(670 The Score) The Cubs are thrilled to get the opportunity to play in the second annual Field of Dreams Game on Thursday, when they’ll face the Reds amid the cornfields of Dyersville, Iowa.
"This will be a cool experience, a nice break from the monotony of a major league season and going park to park,” manager David Ross said. “I am sure that most, if not all, of the players in MLB have seen the movie. I have watched it multiple times and rewatched it because of the upcoming event. It’s just cool to think about playing a game in the middle of nowhere with cornfields all around you. So many unique jerseys as well will be a part of the event. Playing in primetime is always fun. It's good for baseball. It may make you feel more like a kid than we get to feel with a packed house at Wrigley on a Friday day game. I am sure the moment will be there, and we will all take in how great we will feel.”
In 2021, the White Sox beat the Yankees on shortstop Tim Anderson’s walk-off homer in the initial Field of Dreams Game, which was a resounding success. Prior to that, the state of Iowa had never hosted a regular-season MLB game.
"I have a couple of friends who played in the game last year, and said it was pretty special,” Cubs right-hander Alec Mills said. “Craig Kimbrel said it was a lot of fun in those surroundings for a day. It’s really cool to play a MLB game in a different atmosphere and in front of small crowds in grandstands and a farm setting. Just thinking about cornfields behind fences is way cool. I think the movie itself is a big favorite of a lot of guys.”
Cubs right-hander Marcus Stroman noted that events like the Field of Dreams Game can help MLB grow as a sport. For outfielder Ian Happ, the setting reminds him of families bonding through baseball.
“Baseball is such a big connection for many people,” Happ said. “It not only connects people who watch and play from all over the world, but it connects families as well. That is what you see at Wrigley every day. You see generations going to games together and enjoying special time with each other, dads and moms with their children out in the bleachers. A parent snagging a ball in the stands and giving it to their son or daughter is an amazing thing to watch from my vantage point. The movie and now this event hits on all of that. I think that is why this sport is so powerful.”
Cubs left-hander Drew Smyly will start against Reds left-hander Nick Lodolo.
“I am really pretty excited about that,” Smyly said. “It's going to be a lot of fun and a very unique experience. I have watched the movie five or six times, but I will watch it again this week just so I can get a better idea about the place before going there.”
Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.
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