The Reds and Cubs are set to play in MLB’s second Field of Dreams game on Thursday, in the stadium right next to where the movie was filmed. But Thursday’s game may be the last one at that site for a while.
Former major leaguer and current Hall of Famer Frank Thomas is a part-owner of the movie site, and he says there may not be a game in Iowa next year.
After this week’s game, the ownership group plans on starting construction near the stadium for facilities for youth baseball and softball. As a result, there will be less accessibility at the MLB stadium nearby.
According to Thomas, MLB doesn’t want to play if the construction will last through next year.
“It’s a lot going on,” Thomas told the Des Moines Register. “They don’t want to come back if the stadium’s not prepared.”
However, this doesn’t mean that Thursday’s game will be the last in Iowa, as MLB may return once the construction is complete.
MLB first scheduled a game at the stadium at Dyersville, Iowa for 2020 between the Yankees and White Sox, but the pandemic pushed that game back to 2021.
While the league skips a visit to Iowa next season, it is making a return to London in 2023 for the first time since 2019.