They're building it, but the Yankees officially won't come.
According to the Des Moines Register, the St. Louis Cardinals will replace the Yankees as the Chicago White Sox' opponent in the Aug. 13 "Field of Dreams" game in Dyersville, Iowa.
While the full MLB schedule hasn't been released yet, the proposed regional schedule where teams would play 40 games against division rivals and 20 against teams in the corresponding division in the opposite league, meant that the Yankees and White Sox would not play each other in 2020.
The White Sox, however, would be playing both the AL and NL Central, and the Cardinals are an interesting choice for multiple reasons; beyond the possibility of an intra-Windy City battle with the Cubs, the town of Dyersville, which is roughly 200 miles northwest of Chicago, is closer geographically to Milwaukee and Minneapolis than St. Louis, with the former also representing an inter-league game.
The pandemic may mean that there will be no fans in attendance at the currently still-under construction 8,000-seat venue in Dyersville, but MLB still hopes to play the game at the site made famous by the eponymous movie.
"We hope to have the option to play," MLB said in a statement. "Construction is continuing and we are following all CDC and state protocols regarding recommended safety practices, including social distancing, washing hands, and temperature checks before arriving to the site. We are monitoring ongoing events and plan to remain as flexible as these circumstances demand."
The game would be the first major-league game ever played in Iowa, and the temporary stadium is being built adjacent to the cornfield that served as the baseball setting for the iconic 1989 film.
And, even with no fans on-site, they'd still be able to "come," as the game is scheduled to be televised nationally by FOX.
Follow Lou DiPietro on Twitter: @LouDiPietroWFAN
Follow WFAN on Social MediaTwitter | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube
