There was lots of excitement surrounding the Field of Dreams game when the Yankees and White Sox played in Iowa on Aug. 12. A couple weeks ago, we shared with you the story of a Clarion man who actually went to the game. In that same story, we told you about one of the umpire’s experiences. This week, we are bringing you a look at the big game from a different perspective…from beyond the cornfields.
“I think it’s against the law to be a (Chicago) Cubs fan and cheer for the White Sox….but that was awesome,” posted Lindsay Kerch on her Facebook page after the Field of Dreams game was over.
This once Goldfield, Iowa resident wasn’t at the game in person, but she was a part of the morning excitement before the first pitch was ever thrown. Having just moved to Delhi, Iowa, located 13 miles from Dyersville (where the Field of Dreams is located), Lindsay and her daughter, Karly, decided to go and take in a bit of the action before the lines of cars and all the fans arrived. They arrived about 10 a.m.
“It was fun, lots of excitement and a beautiful day. It wasn’t really very busy, but we were there early,” she said of the experience.
Although there weren’t a lot of people…at first…there were a lot of things to do. Lindsay and Karly were excited to be able to partake in some of the events before it got too crowded, which it was starting to get when they left about noon. Some of the things they enjoyed were the food trucks, a tent with Iowa-made products, live music, and the exhibit of the making of the Field of Dreams movie to mention a few. They were also impressed with the photo opportunities and the information on the author of the book that inspired the movie. They also spotted the UNI cheerleaders, inflatables, and lots of games to enjoy.
“The people there were all so happy and so excited,” Lindsay noted.
But that was not the first visit Lindsay had ever made to the most famous baseball field in Iowa. She and her boyfriend, Larry Schuman, actually went to Dyersville in September of 2020. They took part in an event where they had dinner on the field. It was held as an honorary event since the originally scheduled game between the White Sox and the Yankees was scheduled for August of 2020 but was canceled due to the COVID pandemic.
“We may have broken the rules a little,” Lindsay chuckled
. They took it upon themselves to take a little walk to the major league baseball field…where they encountered a security guard, and a very nice one at that, according to Lindsay.
He said to them, “You know you’re not supposed to be back here?’ but then gave them time to look around and shared with them some interesting facts.
“To be able to stand there and know what was going to happen in a year (2021) was kind of cool…then seeing the actual game being played this year from the comfort of my home watching it on television and eating pizza was very cool,” said Lindsay.
But she did admit, the field in person didn’t look very big like it did in the movie or on TV.
One thing she admitted to being a little disappointed about in regards to the television broadcast is that she felt it focused a lot on fathers and sons. Of course, that was the idea behind the movie, but she noted how there are women who can hold deep bonds with baseball as well.
“Baseball is my favorite sport, so (the Aug. 12, 2021 Field of Dreams game played in Dyersville) was something that connected me to my grandparents,” explained Lindsay.
As mentioned earlier, Lindsay is a Chicago Cubs fan, and although her family cheers for another team, it’s baseball that is that special bond for them. Her Grandparents and parents are Cardinal fans. Her Dad was named after a Cardinal player. Her Grandfather even tried out for the Cardinal baseball team…but never got to play because it was war time.
“It was cool to watch the game and know I have been there and have it be familiar,” said Lindsay.
There was also another connection to the big game that Lindsay had. Larry’s nephew worked at it parking cars. Lindsay herself had originally planned on applying to volunteer to help, but wasn’t sure they would be moved to their house in time. She definitely intends to apply for next year’s game between the Chicago Cubs (remember, it’s her favorite team) and the Reds. She’s hoping her year’s experience working with the Iowa Cubs when she was younger will give her a little boost on her application.
One of the other benefits to living so close to Dyersville and the Field of Dreams, Lindsay got to hear all the stories of people’s experiences both at the game and those who just took part in some of the pre-game activities. For example, the common folks who made it a point to make the teams feel welcomed to Iowa. The baseball players found out for themselves exactly what “Iowa nice” really means.” As the buses drove them from the Dubuque Airport to Dyersville, the baseball players saw people sitting in their driveways, waving at them as they went by. There were people doing this all along the route to the Field of Dreams. There was a lot of talk about how impressed the players were. Another thing that impressed them, for some, it was the first time they had ever seen soybean fields.
Lindsay said the overall experience of the entire Field of Dreams experience was amazing. She especially noted the end of the game when the White Sox hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth inning to win the game. “It couldn’t have been scripted any better,” said Lindsay, since the White Sox won the game in the movie as well. She also noted one sunset shot that appeared on TV that night.
“You could actually see the sun rays coming out from the clouds while they were batting one time,” she said. Lindsay encourages anyone who has seen Dyersville and the Field of Dreams before to come back again.
“It’s worth coming back to because they’ve updated it so much. You can even rent the house now that was in the movie,” she explained.
This will be an experience Lindsay will never forget, and one she is looking forward to hopefully experiencing again next summer, but from a new perspective.
“To have something I enjoy (baseball, Dyersville and the Field of Dreams) and to show it to people makes me happy,” she concluded.
