DYERSVILLE, Iowa — The long-awaited Major League Baseball "Field of Dreams" game is just around the corner, with first pitch shortly after 6 p.m. CT Thursday in Dyersville, Iowa.
With thousands of fans expected to pour into the town, here's everything you need to know about the game, the movie and the legacy behind them both.
When is the game?
The game is set for 6 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 12. It was originally scheduled for 2020, but postponed due to the pandemic.
Clarksville, Iowa native and "American Idol" winner Maddie Poppe will begin the night by singing the National Anthem.
Who is playing?
The game will honor the original matchup from the 1989 movie starring Kevin Costner: Chicago White Sox vs. New York Yankees with the White Sox as the home team.
At one point, before the game was rescheduled, the plan was revised for the Cardinals to take the Yankees' place, but with the postponement, that decision was reversed.
Lance Lynn is scheduled to start for Chicago following Carson Rodón being placed on the injured list, with Andrew Heaney slated to start for New York.
Where will the game be played?
The game won't be played on the original Field of Dreams, because it does not meet the official MLB dimensions. It will take place in a newly constructed, 8,000-seat ballpark connected to the original field via a pathway through the cornfield.
"The design of the park pays homage to Chicago’s Comiskey Park, which was home of the White Sox (and, for a time, “Shoeless” Joe) from 1910-90," MLB said.
What special preparations are being made for the game?
More than three dozen cameras will be set up for the FOX broadcast, plus aerial drones and multiple slow-motion cameras, according to FOX Sports.
Since the field will be closed to the public the week of the game, Dyersville's new "If You Build It" exhibit will stand in for fans looking to experience a piece of cinematic history.
Will this be the one and only 'Field of Dreams' game?
There is no word yet if the "Field of Dreams" game will become a tradition, but Jim Heavens, Dyersville's mayor, is open to it.
"We're doing our best to try and help MLB host this," he said. "This is their game, but we want to help them make it a success. And the other thing that we'd like to do is make it an annual event. I think it very well could be."
Where can I watch it?
Studio coverage from Dyersville begins at 5 p.m. CT on FOX, with the game starting at 6 p.m.
FOX Deportes will offer a Spanish-language broadcast.
Will the teams have special uniforms?
Yes, and they are retro-inspired.
Can I still get tickets?
The 8,000 tickets were initially only available to purchase through a lottery for Iowa residents, but people are still reselling them $1,000 or more on StubHub, Seat Geek and similar websites.
That's roughly the same price as a World Series ticket.
Adam Budelli, a spokesperson for Stub Hub, a ticket partner for Major League Baseball, said Tuesday they have less than 400 tickets left.
Since the tickets are digital-only, Budelli said to make sure not to post pictures of your bar code to social media to avoid scammers looking to sell that information on the secondary market.
Does this count as a regular-season game?
Yes. It replaces a White Sox home game at Guaranteed Rate Field.
Will this be the smallest facility to ever host a regular-season game?
No, a ballpark in Williamsport, Penn. was the smallest, holding around 2,300 fans in 2017.
Will this be the first MLB game played in Iowa?
Technically, no, but it will be the first regular-season game in the Hawkeye state.
The White Sox and Cubs played an exhibition game in Fort Dodge in 1942.
The Messenger reports of the game:
"Our Chamber of Commerce reported 8,500 ticket stubs had been sold, which — to this day — is still a local record for a single athletic event. There were no dugouts at the time, and fans lined foul territory in droves, adding to the intimacy of the festivities."