DYERSVILLE, Iowa — It was the equivalent of extending your star player before seeing him play in a major league game.
As the Yankees took batting practice to prepare for the inaugural “Field of Dreams” game against the White Sox, at a pop-up ballpark built right through a cornfield from the original movie set, commissioner Rob Manfred announced the intention to hold a sequel.
“The reception has been so positive, we will be back next year,” Manfred said in a news conference. “It’s been so successful.”
Added the film’s star, Kevin Costner, sitting next to Manfred, “You don’t mess with a winning streak. It does feel like all of the teams are going to want to touch this.”
Cubs manager David Ross inadvertently disclosed on Wednesday that his team would be participating in the 2022 contest, a fact Manfred wouldn’t confirm. It of course makes all the sense in the world for the Cubs to follow their neighbors to the south, given Chicago’s proximity to here, their Triple-A team playing in Iowa and the franchise’s overall brand strength. If this tradition keeps going, you could easily see the Cardinals, Royals, Twins and Brewers playing close enough to serve as a home team here and then pick up a home series back at their own places, just as the White Sox are doing with the Yankees this weekend.
And why shouldn’t it keep going? The reviews for this setup were overwhelmingly positive, in actions as much as words.