Minor League Baseball announced the August 9 game between the Quad Cities River Bandits and Cedar Rapids Kernels will take place at the now-iconic MLB ballpark next to the historic Field of Dreams movie site near Dyersville, Iowa.
Similar to last year’s MLB at Field of Dreams game in Dyersville where the New York Yankees and Chicago White Sox donned throwback jerseys that replicated their 1919 uniforms, the host River Bandits will become the Davenport Blue Sox (their name during the 1913-1916, 1929-1933 and 1934-1937 seasons), while the visiting Kernels will become the Cedar Rapids Bunnies (their name from 1904-1932) for the MiLB at Field of Dreams Game.
“We are thrilled to be able to host a game at such a perfect location for baseball fans from Eastern Iowa and around the world,” said Quad Cities owner Dave Heller. “This is an opportunity that we have hoped for since MLB announced plans to build a ballpark in Dyersville, and to see it come to fruition is really exciting for our organization, and for the Kansas City Royals, our players and Bandit fans from across the region.”
“We are honored to have the opportunity to play in the first Minor League game at such an iconic venue,” said Cedar Rapids General Manager Scott Wilson. “This will certainly be an incredible experience for our players, our organization and our great fans.”
Ticket information will be made available at a later date.
“Being able to have our two Minor League Baseball teams in Eastern Iowa play a game in Dyersville is a perfect fit,” said Morgan Sword, Major League Baseball’s executive vice president, Baseball Operations. “We are excited for our players and coaches, and we hope fans will take advantage of the opportunity to see a professional game at one of America’s most scenic ballparks.”
The new stadium was the site of the most anticipated regular-season MLB game in years on Aug. 12, 2021, as the Chicago White Sox played host to the New York Yankees in the first MLB game played in the state of Iowa. The game certainly lived up to the hype, with Chicago’s Tim Anderson launching a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth inning for a dramatic 9-8 victory.
The game also featured two home runs by Aaron Judge and homers by Giancarlo Stanton, Jose Abreu, Eloy Jimenez, Brett Gardner, and Seby Zavala.