A Hollywood ending despite Yankees' loss
Chicago White Sox's Tim Anderson celebrates his walk-off home run against the New York Yankees in the ninth inning of the Field of Dreams game, Thursday, Aug. 12, 2021 in Dyersville, Iowa. Credit: AP/Charlie Neibergall
Once again, the sequel was better than the original.
"Field of Dreams," the movie? Heart-tugging baseball film with enduring father-son themes strong enough to bring generations to tears. An emotionally-charged reviewer's grade: B.
"Field of Dreams," the game? Wow. What else can you say about the Yankees and White Sox crop-dusting an Iowa cornfield with eight homers, including a pair from Aaron Judge, a go-ahead shot in the ninth by Giancarlo Stanton and a walk-off blast by Tim Anderson? The best thing to happen to baseball in years. A wildly-entertaining grade: A-plus.
"Just coming here and playing in the middle of corn," Anderson said, "Who would’ve thought that?"
It’s not very often a game exceeds the hype, but that’s what everyone got Thursday night, live from Dyersville, Iowa. The ballpark landscape was more Hollywood than the actual movie set, which was adjacent to the 8,000-set stadium field, and featured faux-plywood dugouts and manually-operated scoreboard. Having the Yankees and White Sox outfitted in their early-1900s uniform completed the look.
And there was the corn. Oceans of it. When the players emerged from the high rows of stalks, again summoned by Costner, as in the movie, it had the same ghostly effect as when Shoeless Joe Jackson appeared with his fellow Black Sox in the film.
Speaking of Shoeless Joe, it was pointed out by stats enthusiast Doug Kern on Twitter after the game that Anderson hit the 15th walk-off home run for the White Sox in their history against the Yankees. The first? That was Jackson himself, on July 20, 1919.
Amazing that a game spawned by a movie derived from the game ended with such a cinematic flourish. Rob Manfred couldn’t have scripted it any better. As for the Yankees, it turned out to be one plot twist too many. After clawing back from a 7-3 deficit to take an 8-7 lead in the ninth on home runs by Judge (five RBIs) and Stanton, Aaron Boone handed the ball to Zack Britton, who issued a one-out walk before teeing up the game-winner to Anderson.
Everything about the trip to Dyersville had been magical up to that point. The Yankees even raved about the bus ride through town, with people lining the streets, holding signs, cheering their arrival. And once the Yankees saw the field, it was almost as if baseball were brand new to them again, having never before played in such a unique environment.
That electricity seemed to wear off some as the Yankees fell behind midway through, thanks to another disappointing start from Andrew Heaney, who after Thursday’s three homers now has given up eight over his 15 innings since coming over from the Angels at the deadline. But the voltage returned in the ninth, when the Yankees were down to their final out before Stanton’s two-run blast.
As for Anderson’s crushing blow, you can just toss it on the pile with the rest of the Yankees’ brutal defeats this season. This was their first loss in a game that both Judge and Stanton homered (11-1) and they slipped to 8-8 in walk-off scenarios this year alone, with only the Phillies having more dramatic finishes (17). Also, the Yankees have surrendered five walk-off home runs, the most in MLB.
All in all, it was a magnificent show. Costner played to the crowd shortly before the first pitch in asking, "Is this Heaven?" -- a signature quote from the movie -- but he changed the line to say, "Yes it is."
Baseball-wise, sure. And Boone agreed, right up to Anderson launching that Britton sinker into the cornfield.
"That ruined it a little bit, honestly," Boone said. "I mean, we’re here with business to do and these games are huge. It sucks to walk in here after a tough loss after you look like you stole it back. But that said, that was as special and breathtaking a setting for a baseball game that I can ever remember being a part of ... That’s probably a moment I’ll remember for the rest of my life."
Just as the movie "Field of Dreams" stirred emotions that stuck with people long after they watched the 1989 Oscar-nominated film, Thursday night’s historic event left plenty of indelible images as well. In the standings, it goes down as an "L" for the Yankees, who now travel to Chicago this weekend to face the White Sox on their home turf (spoiler alert: there’s no cornstalks on the South Side). But the whole "Field of Dreams" game was a giant "W" across the board, with Manfred saying there will be another next year, and likely plenty more after that.
This one set a high bar, however. Maybe not on the level of playing catch with the ghost of Shoeless Joe, but as close to baseball heaven as you can get on an August night in Dyersville.
David Lennon is an award-winning columnist, a voter for baseball's Hall of Fame and has covered six no-hitters, including two perfect games.
