Costner thrilled to be back in Iowa for 'Field of Dreams' game
DYERSVILLE, Iowa - Before the White Sox and Yankees played the first major-league game in Iowa Thursday night, Kevin Costner got things warmed up the right way.
The 66-year-old actor came walking out of the corn in right field, with the Sox and Yankees following close behind.
It was a fitting way to get the "Field of Dreams" game going, and Costner referenced the iconic movie before Sox starter Lance Lynn threw the first pitch of the game.
"Thirty years ago, we filmed a move that withstood the test of time," Costner said.
It certainly did, and the interest in the game has been so great, MLB Commissioner Ron Manfred said there will be another one next season and possibly beyond.
The Cubs are expected to be one of the teams in the 2022 Field of Dreams game, but Mandred declined to make an official announcement.
"I think the reception that this has received has been so positive that we will be back," Manfred said.
Costner, among others, thinks it's a great idea. The White Sox and Yankees were supposed to play in Iowa last season, but the game was moved back a year due to COVID-19.
"You never mess with a winning streak," Costner said. "It does feel like all the teams will want to touch this."
As for the "Field of Dreams' movie, Costner is not surprised it remains popular over three decades later.
"It was the perfect little movie," Costner said. "The climax, rather than a big car chase, was, 'Do you want to have a catch?' And it worked. And what I've seen out here is a replication of the attention to detail.
"There are movies I've been in that were great when they were written and by the time someone got their hands on them, they were different movies. This movie really held its line. It could've been goofy. It wasn't."
Soaking it in:
Good luck finding a major-league player who enjoyed Thursday's highly anticipated game more than Liam Hendriks.
The White Sox's closer is a big fan of "Fields of Dreams," and he did a quick tour of the movie set that sits next to the new stadium constructed for the game.
The Sox arrived from Minnesota Thursday morning and headed back to Chicago right after the game.
"I wish we got to spend more time here," Hendriks said. "I wish we'd made it a couple games where we're able to stay overnight and really experience the game without having to be rushed around on the day of. But in saying that, this is fantastic."
Hendriks particularly enjoyed walking through the corn maze that connects the stadium to the set where "Field of Dreams" was filmed.
"I'm wearing my game pants right now, so I was actively trying to avoid getting dirty," Hendriks said. "But other than that, it was awesome. It's a unique smell that I didn't quite anticipate. But it was cool.
"Being able to run through there, get some photos in there, has been fantastic. I'm sure at some point in the near future, anyone who follows me on Instagram is going to get very, very sick of corn photos."
Mendick added:
Both teams were allowed to add an extra player for Thursday night's game and the White Sox recalled infielder Danny Mendick from Class AAA Charlotte.
In 58 games with the Sox this season. Mendick is batting .195 with 2 home runs and 19 RBI.