Field of Dreams 2022: A Retrospective

Field of Dreams 2022: A Retrospective

The fictional Terrance Mann in the film “Field of Dreams” told us! He said that people would:

“come to Iowa for reasons they can’t even fathom...And they’ll watch the game, and it’ll be as if they’d dipped themselves in magic waters.”

And it was so. In 2021 Major League Baseball hosted a regular-season game at a temporary ballpark constructed at the Field of Dreams movie site, which has attracted visitors looking to find movie magic — and real-life connections with family and friends — for three decades. The life-meets-art-meets-life-meets-art circuit was complete when the White Sox beat the Yankees with a dramatic Hollywood ending and thousands of fans in attendance (and millions more watching the game across the globe) enjoyed a modern game of baseball wrapped in the nostalgia and emotion inspired by the “Field of Dreams” film. This year, baseball and Hollywood put on a sequel complete with now-familiar nods to the past along with a surprise holographic cameo that was more magic from the corn (and a bit of corny magic).

Like so many baseball fans, the guys behind Baseball BBQ have enjoyed the excitement of the MLB at Field of Dreams games. But, thanks to a few baseball connections — and some storytelling — Baseball BBQ was able to experience a little of the Magic in the corn. Baseball BBQ partner Brett Mandel wrote the book, “Is This Heaven? The Magic of the Field of Dreams,” which tells the story of how this fictional movie set has become a real attraction for so many tourists and pilgrims. Last year, the book was republished to include a new afterword that catches readers up on the new history including the MLB at the Field of Dreams games. In 2021 and 2022, Baseball BBQ hosted a booth at Dyersville’s Beyond the Game festival, greeting Iowa locals and visiting baseball fans from afar to talk baseball, sign some books, reminisce about the film, and buy some of Baseball BBQ’s patented bat-handle BBQ products and accessories.

This year, Cubs and Reds fans were able to purchase MLB-licenses products. (Cubs fans definitely were bigger purchasers this year…maybe that brought them the karma the team needed to emerge with a win at the Field of Dreams movie site.) in addition, BBQ tools engraved “If You Grill it…They Will Come” products and “Is This Heaven?”were popular items.

Some days at the Baseball BBQ office are filled with sawdust and laser burns and some days are spent talking with people inspired by our products and watching a little baseball history in a cornfield.

Terrence Mann Said, “Oh people will come, Ray. People will most definitely come.” People came and were delighted with baseball, movie nostalgia, and great BBQ tools!