Phillies Crush Twins 7-1 at Field of Dreams as 26 Hall of Famers Emerge From the Corn
The Philadelphia Phillies hit three home runs into the Iowa cornfield and beat the Minnesota Twins 7-1 on August 13 in the third edition of MLB's Field of Dreams Game, played before 8,000 fans in Dyersville, Iowa — a town of 4,477 people (The Guardian, AP News).
Kyle Schwarber hit two of those home runs. The Phillies' slugger went deep twice into the corn beyond the outfield wall, powering an offense that made the game feel less like a novelty and more like a runaway (AP News).
The ballpark sits carved into the cornfields of Dyersville, where the 1989 film Field of Dreams — starring Kevin Costner as an Iowa farmer who builds a baseball diamond in his fields — was shot. The facility was completely refurbished for this year's event, the third time MLB has staged a regular-season game on the site (MLB.com).
Before the first pitch, 26 Hall of Famers walked out of the corn in right field, recreating the movie's most famous scene. MLB believes it was the largest gathering of Hall of Famers at a single game since the 2008 All-Star Game (MLB.com, MLB.com).
The day had an unusual itinerary for the Phillies. They woke up in St. Louis, then flew to Iowa for the game — the kind of travel detour only a one-off event like this can create (MLB.com). Two days earlier, the minor leagues had their turn: the Triple-A Iowa Cubs beat the St. Paul Saints 6-3 at the same site on August 11, riding a five-run fifth inning (MLB.com).
This year's game was presented by John Deere, the equipment giant headquartered in nearby Moline, Illinois — a natural fit for an event planted in the heart of farm country (MLB.com).
What makes the Field of Dreams Game stand out is the scale of the contrast. A town of fewer than 5,000 people hosts two major-league franchises and a couple dozen of the greatest players who ever lived. The 8,000-seat temporary ballpark nearly doubles the population when it fills up. The corn is real. The game counts in the standings. And the players who walked out of it on Thursday night are in the record books.
