“It’s the experience. I’m a fan running around right now,” White Sox pitcher Liam Hendriks said
DYERSVILLE, Iowa — The White Sox arrived in the middle of farm country for the much anticipated Field of Dreams game Thursday, impressed by the setting and facility staging their encounter with the Yankees Thursday night.
Players snapped photos, walked around the field and into the corn surrounding the 8,000 seat park made for this event. The Sox, dressed in circa 1919 White home uniforms, passed the Yankees, dressed in visiting grays from the same era, going to and from the field where the Field of Dreams movie was shot in 1980.
Players walked through the house owned by Kevin Costner’s character in the iconic movie, taking pictures.
“I sat in the swing, and on the grandstand with the house in the background,” Sox closer Liam Hendriks said. “It’s the little things you don’t want to miss. It’s the experience. I’m a fan running around right now.”
“The field is beautiful,” said Sox pitcher Lucas Giolito, who was scheduled to throw a bullpen in preparation for his start Sunday against the Yankees at Guaranteed Rate Field.
First look. Yankees v White Sox here tonight. pic.twitter.com/e1fc9sIWWR
— Daryl Van Schouwen (@CST_soxvan) August 12, 2021
“I wouldn’t say I was skeptical but I wasn’t expecting it to be put together so well. Impressive attention to detail.”
Even Sox general manager Rick Hahn walked the grounds, taking pictures.
For shortstop and Alabama native Tim Anderson, it was the first time setting foot in the state of Iowa. Anderson said he still hasn’t watched the movie, although his wife Bria saw it Wednesday night.
“Definitely a cool experience,” Anderson said. “Coming from where we’re coming from, to do something like this for the first time, it’s going to be fun. I didn’t know what to expect. It’s all positive.”
After playing an afternoon game in Minneapolis Wednesday, the Sox stayed there overnight and flew to Dubuque, Iowa late Thursday morning, then took buses directly to the field. They will return to Chicago after the game, have a day off Friday and finish the series against the Yankees Saturday and Sunday at Guaranteed Rate Field.
“It’s even cooler than imagined,” Sox radio voice Len Kasper said. “It’s a total big league experience with all the right touches of nostalgia.”
“It’s one of the most beautiful settings we will ever see a game played at,” Kasper’s partner, Darrin Jackson, said. “It’s awesome to be part of history.”
White Sox manager Tony La Russa was not able to be part of it, attending the funeral of his brother-in-law in Tampa, Fla. Bench coach Miguel Cairo will manage the team in his absence.
“I got a text message from him, it said ‘trust your gut,’ ’’ Cairo said.
Sox Cy Young contender Lance Lynn ( 10-3, 2.04 ERA) will start for the Sox against Yankees lefty Andrew Heaney (7-8, 5.45). First pitch is 6:10 p.m. on FOX.
“You walk in and soak in the moments. Right now I’m just enjoying it but once the game starts, everything will start to feel natural,” Hendriks said.
Here is the Sox lineup:
1. Tim Anderson SS
2. Cesar Hernandez 2B
3. Jose Abreu 1B
4. Eloy Jimenez LF
5. Yoan Moncada 3B
6. Andrew Vaughn DH
7. Luis Robert CF
8. Adam Engel RF
9. Seby Zavala C
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