“Is this heaven?” That’s the iconic question posed to Ray Kinsella in the acclaimed 1989 film Field of Dreams starring Kevin Costner, Ray Liotta, and James Earl Jones. That movie forever tied baseball to corn.
Major League Baseball capitalized on that in 2021 when the New York Yankees squared off against my Chicago White Sox in Dyersville, Iowa at the iconic movie location. Nearly 6 million viewers turned on Fox to watch White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson hit a walk-off homerun into the corn in the bottom of the ninth. They’re hoping for even more viewers this Thursday night when the Chicago Cubs take on the Cincinnati Reds.
“When you look at this being played in a cornfield in Iowa, that just makes a corn farmers heart sing,” says National Corn Growers Association Chairman John Linder. He adds that the Field of Dreams game is a great way to promote the hard work corn farmers do for consumers.
“Consumer outreach is always a top priority for farmers. What we would like for folks to know is that the feedstock of many of their consumable food and fuel items, that corn is being raised sustainable and environmentally sound and that’s a very big focus for farmers. So, I think this is a nice place to carry that message forward, but education as part of what we do because if we’re not telling our story, how can anyone really know the good things we do and what impacts we can have so that future generations can enjoy this planet as well as we do today.”
And the corn that surrounds the Field of Dreams will be DEKALB brand corn. Jamie Horton, DEKALB brand manager, says they’re very excited about working with Major League Baseball.
“We’re honored to be the official corn seed of MLB at the Field of Dreams. And with DEKALB brand’s deep legacy of providing performance to farmers, it really only makes sense that these two American classics, baseball and the famous winged ear of corn come together. We believe winning has roots no matter what field you’re on, and the legacy of legendary performance comes from generations of meeting challenges head-on with persistence, passion, and team support.”
First pitch is slated for 7:15 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 10 on Fox. So, is it heaven? No…it’s Iowa. A corn field…in Iowa.
Source: NAFB News Service