DYERSVILLE, Iowa -- The future met the past on Tuesday night.
Nostalgia hung in the air like the humidity amid a backdrop of rolling cornfields and yards away from the "Field of Dreams" movie site. Shoeless Joe Jackson came to Iowa in the hallowed 1989 film, and Triple-A players helped break in the newly renovated-but-just-as-atmospheric confines as Cubs affiliate Iowa bested the Twins' St. Paul, 6-3.
Fans worked their way through a maze of maize, had a catch with “ghosts” and sampled ballpark fare as they took in prospects playing in the MiLB at Field of Dreams game.
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Hey, ghost, you wanna have a catch?
As players and fans stepped onto the movie site-turned-pro field, they were greeted by “Ghost Players” -- a group of movie extras and local baseballers who have donned retro uniforms and brought the film to life since 1990. The athletic apparitions even gathered members of both teams together for a pregame photo. As the Triple-A players faded into the corn on their way to the ballfield, fans stayed behind to have catches with family, friends and the Ghost Players.
Ross shows out on offense AND defense
Ben Ross was feeling it from the get-go as he connected on the sixth pitch of the game. The Twins’ No. 17 prospect drilled a solo shot 394 feet before it disappeared into the corn and fireworks erupted for the first affiliated homer in the one-of-a-kind ballpark since 2022. The long ball was Ross’ 18th of the season (and his third in as many games), but the first that hit farmlands (probably).
But that wasn't all for Ross, because he showed out with his glove as well, digging deep at third base to scoop up a hard-hit grounder by BJ Murray and make a hard throw across the diamond that nabbed the Cubs' No. 25 prospect three innings later.
Keeping up with Jones
It kind of seemed like Greg Jones was in lockstep with Ben Ross, also homering and standing out with some flash defense. Now with his second organization of the season, Greg Jones made only his seventh start at shortstop for Iowa since signing with Chicago. First, the 2019 first-rounder tied the game with a solo homer in the second. And then the 28-year-old made a sliding stop up in the middle, throwing out Aaron Sabato from his knees to close out the top half of the sixth.
Wiggins is a real handful
It may sound corny, but right-hander Jaxon Wiggins popped his catcher’s glove with ease. In his one inning of relief, the Cubs' top-ranked pitching prospect struck out two while giving up just a walk on 19 total pitches in the sixth. The Arkansas product averaged 97.2 mph on his heater during the a-maize-ing appearance.
"I feel like it's a once-in-a-lifetime chance to play [here unless you're a big league team, you get that chance. But] it was really surreal," Wiggins said after the game. "It's a fun place to play at. I went and looked at the movie site and all that, so it was super fun."
Drop and give me three
Mascots Mudanna (St. Paul) and Cubbie Bear (Iowa) delighted fans as much as the players and were joined by the Saints’ “Ushertainers, including Coach -- who can best be described as J.K. Simmons in Ted Lasso cosplay. The enigmatic manager riled up the crowd, did a pushup and then added on to his pushup total every time St. Paul scored a run.
Easy as a basket of corn
Special for the Minor League game, fans were treated to elotes bites and walleye fish po’boy. Fans couldn’t get enough of the corn clusters fried in a corn dog-like batter that were topped with cotija cheese and a mild chili seasoning. For the seafood fans, fried fish nuggets resting on a bed of lettuce and tomatoes – sitting in what fans of Thursday’s MLB Field of Dreams game may call a hoagie in Philly.
