The Chicago Cubs and the Cincinnati Reds will play this year’s “Field of Dreams” game in the cornfields of Dyersville, Iowa, in a field close to where the famous movie was filmed.
The game will be played tonight, at 7:15 p.m. ET.
The film obviously has some meaning for many fans, but as it turns out, players cherish it, too.
This is the case of Reds slugger Joey Votto.
The first baseman, a Hall of Fame candidate when he decides to hang up his cleats, shared some fascinating thoughts about the game, the movie, and father-son connection that the movie tries to project.
A Special Moment For Votto
He said, via Twitter, that the trip is specially meaningful to him and that he watched the movie a lot during his childhood.
From 8 or 9 years old, my father and I would play catch together. In retrospect, to me, it was the most important thing we did together. It strengthened our bond. In Field of Dreams, the movie ends with the main character, Ray, and the ghost of his father having “a catch”.
— Joey Votto (@JoeyVotto) August 10, 2022
“From 8 or 9 years old, my father and I would play catch together. In retrospect, to me, it was the most important thing we did together. It strengthened our bond. In Field of Dreams, the movie ends with the main character, Ray, and the ghost of his father having ‘a catch,’” he tweeted.
“My father passed away 14+ years ago. So it is impossible for me not to feel an emotional connection to the moment where Ray asks his father for a catch. One more moment together,” he wrote.
We are sure Votto is not the only MLB player with a special place in his heart for “Field of Dreams”.
It was such an iconic movie that MLB is dedicating one game each season to recreate the whole concept.
“Getting the opportunity to play a game at the mythical field that sowed the seeds of hope for a Major League Baseball career is a significant moment for me. Couple that with the father/son connection, and this game is an exceptional moment in my life,” Votto finished.
Getting the opportunity to play a game at the mythical field that sowed the seeds of hope for a Major League Baseball career is a significant moment for me. Couple that with the father/son connection, and this game is an exceptional moment in my life.
— Joey Votto (@JoeyVotto) August 10, 2022
It’s a special game.