Is this heaven?
No, it’s Iowa, and it’s where the Boston Red Sox will play on Aug. 12, 2027.
The Red Sox and Kansas City Royals will emerge from the cornfields and play the 2027 “Field of Dreams” game at the site of the 1989 cinematic classic that bears the same name, Major League Baseball announced Friday.
The Red Sox and Royals are the fourth pair of clubs to face off at the site of the 1989 cinematic classic “Field of Dreams.” The contest will also serve as the series opener for a three-game series between the visiting Red Sox and home-team Royals. After an off-day Friday, the Red Sox and Royals will continue their three-game series with Saturday and Sunday games at the latter’s Kauffman Stadium.
MLB’s announcement comes one day after the Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Minnesota Twins 7-1 on the Dyersville diamond. Highlights included Red Sox legend Roger Clemens and son Kody, a Twins utility-man, recreating the film’s famous “Have a catch” ending postgame.
It’s a full-circle moment for the Boston ball club and its historic ballpark, which famously played a key role in the 1989 film adaptation of author W.P. Kinsella’s novel. A disembodied voice instructs Kevin Costner’s Ray Kinsella to turn a significant amount of his cornfields into a regulation-sized ball field, then sends him to Boston to find Terence Mann, played to perfection by the late, great James Earl Jones, and take him to a game at Fenway Park. The unlikely duo of restless, reluctant farmer and reclusive author-slash-activist order a hot dog and beer apiece, the total cost a mere $7. As they sit in the packed stands watching the Red Sox play, a message meant only for them flashes across the centerfield video board.
KEVIN
COSTNER
AND JAMES
EARL JONES
IN ‘FIELD OF DREAMS’ KEVIN
COSTNER
AND JAMES
EARL JONES
IN ‘FIELD OF DREAMS’
Production filmed in Boston for about a week. The scenes at Fenway include two future homegrown movie stars in Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, who as teenage Red Sox fans and aspiring actors were among the many uncredited extras in the stands. They watched Costner take batting practice on the field, Affleck recalling years later the film’s star “banged a bunch of balls off the Green Monster, and even met the him during the shoot.
“To have the Red Sox take the field in Iowa, in a place that reminds us why people fall in love with baseball, will be incredibly special,” said Red Sox President & CEO Sam Kennedy in a statement released by MLB. “Part of what has allowed baseball to endure for generations is its ability to evolve while still holding onto the traditions, memories, and shared experiences that give the game its meaning. We can’t wait to experience that in Dyersville with our players, our fans, and baseball fans everywhere.”
Though Jones’ “The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball” line, is among the film’s most iconic and quotable, baseball isn’t exactly a constant at the moment. Tempering the excitement of Friday’s announcement is question of the 2027 season itself, as the collective bargaining agreement between the league and players’ union is set to expire on Dec. 1, and a lengthy lockout is all but guaranteed to follow. When the previous CBA expired in December 2021, the league locked the players out for 99 days, before coming to terms in mid-March, which gave them enough time to play a shortened spring training and full 162-game regular season.
But if the league and players can find a way to build it, people will come.
People will most definitely come.