clearly much lower. However, the setting and the visuals are the real stars of FoD, and you’ll be at the pinnacle of it again.