According to Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic, the Field of Dreams Game has been officially cancelled.
Cardinals-White Sox game at Field of Dreams next Thursday in Dyersville, Iowa cancelled, sources tell The Athletic. Reasoning not believed to be tied to additional positive tests on Cardinals. More a logistical problem.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) August 3, 2020
The game had been scheduled for next Thursday and was to feature the St. Louis Cardinals vs. the Chicago White Sox. Also, at the beginning of the season, it was slated to be the New York Yankees vs. the White Sox. Due to the coronavirus outbreak and season delay, the Cardinals replaced the Yankees. Initially, the Chicago Cubs were in consideration as they have a massive following in the state if Iowa.
History of Field of Dreams Game
The field where the game was supposed to take place in Dyersville, Iowa. The actual field location is just north of the site where the movie Field of Dreams was filmed, and it was set to be the first Major League game ever played at the park and in Dyersville itself. In fact, no MLB game has ever been played in the state of Iowa.
The park itself consists of 8,000 temporary seats. The design is an homage to Comiskey park which is where the White Sox played their home games from 1910 to 1990. The shape of the outfield and bullpens are a direct throwback to old Comiskey. As added nostalgia, there are windows for movie fans, the list of the top ten baseball movies can be found here.
As of right now, MLB is looking to reschedule the game to some time in the 2021 season.
St. Louis Cardinals
Per the report, positive coronavirus tests do not appear to be the reason for the cancellation although the Cardinals are currently dealing with a major outbreak within their organization. As of right now, 13 positive tests including seven players are being reported by the Cardinals. Also, out of those positives, eight are reporting symptoms such as cough, headache and low-grade fevers.
Outlook
Unfortunately for fans, this season is one full of hiccups and pivots, but games are still happening and baseball is continuing. Though it would be exciting to see a game of this type played, erring on the side of caution is the best play for the moment.
Main Photo: Embed from Getty Images
