Players walk onto the field before Thursday night’s Major League Baseball game between the Minnesota Twins and the Philadelphia Phillies at the Field of Dreams movie site in Dyersville.
Associated Press/Charlie Neibergall
DYERSVILLE — Major League Baseball announced Friday that there will indeed be another regular-season game held next season at the Field of Dreams.
The Kansas City Royals and Boston Red Sox will play on August 12, 2027. That’s a Thursday.
This is contingent, of course, on MLB getting its labor situation with the Major League Baseball Players Association figured out. The current working agreement between the sides expires after this World Series.
“We are thrilled to showcase our athletes through one of Major League Baseball’s most cherished events and help to grow the game to a worldwide audience,” Royals president of business operations Cullen Maxey said in a press release. “Royals territory already covers the Midwest, including Dyersville, so this is a natural fit that provides Royals fans a chance to cheer on the home team in a magical setting.”
“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 and CEO Sam Kennedy. “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.”
There were 7,163 fans at Thursday night’s game between the Philadelphia Phillies and Minnesota Twins, as Major League Baseball returned to the Field of Dreams for the third time, the first since 2022. By any measure, the event (and it was just that, an event) was a smashing success.
Philadelphia won the game, 7-1, receiving two home runs from Kyle Schwarber. That included one leading off the game.
“Obviously you want to check that off, right?” Schwarber said. “If you have an opportunity to play a game here, you want positive results. But to do it here, yes, it was really cool. We were talking about it coming over here (to the media room), just how the experience was when we got here.
Philadelphia Phillies left fielder Brandon Marsh fields a single by Minnesota Twins’ Kaelen Culpepper during the ninth inning of a baseball game at the Field of Dreams movie site, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026, in Dyersville, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
“Have the opportunity to walk around to the movie site, walk around and see it, we all watched the movie as kids growing up. So it was really cool to see exactly where it was. Just the whole ceremony, to it, too, where you walk out of the corn. You have the opportunity to meet the Hall of Famers before you walk out. You get to walk out through the corn, take a peek at the big (video) board and kind of visualize the movie all over again. And it ends up being you doing it. It’s kind of a reality pinch.”
Here are three of my personal highlights from Thursday:
The Pregame Ceremony
It’s always cool to see the two teams emerge from the cornfields beyond the right-field fence of what is now a permanent stadium. The Twins and Phillies did so in groups of five or so as music from the movie played over the public-address system.
Watch as the Minnesota Twins, Philadelphia Phillies and Baseball Hall of Famers emerge from corn at the Field of Dreams in Dyersville, Iowa on Thursday, August 13, 2026.
But then 26 Baseball Hall of Famers began to emerge behind them. It’s believed to be the largest collection of HOFers at a game since the 2008 All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium.
The first eight to appear were Paul Molitor, Bert Blyleven, Joe Mauer, Steve Carlton, Mike Schmidt, Andruw Jones, Harold Baines and Jim Kaat. Then it was Jim Thome, Scott Rolen, Ivan Rodriguez, Cal Ripken Jr., Larry Walker, Fred McGriff, Andre Dawson and Adrian Beltre.
Rolen, Thome and Walker held up their phones to video the scene.
Next were C.C. Sabathia, Tony LaRussa, Joe Torre, Fergie Jenkins, Jeff Kent and Tony Perez. Finally and fittingly were Hall of Fame closers Lee Smith, Billy Wagner, Rollie Fingers and Trevor Hoffman.
As the teams lined up on their respective base lines, the Hall of Famers circled around them on the infield as everyone stood and applauded. A powerful moment.
“I guess to sum it all up, if I could see my father walk through the cornfield, I tell you what, I’d love to play catch with him,” Schmidt said.
Philadelphia Phillies right fielder Bryce Harper gets set for a play during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins at the Field of Dreams movie site, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026, in Dyersville, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
Clemens and Bonds in the house, too
All-time greats Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds were there, as well.
Bonds did work on Netflix’s game coverage. Clemens was there to support his son, Kody, who plays for the Twins.
After the game, father and son walked to the movie site diamond and played catch, mimicking the final dramatic movie scene in which star Kevin Costner’s character had a catch with his dad. Kody wore his Twins uniform, Roger an old, historical Red Sox uniform.
“It was all his idea,” Kody Clemens said. “He wanted to emulate the movie scene with the dad and Kevin Costner. I was all for it. It was hilarious — there were a ton of fans out there walking around and then we just walked right through them and started filming, and everyone was like ‘What’s happening?’”
The Minnesota Twins’ Luke Keaschall celebrates after hitting a home run during the second inning of Thursday’s game against the Philadelphia Phillies at the Field of Dreams movie site in Dyersville. Keaschall is former Cedar Rapids Kernel.
Associated Press/Charlie Neibergall
All kinds of former Cedar Rapids Kernels
At one point in the middle of the game, there were nine players in the field for the Twins. Eight of them played for the Cedar Rapids Kernels before working their way to the majors.
The exception was second baseman Clemens.
Travis Adams was pitching and Ryan Jeffers catching. Royce Lewis was at first base, Brooks Lee at third, Kaelen Culpepper at shortstop, Luke Keaschall in right field, Byron Buxton in center and Trevor Larnach in left.
“When you’re on the field, you start playing ball again, it’s kind of like comfort zone in a way,” Larnach said postgame. “I’ve been doing this every day since spring training on. But the different setting was cool. It was just a cool atmosphere. The amount of people that showed up, and the way it was put together, all around it was such an experience. I’ll never forget it.”
There were 13 former Kernels players on Minnesota’s roster. Former C.R. manager Toby Gardenhire is a coach for the Twins.
Minnesota Twins shortstop Kaelen Culpepper throws out the Philadelphia Phillies’ Justin Crawford at first base during the fourth inning of Thursday’s game at the Field of Dreams movie site in Dyersville. Culpepper is a former Cedar Rapids Kernel.
Associated Press/Charlie Neibergall